A cube satellite scissors-fork deployable solar array system

Abstract

The application provides a scissors deployable solar cell array system of a cubic satellite, which comprises a power supply box, a driving transmission device, a pressing release device, a connecting frame, a scissors deployable solar cell array, a deployment device and a locking device. The application is based on the principle of the scissors space deployable mechanism, adopts generalization and modularization design, has natural compactness, large face folding and unfolding ratio and high space utilization rate, has the modularization characteristic, is strong in expandability, can carry more solar cell panels in a unit volume, greatly improves the available power of the load, has strong functionality, and the special shape can provide the passive gravity gradient stabilization and high gain antenna integration advantages for the cubic satellite, the active driving deployment can customize the deployment time sequence, reduces the attitude influence on the cubic satellite in the deployment process, and is suitable for monitoring and communication task satellites and easy to complete orbit rapid deployment.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of space satellites, in particular to the technical field of cube satellite battery array, and specifically to a scissor deployable solar battery array system of a cube satellite. BACKGROUND

[0002] Cube satellites adopt the design concept of generalization, modularization and standardization, and are widely used in the fields of space imaging, communication and new technology test platform in the world, and are also used by universities to carry out space science research and education. The energy supply of the cube satellite in space mainly relies on the self-provided battery or the body-mounted solar battery array. However, with the increasing demand for power of the on-board load, the traditional energy supply mode of the cube satellite has been difficult to meet the demand of future space missions. The application of space deployable solar battery array technology is the main means to increase the energy supply capacity of the satellite. For the current cube satellite, the solar battery array arrangement adopted is mostly body-mounted battery array or single-piece deployable array. With the rapid development of microsatellite technology, the power of the load carried on the cube satellite is becoming larger and larger, and the functional density is becoming higher and higher. The current solar battery array technology has been difficult to meet the energy supply demand of the cube satellite.

[0003] Large and medium-sized satellites often use deployable battery arrays for power supply. The battery array structure is complex, heavy in mass and large in size, and it is difficult to be directly scaled down and applied to cube satellites. In addition, the cube satellite has special application requirements for the storage size and deployment mechanism of the battery array due to its unique size specifications and standards, such as: the overall width of the battery array does not exceed the envelope of the cube satellite, the design of the deployment mechanism should use commercial off-the-shelf products as much as possible to reduce costs, should have modular expansion capability and higher restrictions on structural mass, etc.

[0004] The existing cube satellite solar battery array is roughly divided into patch type, one-dimensional single-piece deployable type and one-dimensional multi-piece deployable type.

[0005] According to Chinese patent application No. 201810225658.0, a 12U cube satellite structure is disclosed, in which the solar panels are arranged on the six surfaces of the satellite. Due to the limitation of the surface area of the cube satellite, the efficiency and output power of the cube satellite are low, and it is difficult to meet the transition demand of the shadow area.

[0006] According to Chinese patent application No. 201720868771.1, a solar wing unfolding mechanism, a solar power generation device and a cube satellite are disclosed, which includes a support plate, a driving device, a connecting rod mechanism, a mounting bracket, and can complete one-dimensional unfolding of a solar sailboard; according to Chinese patent application No. 201811069382.8, a cube satellite deployable battery array and its unfolding method are disclosed, which includes a satellite frame, the two sides of the satellite frame are connected to the unfolding array through the connecting device, the unfolding array includes an inner unfolding array, a middle unfolding array and an outer unfolding array, and can complete one-dimensional multiple unfolding of the solar sailboard. However, the above two designs have poor expandability, the mechanism design and assembly are relatively complex and tedious, the cost-effectiveness is low, and the passive function advantage cannot be provided. SUMMARY

[0007] In order to solve the problem that the existing solar cell array technology cannot meet the energy supply demand of future large load power and high density cube satellites, based on the principle of the scissor type space deployable mechanism, a general and modular design is adopted, and a cube satellite scissor type deployable space solar cell array system is provided, the cell array included in the system can be folded on the satellite body with a relatively simple structure, realizing lightweight, low impact and high expansion of the satellite-borne equipment, and being suitable for the modular deployable solar cell array system of 1U-6U cube satellites.

