High-precision planar antenna deployment device

Abstract

The application discloses a high-precision planar antenna unfolding device and belongs to the technical field of spaceborne radars. The left wing planar antenna comprises an inner antenna plate and an outer antenna plate. One end of the inner antenna plate is hinged to a star body through a root hinge, and the other end is hinged to one end of the outer antenna plate through an inter-plate hinge. The other end of the outer antenna plate extends outward. The left wing unfolding mechanism comprises a Y-shaped inclined strut assembly. The Y-shaped inclined strut assembly comprises a first inclined strut, a second inclined strut and a third inclined strut. One end of each of the first inclined strut, the second inclined strut and the third inclined strut is hinged through an inter-rod hinge. The other end of the first inclined strut is hinged to the star body, and the other ends of the second inclined strut and the third inclined strut are respectively hinged to the transverse two ends of the inner antenna plate. The right wing planar antenna and the left wing planar antenna are left-right symmetrical about the star body. The right wing unfolding mechanism and the left wing unfolding mechanism are left-right symmetrical about the star body. The device reduces the repeated accuracy requirement of the inter-plate hinge and realizes the high planeness performance of the whole antenna array.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of spaceborne radar technology, specifically relating to a high-precision planar antenna deployment device. Background Technology

[0002] Planar array antennas offer greater design freedom, scalability, and engineering feasibility, making them the most commonly used antenna type for spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR). With the development of aerospace technology, spaceborne SAR antennas are trending towards higher density, lower cost, and formation or networking.

[0003] In 2014 and 2016, the European Space Agency launched Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B, whose planar array antennas consisted of five antenna panels, with a fully deployed size of 12.3m in length and 0.8m in width. In 2019, Canada launched the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), in which the planar array consisted of two panels. In 2016, Li Bo et al. from the Shanghai Aerospace Systems Engineering Research Institute published application number CN201611118145.7 entitled "An H-configuration Deployable Spaceborne Antenna Mechanism," whose planar antenna components included two antenna panels: a left-wing planar antenna and a right-wing planar antenna, which were deployed by a drive assembly.

[0004] However, the deployable mechanisms of the Sentinel satellite, RCM satellite, and H-configuration onboard antennas mentioned above employ a relatively complex support truss to achieve high precision and good flatness. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a high-precision planar antenna deployment device, which adopts a spring-driven passive hinge combined with a Y-shaped diagonal brace structure, thus solving the problems of complex structure and heavy weight of traditional antenna deployment mechanisms.

[0006] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A high-precision planar antenna deployment device includes a left-wing planar antenna, a left-wing deployment mechanism, a right-wing planar antenna, and a right-wing deployment mechanism, all mounted on a star.

[0008] The left-wing planar antenna includes an inner antenna plate and an outer antenna plate; one end of the inner antenna plate is hinged to the star through a root hinge, and the other end is hinged to one end of the outer antenna plate through an inter-plate hinge, and the other end of the outer antenna plate extends outward;

[0009] The left wing deployment mechanism includes a Y-shaped diagonal brace assembly; the Y-shaped diagonal brace assembly includes a first diagonal brace, a second diagonal brace, and a third diagonal brace; one end of the first diagonal brace, the second diagonal brace, and the third diagonal brace are hinged together by inter-brace hinges; the other end of the first diagonal brace is hinged to the star, and the other ends of the second diagonal brace and the third diagonal brace are respectively hinged to the two lateral ends of the inner antenna plate;

[0010] The right-wing planar antenna and the left-wing planar antenna are symmetrical about the star.

[0011] The right wing deployment mechanism and the left wing deployment mechanism are symmetrical about the star.

[0012] Furthermore, both the inter-plate hinge and the inter-rod hinge are hinges with spring drive sources.

[0013] Furthermore, in the deployed state of the antenna, the first diagonal brace, the second diagonal brace, and the third diagonal brace are coplanar.

[0014] Furthermore, when the antenna is in the deployed state, the hinge between the plates is locked when the outer antenna plate rotates 180° relative to the inner antenna plate, and the hinge between the rods is locked when the first diagonal brace rotates 180° relative to the second diagonal brace and the third diagonal brace.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes an antenna board linkage mechanism;

[0016] The antenna plate linkage mechanism includes an outer rope wheel, an inner rope wheel, and a rope. The outer rope wheel is fixedly connected to the inter-plate hinge on one side, the inner rope wheel is fixedly connected to the root hinge on the same side, and the rope is tensioned on the outer rope wheel and the inner rope wheel.

