Satellite-borne reflector antenna structure capable of realizing feed source expansion with high precision

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of spaceborne antennas, and particularly discloses a spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of realizing feed source expansion with high precision. Comprising a base, a reflecting surface installed on the base, an unfolding arm located above the base and rotationally matched with the base, a feed source installed at the end, away from the base, of the unfolding arm, and a first pressing and releasing device installed on the feed source and used for fixing the feed source and the base. The reflector antenna structure is compact in structure, high in reliability and capable of achieving feed source unfolding with high precision, position errors of the antenna feed source and the reflector can be effectively reduced, and it is ensured that indexes such as antenna beam pointing, shape and gain meet system requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of spaceborne antenna technology, and more specifically, to a spaceborne reflector antenna structure that can achieve high-precision feed deployment. Background Technology

[0002] Reflector antennas possess significant advantages such as wide bandwidth, narrow beamwidth, high gain, and low sidelobes, and are increasingly widely used in the field of aerospace communication technology. Spaceborne reflector antennas typically feature large reflectors and long focal lengths, resulting in large antenna weight and size. This is detrimental to satellite installation, transportation, and launch, and they also need to withstand the vibrations and shocks during satellite launch. Therefore, these spaceborne reflector antennas are required to have a compact structure, small size, and light weight to adapt to the space and mechanical environment provided by the satellite for installation, transportation, and launch.

[0003] A reflector antenna consists of a feed and a reflector. Their spatial angle and positional distribution determines the antenna's beam pointing, width, and gain. To achieve a compact structure, small size, light weight, and vibration and shock resistance, the feed and reflector are typically mounted independently on the satellite. The reflector is fixed in place by a clamping and releasing device, installed close to the satellite surface. After the satellite enters orbit, the clamping and releasing device unlocks, and the reflector unfolds and locks into place via a mechanism. This ensures the relative position and accuracy of the feed and reflector, enabling the antenna to operate normally. Its structure is as follows: Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, this antenna structure is affected by antenna mounting errors, satellite size deviations, and the difficulty in adjusting the position accuracy of the on-board antenna. This causes large positional errors between the antenna feed and the reflector, which can easily lead to deviations in antenna beam pointing, changes in beam shape, and a decrease in gain, thereby affecting the system's sensitivity and accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a reflector antenna structure for spaceborne use that can achieve high-precision feed deployment. The reflector antenna structure is compact, highly reliable and can achieve high-precision feed deployment, which can effectively reduce the position error between the antenna feed and the reflector, and ensure that the antenna beam pointing, shape and gain and other indicators meet the system requirements. The solution adopted by this invention to solve the technical problem is: A spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of high-precision feed deployment includes a base, a reflector mounted on the base, a deployment arm located above the base and rotatably cooperating with the base, a feed mounted on the end of the deployment arm away from the base, and a clamping and releasing device mounted on the feed for fixing the feed to the base.

[0005] In some possible implementations, a rotary joint is provided on the base, which is drivenly connected to the deploying arm and is used to control the feed source mounted on the deploying arm to move closer to or away from the base.

[0006] In some possible implementations, a through hole is provided on the reflective surface to cooperate with a clamping release device; when the feed source is fixed to the base, the clamping release device will pass through the through hole and connect to the base.

[0007] In some possible implementations, the base is made of carbon fiber aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels and has an installation interface for connecting to the satellite.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the reflective surface is a carbon fiber aluminum honeycomb sandwich structure.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the deployable arm has a hollow structure and is made of carbon fiber material.

[0010] In some possible implementations, adapters are provided at both ends of the deployable arm.

[0011] In some possible implementations, a second clamping and releasing device is provided on the base for use with the deploying arm.

[0012] In some possible implementations, adapters that connect to a rotary joint and a feed source are respectively provided at both ends of the deployable arm.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: (1) On the one hand, the present invention integrates the feed and the reflector into one unit through the base, rotating joint, unfolding arm and clamping release device. The position of the feed and the reflector will not be affected by the size deviation of the star or the antenna mounting error, thus ensuring the stability and consistency of the antenna electrical performance before and after mounting. On the other hand, the position of the feed can be easily adjusted to correct the accumulated error and meet the high precision requirements of the position of the feed and the reflector. (2) The present invention controls the rotation of the unfolding arm by a rotatable joint, which enables the unfolding of the feed source, effectively reducing the antenna envelope size to meet the space requirements of satellite layout, installation, transportation, and launch, and can reliably fix the antenna feed source, reduce the vibration response generated during satellite launch, avoid feed source damage, and improve the reliability of the antenna. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the feed source of the present invention in the retracted state; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the feed source of the present invention in the deployed state; Figure 3A schematic diagram of the reflector antenna structure in its deployed state during an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the reflector antenna structure in the retracted position during an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded structure of a spaceborne antenna in the prior art. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a spaceborne antenna when it is collapsed in the existing technology. in: 5. Feed source; 6. Reflective surface; 7. Base; 8. Rotational joints; 9. Extend the arm; 10. Compressive release device one; 11. Compression release device two. Detailed Implementation

[0015] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, "a" or "one," etc., do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the existence of at least one. In the implementation of this application, "and / or" describes the association relationship of related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. For example, multiple positioning posts refer to two or more positioning posts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0016] The present invention will now be described in detail.

[0017] like Figures 1-4 As shown: A spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of high-precision feed deployment, used in conjunction with a satellite, includes a base 7, a reflector 6 mounted on the base 7, a deployment arm 9 located above the base 7 and rotatably engaged with the base 7, a feed 5 mounted on the end of the deployment arm 9 away from the base 7, and a clamping and releasing device 10 mounted on the feed 5 for fixing the feed 5 to the base 7. The feed 5 is fixed or deployed through the rotatable engagement of the deployment arm 9 and the base 7.