[0008] The technical scheme of the present application is as follows:

[0009] A cube satellite scissor type deployable solar cell array system, comprising a power supply case, a driving transmission device, a pressing and releasing device, a connecting frame, a scissor type deployable solar cell array, an unfolding device and a locking device.

[0010] The power supply case includes a case wall plate, a case bottom plate and a case middle body, used for accommodating a satellite-borne circuit control board and a driving transmission device; a constraint hole is formed in the case wall plate; guide grooves are arranged on the front and rear panels of the case middle body to provide constraint for the movement of the connecting rod in the case; the outer side of the top plate of the case middle body is connected with the case plate hinge and the connecting frame, and the inner side is provided with a hot knife module of the pressing and releasing device and a spring pin fixing block of the locking device.

[0011] The driving transmission device is installed at the inner rear side of the case middle body, and includes a driving motor, a nut block, a driving screw and a sliding lead screw; the driving motor can drive the sliding lead screw to rotate, and make the nut block placed on the sliding lead screw move linearly back and forth, and then drive the driving screw fixed on the nut block to move; the driving screw can drive the actuating connecting rod in the unfolding device to move, and provide power for the unfolding and folding of the battery array.

[0012] The clamping and releasing device includes two release panels, a release hinge, a hot knife module, and fiber optic cables. Each release panel has a constraint hole. One end of the release panel is fixed to the top of the power supply chassis wall panel via a release hinge with a torsion spring. When the battery array is folded, the other end of the release panel is positioned and clamped by the fiber optic cable. When the battery array needs to be unfolded, the hot knife module heats and melts the fiber optic cable, and the torsion spring of the release hinge releases the release panel, thus releasing the physical constraint on the battery array.

[0013] The scissor-type deployable solar cell array can be housed within a space enclosed by a power supply chassis and left and right release panels. It includes multiple identical folding units, each of which consists of a substrate, pads, inter-plate hinges, and solar cells. The solar cells are mounted on the substrate, and the two ends of the substrate are hinged to adjacent substrates via inter-plate hinges. The middle of both sides is hinged to the middle connecting rod in the deployment device via fixed "T"-shaped pads and self-tapping screws.

[0014] The connecting frame consists of a bottom support plate and a box plate hinge. One end of the bottom support plate is connected to the middle of the top surface of the power supply chassis through the box plate hinge, and the other end is connected to the bottom substrate of the battery array through the inter-plate hinge.

[0015] The deployment device includes an actuating link, a top link, a middle link, a bottom link, a locking link, a supporting link, and a fork-shaped link; the deployment device is arranged on the front and rear sides of the connecting frame and the scissor-type deployable solar cell array; the deployment device structures arranged on the front and rear sides of the scissor-type deployable solar cell array are the same, while the deployment device structures arranged on the front and rear sides of the connecting frame are different.

[0016] The deployment device located at the front of the connecting frame includes locking links and support links. The bottom of the two locking links is hinged together, and the hinge is fixed to the front panel of the chassis with screws. The other ends of the two locking links are respectively hinged to the two support links, and the hinges are arranged in two arc-shaped guide slots on the front panel of the chassis with axial bolts, so that the movement trajectory of the two locking links is constrained to an arc centered on the bottom hinge point. One of the locking links is provided with a locking hole, which is used to cooperate with the spring pin in the locking device after the battery array is deployed to lock the entire battery array in the deployed state. Of the two support links, the other end of one support link is hinged to the middle of one bottom link, and the other end of the other support link is hinged to the front edge of the bottom support plate through a pad.

[0017] The unfolding device arranged at the rear of the connecting frame includes an actuating link and a fork-shaped link. The lower ends of the two actuating links are hinged by a drive screw. The upper end of one actuating link is hinged to the middle of the bottom link on the other side. The upper end of the other actuating link is hinged to the end of the fork-shaped link. The fork opening of the fork-shaped link is fixedly connected to the rear edge of the bottom support plate.