[0017] When the outer antenna plate rotates relative to the inner antenna plate via the inter-plate hinge, it can drive the inner antenna plate to rotate relative to the star via the antenna plate linkage device.

[0018] Furthermore, the antenna linkage mechanism is located on one side of the left wing planar antenna and the right wing planar antenna.

[0019] Furthermore, the inner antenna plate is also connected to the satellite via a damping device.

[0020] Furthermore, it also includes a compression release device;

[0021] The compression release device is located on the left and right sides of the star body. In the retracted state, it can compress and fix the left wing planar antenna and the right wing planar antenna to the left and right sides of the star body. In the unfolded state, it can release the fixing constraint on the left wing planar antenna and the right wing planar antenna.

[0022] Furthermore, it also includes fixed planar antennas;

[0023] The fixed planar antenna is fixedly connected to the star, and after the clamping release device releases the clamping, the left wing planar antenna, the right wing planar antenna, and the fixed planar antenna are coplanar.

[0024] Beneficial effects:

[0025] (1) One end of the inner antenna plate is hinged to the star via a root hinge, and one end of the outer antenna plate is hinged to the other end of the inner antenna plate via a plate hinge with a coil spring; the left wing deployment mechanism includes a Y-shaped diagonal strut assembly; the Y-shaped diagonal strut assembly includes a first diagonal strut, a second diagonal strut, and a third diagonal strut; one end of the first diagonal strut, the second diagonal strut, and the third diagonal strut is hinged to the rod hinge with a coil spring; the other end of the first diagonal strut is hinged to the star, and the other ends of the second diagonal strut and the third diagonal strut are respectively hinged to the two ends of the inner antenna plate laterally; the structures of the right wing planar antenna and the left wing planar antenna are symmetrical about the star; the right wing deployment mechanism and the left wing deployment mechanism are symmetrical about the star.

[0026] Thus, using a spring-driven passive mechanism to deploy the antenna has high environmental adaptability. Compared with the "controller + drive component" scheme used in the antenna deployment mechanisms of Sentinel-1, RCM and other satellites, it reduces the structural complexity and weight of the antenna deployment mechanism, thereby reducing the development cost and the overall satellite resource requirements.

[0027] Moreover, the use of Y-shaped diagonal struts ensures the high precision of the antenna through its configuration design. While reducing the repeatability requirements of the inter-plate hinges, it still achieves high flatness performance of the entire antenna array.

[0028] (2) The antenna plate linkage mechanism includes an outer rope wheel, an inner rope wheel and a rope. The outer rope wheel is fixedly connected to the hinge between the plates, the inner rope wheel is fixedly connected to the hinge at the root, and the rope is tensioned on the outer rope wheel and the inner rope wheel. When the outer antenna plate rotates relative to the inner antenna plate through the hinge between the plates, it can drive the inner antenna plate to rotate relative to the star through the antenna plate linkage device.

[0029] This allows the outer and inner antenna boards to work together, resulting in a simple and compact structure.

[0030] (3) The damping device is located at the end where the inner antenna plate is hinged to the satellite, which can reduce the deployment speed of the left and right wing deployment mechanisms. In this way, the locking impact when the antenna plate is deployed into place is reduced, and the impact at the moment of antenna locking is reduced on the antenna locking accuracy, which is conducive to achieving high-precision antenna locking.

[0031] (4) In the deployed state, the first, second, and third diagonal braces are coplanar. This creates a stable triangular structure between the inner antenna plate, the Y-shaped diagonal brace assembly, and the satellite, improving the stability of the relative position between the planar antenna and the satellite in the deployed state.

