A solar sail membrane that deforms under radiation pressure is numerically analyzed to determine the thrust efficiency at different attitudes. The deformable sail is compared to flat and other rigid structures. Our numerical model uses ray tracing and simulated annealing to calculate the force, torque, and steady-state contour of a loose-fitting, thin membrane adhered to a rigid support.
Thrust Efficiency on an Idealized Deformable Sail
Springer Praxis Books (formerly: Springer-Praxis Series)
2014-02-04
11 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
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