[0018] The deployment device arranged on the front and rear sides of the scissor-type deployable solar cell array includes a bottom connecting rod, a middle connecting rod, and a top connecting rod. The length of the bottom connecting rod and the top connecting rod is only half that of the middle connecting rod. One end of the bottom connecting rod is hinged to the lower edge of the bottom support plate, and the other end is hinged to the end of the middle connecting rod. Several middle connecting rods are hinged in sequence, and the middle of each middle connecting rod is hinged to the middle of the side of the substrate. One end of the top connecting rod is hinged to the end of the middle connecting rod, and the other end is hinged to the middle of the side of the outermost substrate.

[0019] The locking device includes a spring pin fixing block and a spring pin, with the spring pin fixing block fixedly installed on the top plate of the chassis.

[0020] Furthermore, the top plate of the power supply chassis adopts a grid-reinforced design to improve the surface rigidity of the chassis panel connection.

[0021] Furthermore, the power supply chassis is also equipped with a lead screw module mounting bracket, which is connected to the top wall and abuts the bottom plate, and is used to install the sliding lead screw in the drive transmission device.

[0022] Furthermore, when the battery array is in a folded state, the fiber thread enters from the constraint hole on the release panel, passes through the left constraint hole of the power supply chassis wall panel, the hot knife module installed inside the power supply chassis, and the right constraint hole in sequence, and finally tightens and knots the fiber thread to create a restraint.

[0023] Furthermore, after the battery array is deployed in orbit, the connecting frame separates the array from the satellite body at a certain distance to avoid shadows on the battery array caused by the satellite body or other equipment, thus avoiding power loss.

[0024] Furthermore, when the drive transmission device starts working, the two actuation link hinge points begin to move under the action of the drive transmission device, thereby sequentially driving the bottom link, connecting frame, middle link, etc. to unfold outward, while the link on the other side is restrained and driven, and the locking link inside the chassis rotates on a fixed axis.

[0025] Furthermore, once the battery array has been deployed to a predetermined angle, the drive motor stops working, and the sliding screw completes self-locking. As the locking linkage rotates along its fixed axis, the spring pin in the inner pin fixing block of the power supply housing moves inward under the action of its chamfered surface until it encounters the locking hole. The pin is then inserted into the locking hole under the action of the spring, and the battery array is locked after deployment.

[0026] Furthermore, it also includes an onboard circuit control board; the onboard circuit control board consists of a microcontroller, a voltage regulator module, an uplink and downlink communication module, a radio frequency antenna module, a data transmission and storage module, and an external sensor module; it is used to control power supply on / off, maintain optimal charging status, optimize the discharge process, and improve battery life.

[0027] Beneficial effects

[0028] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0029] 1. Based on the principle of scissor-type deployment mechanism, this invention has a natural compactness, a large surface-to-surface ratio, and high space utilization; it also has modular characteristics, strong expandability, and can carry more solar panels in a unit volume, greatly improving the available power of the load.

[0030] 2. This invention is highly functional. Its unique shape provides CubeSats with the advantages of passive gravity gradient stabilization and high-gain antenna integration. The active drive deployment allows for customized deployment timing, reducing the attitude impact on the CubeSat during deployment. It is suitable for monitoring and communication mission satellites and is easy to deploy quickly into orbit.

[0031] 3. Based on the standard electrical interface of a typical CubeSat, this system completes the integrated design of the power control system for the deployment of the solar array. It adopts a modular design, integrates the MPPT function into the solar array deployment system, and uses a microcontroller to monitor the system status in real time, complete information interaction, optimize the overall design of the power system, and improve conversion efficiency and reliability.

[0032] 4. The invention has a simple structure, low manufacturing cost, high reliability, and good operability.

[0033] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention in its folded state.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the invention during the unfolding process.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fully unfolded state of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 4 for Figure 3Side view of the structure of the present invention in its fully unfolded state

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a folded unit in the battery array of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the panel hinge and connecting frame in this invention.

[0041] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the power supply chassis and its auxiliary components in this invention.

[0042] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Sectional view from direction B

[0043] Figure 9 This is a wiring diagram of the spaceborne electronic control system in this invention.