[0018] This invention effectively reduces the size and achieves a compact structure with good structural rigidity, adapting to the mechanical environment and installation and transportation requirements of satellites. It also enables high-precision positioning of the feed 5 and reflector 6, resulting in excellent antenna electrical performance. The feed 5 is connected to the base 7 via a clamping and releasing device 10, which improves the antenna's structural rigidity and allows it to withstand vibrations and shocks generated during satellite launch. After the satellite enters orbit, the clamping and releasing device 10 unlocks, the feed 5 unfolds into position and locks, and the reflector antenna can then normally receive or transmit signals.

[0019] In some possible implementations, in order to effectively control the rotation of the unfolding arm 9, and thus control the unfolding or fixing of the feed source 5, a rotating joint 8 is provided on the base 7, which is pulsatorically connected to the unfolding arm 9 and is used to control the feed source 5 mounted on the unfolding arm 9 to move closer to or away from the base 7. Specifically, the rotating joint 8 can be driven by either a passive drive mechanism or a motor drive mechanism. The driving torque of the joint is determined based on comprehensive indicators such as the mass of the feed 5, the moment of inertia, the length of the unfolding arm 9, the unfolding accuracy, and the bending characteristics and quantity of the feed 5 cable. After the unfolding arm 9 rotates to the set angle, the position can be locked to ensure that the unfolded feed 5 is always at the focal point of the reflector antenna.

[0020] In some possible implementations, a through hole is provided on the reflective surface 6 for use with the clamping release device 10; when the feed source 5 is fixed to the base 7, the clamping release device 10 will pass through the through hole and connect to the base 7.

[0021] In some possible implementations, the base 7 is made of carbon fiber aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels and has an installation interface for connecting with the satellite; the reflective surface 6 is a carbon fiber aluminum honeycomb sandwich structure.

[0022] Specifically, the materials of the base 7 and the reflector 6 have similar thermal expansion characteristics and a small coefficient of thermal expansion, which can ensure the surface accuracy of the reflector 6.

[0023] In some possible implementations, the deployable arm 9 has a hollow structure and is made of carbon fiber material.

[0024] Specifically, the length of the deployable arm 9 is determined based on the spatial position of the feed 5 of the reflector antenna, the joint structure dimensions, and the installation position.

[0025] In some possible implementations, adapters are provided at both ends of the deployable arm 9, which enable the deployable arm 9 to be connected to the rotary joint 8 and the feed source 5 respectively.

[0026] In some possible implementations, a clamping release device 211 is provided on the base 7 to cooperate with the unfolding arm 9; The setting of the compression release device 211 will effectively improve the rigidity of the antenna structure and ensure that the rotation joint 8 is not affected by vibration and impact in terms of its deployment accuracy.

[0027] In some possible implementations, adapters connected to the rotary joint 8 and the feed source 5 are respectively provided at both ends of the deployable arm 9; The cable of feed 5 crosses the rotating joint 8 along the unfolding arm 9 and enters the satellite body, and the cable will be reliably fixed to the arm.

[0028] Example 1: like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown: A 2.5m offset-fed reflector antenna was designed according to this invention, with a focal length of 2.55m and an offset distance of 0.25m; wherein: The reflector 6 and the base 7 are carbon fiber aluminum honeycomb sandwich structures, and the deployable arm 9 is made of carbon fiber material; The rotary joint 8 adopts a motor drive mechanism as used in the prior art; specifically, the axis of rotation of the rotary joint 8 controlling the rotation of the deployable arm 9 is perpendicular to the axis of the deployable arm 9. The feed source 5 is fixed to the base 7 by three clamping and releasing devices 10; A clamping and releasing device 211 is provided on one side of the base 7 near the joint of the unfolding arm 9 to fix the base 7 and the unfolding arm 9; When the reflector antenna structure is in its retracted state, it meets the requirements for satellite mounting. After vibration and shock tests, the reflector antenna structure remains intact. The antenna's electrical performance was tested when it was in the deployed state to ensure it met the required specifications.

[0029] This invention can effectively reduce the size and achieve a compact structure with good structural rigidity, adapting to the mechanical environment and installation and transportation requirements of satellites. Simultaneously, it can achieve high-precision positioning of the feed source and reflector, resulting in excellent antenna electrical performance. This invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The invention extends to any new feature or combination disclosed in this specification, as well as any new method or process step or combination disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of high-precision feed deployment, characterized in that, It includes a base, a reflector mounted on the base, an extendable arm located above the base and rotatably cooperating with the base, a feed source mounted on the end of the extendable arm away from the base, and a clamping and releasing device mounted on the feed source for fixing the feed source and the base.

2. The spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of high-precision feed deployment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A rotary joint is provided on the base, which is drivenly connected to the deploying arm and is used to control the feed source mounted on the deploying arm to move closer to or away from the base.

3. The spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of high-precision feed deployment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A through hole is provided on the reflective surface to cooperate with the clamping and releasing device; when the feed source is fixed to the base, the clamping and releasing device will pass through the through hole and connect to the base.

4. The spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of high-precision feed deployment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base is made of carbon fiber aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels and has an installation interface for connecting to the satellite.

5. The spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of high-precision feed deployment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reflective surface has a carbon fiber aluminum honeycomb sandwich structure.

6. The spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of high-precision feed deployment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deployable arm has a hollow structure and is made of carbon fiber.

7. A spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of high-precision feed deployment according to claim 6, characterized in that, Adapters are provided at both ends of the deployable arm.

8. The spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of high-precision feed deployment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A second clamping and releasing device is provided on the base to cooperate with the unfolding arm.

9. A spaceborne reflector antenna structure capable of high-precision feed deployment according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, At each end of the deployable arm are adapters that connect to the rotary joint and the feed source, respectively.

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