[0032] (5) In the deployed state, when the outer antenna plate rotates 180° relative to the inner antenna plate, the hinge between the plates locks; when the first diagonal brace rotates 180° relative to the second and third diagonal braces, the hinge between the rods locks. In this way, the relative position of the planar antenna and the star remains stable in the deployed state. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a high-precision planar antenna deployment device of the present invention in the retracted state;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the high-precision planar antenna deployment device of the present invention in the deployed state;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the left-wing planar antenna and the left-wing deployment mechanism of a high-precision planar antenna deployment device according to the present invention.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the left wing planar antenna of the high-precision planar antenna deployment device of the present invention in the retracted state;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the Y-shaped diagonal brace of the high-precision planar antenna deployment device of the present invention in the retracted state;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the inter-rod hinge structure in the Y-shaped diagonal brace of a high-precision planar antenna deployment device of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a four-bar linkage formed in the unfolded state of the high-precision planar antenna deployment device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating the calculation principle of the repeatability accuracy of the inner antenna plate deployment;

[0041] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the simulation results for calculating the repeatability accuracy of the inner antenna plate deployment;

[0042] Among them, 101-fixed planar antenna, 102-left wing planar antenna, 102A-inner antenna plate, 102B-outer antenna plate, 103-right wing planar antenna, 2-star body, 3-Y-type diagonal brace assembly, 301-first diagonal brace, 302-second diagonal brace, 303-third diagonal brace, 304-inter-rod hinge, 305-first support, 306-second support, 307-third support, 4-root joint, 401-first root hinge, 402-second root hinge, 501-first inter-plate hinge, 502-second inter-plate hinge, 601-outer rope pulley, 602-inner rope pulley, 603-rope, 7-compression and release device, 701-fixed part, 702-moving part, 8-diagonal rod, 9-diagonal rod support. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0044] refer to Figures 1 to 8 This embodiment provides a high-precision planar antenna deployment device, including a left-wing planar antenna 102, a left-wing deployment mechanism, a right-wing planar antenna 103, and a right-wing deployment mechanism disposed on a star body 2. The structures of the right-wing planar antenna 103 and the left-wing planar antenna 102 are symmetrical about the star body 2, and the right-wing deployment mechanism and the left-wing deployment mechanism are symmetrical about the star body 2. This embodiment uses the left-wing planar antenna 102 and the left-wing deployment mechanism as examples for explanation.

[0045] The left-wing deployment mechanism is used to deploy and fold the left-wing planar antenna 102. The left-wing planar antenna 102 includes an inner antenna plate 102A and an outer antenna plate 102B. The two lateral sides of one end of the inner antenna plate 102A are respectively hinged to the lower left side of the star 2 through a first root hinge 401 and a second root hinge 402. The two lateral sides of one end of the outer antenna plate 102B are respectively hinged to the other end of the inner antenna plate 102A through a first inter-plate hinge 501 and a second inter-plate hinge 502. The other end of the outer antenna plate 102B extends outward. In particular, both the first inter-plate hinge 501 and the second inter-plate hinge 502 are equipped with coil springs.

[0046] The left wing deployment mechanism includes a Y-shaped diagonal brace assembly 3, which includes a first diagonal brace 301, a second diagonal brace 302, and a third diagonal brace 303. One end of the first diagonal brace 301, the second diagonal brace 302, and the third diagonal brace 303 is hinged to the rod hinge 304 with a coil spring. The other end of the first diagonal brace 301 is hinged to the upper middle position of the left side of the star 2 through a first support 305. The other end of the second diagonal brace 302 is hinged to the lateral end of the inner antenna plate 102A near the outer antenna plate 102B through a second support 306. The other end of the third diagonal brace 303 is hinged to the other lateral end of the inner antenna plate 102A near the outer antenna plate 102B through a third support 307.

[0047] Furthermore, the high-precision planar antenna deployment device also includes clamping and releasing devices 7 located on the left and right sides of the satellite body, used to clamp the planar antennas after they are folded on the corresponding sides. The clamping and releasing device 7 includes a fixed part 701 and a movable part 702. The fixed part 701 is fixedly connected to the satellite body, and the movable part 702 is fixedly connected to the outer antenna plate 102B. In the folded state, the movable part 702 is docked and fixed with the fixed part 701, clamping and fixing the left and right planar antennas to the left and right sides of the satellite body, and allowing the coil springs in the inter-plate hinges and rod hinges to accumulate energy. When the antenna needs to be deployed, the fixed part 701 and the movable part 702 of the clamping and releasing device 7 separate, releasing the fixed constraints on the left and right planar antennas 102 and 103, thereby allowing the coil springs in the inter-rod hinges and inter-plate hinges to release energy and drive the deployment mechanism to deploy the antennas.