[0044] Wherein: 1—Power supply chassis, 1-1—Chassis wall panel, 1-2—Chassis bottom plate, 1-3—Chassis body, 2—Guide groove, 3—Constraint hole, 4—Onboard lithium battery, 5—Onboard circuit control board, 6—Hot knife module, 7—Drive transmission device, 7-1—Drive motor, 7-2—Nut slider, 7-3—Drive screw, 7-4—Sliding screw, 8—Release panel, 9—Release hinge, 10—Fiber optic cable, 11—Base plate, 12—Intermediate connecting rod, 13—Thick pad, 14—Thin pad 15—Inter-plate hinge, 15-1—Inter-plate male hinge, 15-2—Inter-plate female hinge, 15-3—Hinge pin, 16—Solar cell, 17—Self-tapping screw, 18—Connecting screw, 19—Top connecting rod, 20—Top solar panel, 21—Actuating connecting rod, 22—Shaft bolt, 23—Spring pin, 24—Pin fixing block, 25—Locking connecting rod, 26—Locking hole, 27—Box panel hinge, 28—Bottom support plate, 29—Bottom connecting rod, 30—Fork-shaped connecting rod, 31—Support connecting rod. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0046] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0047] The CubeSat scissor-deployable solar array system in this embodiment includes a power supply chassis, a drive transmission device, a clamping and releasing device, a connecting frame, a scissor-deployable solar array, a deployment device, a locking device, and an onboard circuit control board.

[0048] When the system is folded, it has a cubic shape. The battery array is housed within the space enclosed by the power supply chassis 1 and the release panel 8. It can be installed as a separate module on the CubeSat. When fully deployed, there is an angle of approximately 10° between the battery arrays to achieve the best balance between overall rigidity and power output after deployment, avoiding the instability issues that occur when deployed as a plane. This invention uses double-sided connecting rods to support deployment, divided into an actuating part and a driven part according to the power source, to improve deployment stability and suppress torsion during the deployment process.

[0049] The power supply chassis 1 includes a chassis wall panel 1-1, a chassis bottom plate 1-2, and a chassis body 1-3, used to house components such as the onboard circuit control board and drive transmission device. The chassis wall panel 1-1 has constraint holes. The front and rear panels of the chassis body have guide grooves 2 to provide constraints for the movement of the connecting rods within the chassis. The top plate of the chassis body adopts a grid-reinforced design to improve the surface rigidity of the panel connections. Its outer side is connected to the panel hinges and connecting frame, while its inner side is equipped with the hot knife module 6 of the clamping release device and the spring pin fixing block 24 of the locking device. The power supply chassis 1 also includes a lead screw module mounting bracket, which connects to the top wall and abuts the bottom plate, used to install the sliding lead screw in the drive transmission device.

[0050] like Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the drive transmission device is installed inside the rear side of the housing and includes a drive motor 7-1, a nut slider 7-2, a drive screw 7-3, and a sliding lead screw 7-4. The drive motor 7-1 shaft is directly connected to the sliding lead screw 7-4. When the drive motor drives the sliding lead screw to rotate, the nut slider 7-2, placed on the sliding lead screw 7-4, moves linearly back and forth along the sliding lead screw, thereby driving the drive screw 7-3, which is fixed on the nut slider 7-2, to move. The drive screw 7-3 passes through the main scissor joint of the actuation link 21 in the deployment device and is fixed to the nut slider 7-2. When the drive screw 7-3 moves linearly, it can drive the actuation link 21 to move, thereby providing power for the deployment and retraction of the battery array.

[0051] like Figure 1 As shown, the clamping and releasing device includes two release panels 8 (left and right), a release hinge 9, a hot knife module 6, and a fiber optic cable 10. Each release panel has a constraint hole. One end of the release panel is fixed to the top of the power supply chassis wall panel 1-1 via a release hinge with a torsion spring. The other end of the release panel, when the battery array is folded, is positioned and clamped by the fiber optic cable. Specifically, when the battery array is folded, the fiber optic cable 10 is introduced through the constraint hole 3 on the release panel, passing sequentially through the left constraint hole of the power supply chassis wall panel, the hot knife module 6 installed inside the power supply chassis, and the right constraint hole. Finally, the fiber optic cable 10 is tightened and knotted to create a restraint. When the battery array needs to be unfolded, the hot knife module heats and melts the fiber optic cable, and the torsion spring of the release hinge releases the release panel, thus releasing the physical constraint on the battery array.

[0052] like Figure 5As shown, the scissor-type deployable solar cell array can be housed in a space enclosed by a power supply chassis and left and right release panels, and includes multiple identical folding units. Each folding unit consists of a substrate 11, a pad, an inter-panel hinge 15, and a solar cell 16. Each unit contains four solar cells 16 mounted on the substrate 11 via an insulating polyimide film. Each substrate 11 is hinged at both ends to adjacent substrates via inter-plate hinges 15. The middle sections of both sides are hinged to the intermediate connecting rods 12 in the unfolding device via fixed "T"-shaped thick pads 13 or "T"-shaped thin pads 14 and self-tapping screws. The two ends of each intermediate connecting rod 12 are hinged to adjacent intermediate connecting rods via cross-head connecting screws 18. The central hole of the intermediate connecting rod 12 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the self-tapping screw 17, and the holes at the two ends of the intermediate connecting rod 12 closest to the connecting screw 18 are slightly larger than the outer diameter of the connecting screw 18. The length of the connecting screw 18 is longer than the sum of the thicknesses of the two intermediate connecting rods 12 to ensure flexible rotation during unfolding and retraction. Because the intermediate connecting rods 12 are continuously and staggered, the pads vary in thickness. When the battery array is in a folded state, the pads contact each other vertically to provide longitudinal support.

[0053] like Figure 6 As shown, the connecting frame consists of a bottom support plate 28 and a panel hinge 27. One end of the bottom support plate 28 is connected to the center of the top surface of the power supply chassis via the panel hinge 27, and the other end is connected to the lowest substrate of the battery array via an inter-plate hinge. Its main function is to separate the battery array from the satellite body by a certain distance after the battery array is deployed in orbit, so as to avoid shadows on the battery array caused by the satellite body or other equipment, and thus avoid power loss.

[0054] In this invention, there are three types of hinges: inter-plate hinges, box-plate hinges, and release hinges. Inter-plate hinges are used to connect base plates to base plates, box-plate hinges are used to connect base plates to chassis, and release hinges are used to connect release panels to chassis. Inter-plate hinges consist of a male hinge, a female hinge, and a hinge pin. Box-plate hinges and release hinges have added special functional components such as torsion springs and positioning springs. The two ends of the torsion springs abut against one side of the male and female hinges, so that they can be automatically released under the action of the torsion springs.

[0055] like Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the deployment device includes an actuation link 21, a top link 19, a middle link 12, a bottom link 29, a locking link 25, a support link 31, and a fork-shaped link 30. The deployment devices are arranged on the front and rear sides of the connecting frame and the scissor-type deployable solar cell array; the deployment devices arranged on the front and rear sides of the scissor-type deployable solar cell array have the same structure, while the deployment devices arranged on the front and rear sides of the connecting frame have different structures.

[0056] likeFigure 6 As shown, the deployment device arranged on the front side of the connecting frame includes locking links 25 and support links 31. The bottom of the two locking links 25 are hinged together, and the hinge is fixed to the front panel of the chassis body 1-3 with screws. The other ends of the two locking links 25 are respectively hinged to the two support links 31, and the hinge is arranged in two arc-shaped guide grooves on the front panel of the chassis body 1-3 with shaft bolts 22, so that the movement trajectory of the two locking links 25 is constrained on an arc centered on the bottom hinge point. One of the locking links 25 is provided with a locking hole 26, which is used to cooperate with the spring pin 23 in the locking device after the battery array is deployed to lock the entire battery array in the deployed state. Of the two support links 31, the other end of one support link 31 is hinged to the middle of the bottom link 29 on one side, and the other end of the other support link 31 is hinged to the front edge of the bottom support plate 28 through a pad.

[0057] The unfolding device arranged at the rear of the connecting frame includes an actuating link 21 and a fork-shaped link 30. The lower ends of the two actuating links 21 are hinged by a drive screw 7-3. The upper end of one actuating link 21 is hinged to the middle of the bottom link 29 on the other side, and the upper end of the other actuating link 21 is hinged to the end of the fork-shaped link 30. The fork opening of the fork-shaped link 30 is fixedly connected to the rear edge of the bottom support plate 28.

[0058] like Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the deployment device arranged on the front and rear sides of the scissor-type deployable solar cell array includes a bottom connecting rod 29, a middle connecting rod 12, and a top connecting rod 19. The lengths of both the bottom connecting rod 29 and the top connecting rod 19 are only half that of the middle connecting rod 12. One end of the bottom connecting rod 29 is hinged to the lower edge of the bottom support plate 28, and the other end is hinged to the end of the middle connecting rod 12. Several middle connecting rods 12 are hinged sequentially, and the middle of each middle connecting rod 12 is hinged to the middle of the side of the substrate 11 by a fixed "T"-shaped pad and a self-tapping screw. One end of the top connecting rod 19 is hinged to the end of the middle connecting rod 12, and the other end is hinged to the middle of the side of the outermost substrate.

[0059] When the drive transmission device starts working, the hinge points of the two actuating links 21, namely the main scissor fork joints, begin to move under the action of the drive transmission device, thereby sequentially driving the bottom link, connecting frame, middle link, etc. to unfold outward, while the link on the other side is restrained and driven, and the locking link in the chassis rotates on a fixed axis.

[0060] The locking device includes a spring pin fixing block 24 and a spring pin 23. The spring pin fixing block 24 is fixedly installed on the top plate of the inner body of the chassis. When the battery array is deployed to a predetermined angle, the drive motor stops working, the sliding screw completes self-locking, and as the locking linkage rotates along its fixed axis, the spring pin in the spring pin fixing block located inside the inner body of the power supply chassis moves inward under the action of its chamfered surface until it encounters the locking hole 26. The pin is inserted into the locking hole under the action of the spring, and the battery array is locked after deployment.

[0061] The onboard electronic control system adopts a centralized power supply-type space micro-power architecture and uses a maximum power point tracking control strategy to improve energy conversion efficiency. It converts and regulates the input voltage of the series-connected solar cell array to the power supply voltage of the onboard lithium battery. The array output lines are integrated on substrate 11, with flexible wiring between adjacent substrates. The voltage is then converted into two voltage outputs of 3.3V and 5V by a voltage regulator module (input regulator) to provide power input to the client (spacecraft software) and complete electronic control management tasks such as data management and telemetry. The release of the clamping device and the deployment of the battery array are driven by the initial charge of the onboard lithium battery, which handles signal input / output and propulsion.

[0062] The onboard circuit control board consists of a microcontroller, a voltage regulator module, uplink and downlink communication modules, an RF antenna module, data transmission and storage modules, and external sensor modules. The control board's functions include controlling power supply on / off, maintaining optimal charging conditions, optimizing the discharge process, and improving battery lifespan. A UC3909 charging management chip is used to achieve intelligent charging management of the onboard lithium battery, extending battery life. A supercapacitor bank and buck-boost circuit are used to achieve effective charging under low-light conditions in shaded areas. The microcontroller outputs a PWM signal to drive the PMOS transistors based on the photovoltaic array's operating status, achieving maximum power point tracking (MPPT). The supercapacitor bank, DC / DC converter, and UC3909 implement four-stage charging control for the battery, utilizing the characteristics of the supercapacitor to optimize the charging and discharging process. Finally, the output of the voltage regulator module drives loads such as motors to complete the system's operation.

[0063] The system employs STMicroelectronics' STM32F103 series microcontroller as the core, and utilizes the UC3909 chip for intelligent charging management of the onboard lithium battery. This ensures the onboard lithium battery maintains optimal charging status, extending its lifespan. The microcontroller provides maximum power point tracking capability, measures and records system voltage, current, and temperature, and enables user control. An I2C interface is used to read measurement results and control the switching status of the 3.3V and 5V buses.

[0064] The voltage generated by the solar array is stored in the battery by the controller. Under the controller's control, the battery can discharge to a DC load. When the battery voltage is detected to be too low, the discharge stops. The array deployment mechanism is designed using a DRV8834 DC motor driver chip, driven by a 5V input voltage, achieving a certain degree of integration. The voltage regulator module converts the battery output voltage to 3.3V and 5V, providing suitable drive voltage for the satellite's onboard systems, such as the satellite's operational software, in addition to driving the deployment of the solar array by the motor, ensuring the satellite's normal operation. A temperature sensor monitors the battery temperature and makes corresponding adjustments. When the monitored temperature exceeds a given threshold, the microcontroller issues a command to stop the battery array and satellite system; when the temperature remains within a suitable range, the battery array and satellite system resume normal operation.

[0065] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0066] After the fiber optic cable 10 passing through the constraint hole 3 is melted by the hot knife module 6, the drive motor 7-1, powered by the reserved power of the onboard lithium battery 4, drives the sliding screw 7-4 to start working. The nut slider 7-2 drives the drive screw 7-3 to move with the main scissor fork joint, thereby unfolding the solar cell array and various connecting rods. The left and right release panels 8 also spring open under the action of the spring-loaded release hinges 9. At the same time, the shaft bolts 22 of the actuating connecting rod 21 and the bottom connecting rod 29 slide in their respective guide grooves 2, causing the battery array to unfold in the predetermined direction. When the array unfolds to the predetermined angle, the sliding screw 7-4 stops working to achieve self-locking. In addition, the spring pin 23 will be embedded in the locking hole 26 of the locking connecting rod 25 to lock the mechanism. The solar cell array receives sunlight to realize light energy conversion, the onboard circuit control board 5 completes power conversion and distribution, and the onboard electronic control system starts working.

[0067] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cubic star scissor-type deployable solar cell array system, characterized in that: Includes power supply chassis, drive transmission device, clamping and release device, connecting frame, scissor-type deployable solar cell array, deployment device, and locking device; The power supply chassis includes chassis wall panels, chassis bottom plate and chassis body, which are used to house the on-board circuit control board and drive transmission device; The chassis panel has constraint holes; The front and rear panels of the chassis are equipped with guide grooves to provide constraints for the movement of the connecting rods inside the chassis; the outer side of the top plate of the chassis is connected to the hinge and connecting frame of the box plate, and the inner side is equipped with the hot knife module of the clamping release device and the spring pin fixing block of the locking device. The drive transmission device is installed inside the rear side of the chassis and includes a drive motor, a nut slider, a drive screw, and a sliding screw. The drive motor can drive the sliding screw to rotate and cause the nut slider placed on the sliding screw to move back and forth in a straight line along the sliding screw, thereby driving the drive screw fixed on the nut slider to move. The drive screw can drive the actuating linkage in the deployment device to move, providing power for the deployment and retraction of the battery array. The clamping and releasing device includes two release panels, a release hinge, a hot knife module, and fiber optic cables. Each release panel has a constraint hole. One end of the release panel is fixed to the top of the power supply chassis wall panel via a release hinge with a torsion spring. When the battery array is folded, the other end of the release panel is positioned and clamped by the fiber optic cable. When the battery array needs to be unfolded, the hot knife module heats and melts the fiber optic cable, and the torsion spring of the release hinge releases the release panel, thus releasing the physical constraint on the battery array. The scissor-type deployable solar cell array can be housed in a space enclosed by a power supply chassis and left and right release panels. It includes multiple identical folding units, each of which consists of a substrate, pads, inter-plate hinges, and solar cells. The solar cells are mounted on the substrate, and the two ends of the substrate are hinged to adjacent substrates through inter-plate hinges. The middle of both sides is hinged to the middle connecting rod in the deployment device through fixed "T"-shaped pads and self-tapping screws. The connecting frame consists of a bottom support plate and a box plate hinge. One end of the bottom support plate is connected to the middle of the top surface of the power supply chassis through the box plate hinge, and the other end is connected to the bottom substrate of the battery array through the inter-plate hinge. The deployment device includes an actuation link, a top link, a middle link, a bottom link, a locking link, a support link, and a fork-shaped link; The deployment device is arranged on both sides of the connecting frame and the scissor-type deployable solar cell array; The deployment devices arranged on the front and rear sides of the scissor-type deployable solar cell array have the same structure, while the deployment devices arranged on the front and rear sides of the connecting frame have different structures. The unfolding device arranged on the front side of the connecting frame includes a locking link and a support link. The bottom of the two locking links are hinged together, and the hinge is fixed to the front panel of the chassis with screws. The other end of the two locking links is respectively hinged to two support links, and the hinge is arranged in two arc-shaped guide grooves on the front panel of the chassis with shaft bolts, so that the movement trajectory of the two locking links is constrained on an arc with the bottom hinge point as the center. One of the locking links is equipped with a locking hole, which is used to cooperate with the spring pin in the locking device to lock the entire battery array in the unfolded state after the battery array is unfolded; of the two support links, the other end of one support link is hinged to the middle of the bottom link on one side, and the other end of the other support link is hinged to the front edge of the bottom support plate through a pad. The unfolding device arranged at the rear of the connecting frame includes an actuating link and a fork-shaped link. The lower ends of the two actuating links are hinged by a drive screw. The upper end of one actuating link is hinged to the middle of the bottom link on the other side. The upper end of the other actuating link is hinged to the end of the fork-shaped link. The fork opening of the fork-shaped link is fixedly connected to the rear edge of the bottom support plate. The deployment device arranged on the front and rear sides of the scissor-type deployable solar cell array includes a bottom connecting rod, a middle connecting rod, and a top connecting rod. The length of the bottom connecting rod and the top connecting rod is only half that of the middle connecting rod. One end of the bottom connecting rod is hinged to the lower edge of the bottom support plate, and the other end is hinged to the end of the middle connecting rod. Several middle connecting rods are hinged in sequence, and the middle of each middle connecting rod is hinged to the middle of the side of the substrate. One end of the top connecting rod is hinged to the end of the middle connecting rod, and the other end is hinged to the middle of the side of the outermost substrate. The locking device includes a spring pin fixing block and a spring pin, with the spring pin fixing block fixedly installed on the top plate of the chassis.

2. The cubic star scissor-deployable solar array system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top plate of the power supply chassis is designed with a grid reinforcement to improve the rigidity of the connection surfaces of the chassis plates.

3. The cubic star scissor-deployable solar array system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power supply chassis is also equipped with a lead screw module mounting bracket, which is connected to the top wall and abuts the bottom plate, and is used to install the sliding lead screw in the drive transmission device.

4. The cubic star scissor-deployable solar array system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the battery array is in a folded state, the fiber thread enters from the constraint hole on the release panel, passes through the left constraint hole of the power supply chassis wall panel, the hot knife module installed on the inner side of the power supply chassis, and the right constraint hole in sequence, and finally tightens and knots the fiber thread to create a restraint.

5. The cubic star scissor-type deployable solar array system according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the battery array is deployed in orbit, the connecting frame separates the array from the satellite body at a certain distance to avoid shadows on the battery array caused by the satellite body or other equipment, thus avoiding power loss.

6. The cubic star scissor-deployable solar array system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the drive transmission device starts working, the two actuating link hinge points begin to move under the action of the drive transmission device, thereby sequentially driving the bottom link, connecting frame, middle link, etc. to unfold outward, while the link on the other side is restrained and driven, and the locking link inside the chassis rotates on a fixed axis.

7. The cubic star scissor-deployable solar array system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Once the battery array has been deployed to the predetermined angle, the drive motor stops working, and the sliding screw completes self-locking. As the locking linkage rotates along its fixed axis, the spring pin in the inner pin fixing block of the power supply housing moves inward under the action of its chamfered surface until it encounters the locking hole. The pin is then inserted into the locking hole under the action of the spring, and the battery array is locked after being deployed.

8. The cubic star scissor-type deployable solar array system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a spaceborne circuit control board; the spaceborne circuit control board consists of a microcontroller, a voltage regulator module, an uplink and downlink communication module, a radio frequency antenna module, a data transmission and storage module, and an external sensor module; it is used to control power supply on / off, maintain optimal charging status, optimize the discharge process, and improve battery life.

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