[0048] Reference Figure 7 By adopting the Y-shaped diagonal strut assembly 3, the mechanism consisting of four components—inner antenna plate 102A, satellite 2, diagonal strut 8 (including second diagonal strut 302 and third diagonal strut 303) and first diagonal strut 301—can be simplified into a planar four-bar linkage via root joint 4 (including first root hinge 401 and second root hinge 402), inter-strut hinge 304, satellite joint (i.e., first support 305), and diagonal strut support 9 (including second support 306 and third support 307). Since root joint 4, first support 305, and diagonal strut support 9 lack locking devices, only inter-strut hinge 304 contains a locking device. Therefore, after unfolding and forming the structure, the repeatability accuracy of the angle between the inner antenna plate 102A and the satellite 2 can be determined according to… Figure 8 Perform the calculation.

[0049] Figure 8 In the diagram, the inner antenna plate 102A, the Y-shaped diagonal brace assembly 3, and the star 2 form a triangular structure. Therefore, the repeatability of the inner antenna plate 102A is only related to the repeatability of the inter-rod hinge 304. The inter-rod hinge 304 is designed with a locking angle of 180°, meaning that after the antenna is deployed, theoretically the first diagonal brace 301 and the second diagonal brace 302 (or the third diagonal brace 303) are collinear. Let h be the vertical distance between the mounting point (root joint 4) of the inner antenna plate 102A and the first support 305; L be the horizontal distance from the support point (second support 306 and third support 307) of the inner antenna plate 102A to its mounting point; S be the theoretical straight-line distance between the support point of the inner antenna plate 102A and the orthographic projection of the first support 305; S' be the actual straight-line distance between the support point of the inner antenna plate 102A and the orthographic projection of the first support 305; and let t be the ratio of the length of the diagonal brace 8 to the nominal length of the first diagonal brace 301. Considering the repeatability of the inter-rod hinge 304 is Δθ, the deployment repeatability Δα of the inner antenna plate 102A can be obtained through calculation. The specific calculation process is as follows:

[0050] Based on the geometric dimensions, we can know that:

[0051]

[0052] s′=(ts) 2 +(1-t) 2 s 2 -2t(1-t)s 2 cosΔθ

[0053] s′=h 2 +L 2 -2hLsinΔα (1)

[0054] Then we can obtain equation (2) as follows:

[0055]

[0056] Let equation (3) be:

[0057]

[0058] Combining equations (1) and (3), we can obtain equation (4):

[0059]

[0060] When the repeatability of the inter-rod hinge is Δθ = 0.02° (the typical accuracy achievable by a hinge), the repeatability of the inner antenna plate under different t and k ratios can be calculated as follows: Figure 9 As shown, its repeatability is better than 0.000015°.

[0061] Thus, the antenna can be deployed by a passive spring-driven deployment mechanism, which has high environmental adaptability. Compared with the "controller + drive component" scheme of satellite antenna deployment mechanisms such as Sentinel-1 and RCM, the structural complexity and weight of the antenna deployment mechanism are reduced, thereby greatly reducing the development cost and the overall satellite resource requirements. Moreover, the use of Y-shaped diagonal strut assembly 3 ensures the high precision of the antenna through configuration design. While reducing the repeatability accuracy requirements of the inter-plate hinges, it can still achieve high flatness performance of the entire antenna array.

[0062] Specifically, the high-precision planar antenna deployment device also includes antenna plate linkage mechanisms disposed on the left and right sides of the satellite 2. The antenna plate linkage mechanism includes an outer rope wheel 601, an inner rope wheel 602, and a rope 603. The outer rope wheel 601 is fixedly connected to a plate-to-plate hinge (first plate-to-plate hinge 501 or second plate-to-plate hinge 502) on one side. The inner rope wheel 602 is fixedly connected to a root hinge (first root hinge 401 or second root hinge 402) located on the same side. The rope 603 is tensioned between the outer rope wheel 601 and the inner rope wheel 602. When the outer antenna plate 102B rotates relative to the inner antenna plate 102A via the plate-to-plate hinge 304, it can drive the inner antenna plate 102A to rotate relative to the satellite 2 through the antenna plate linkage mechanism. In this embodiment, the antenna plate linkage mechanism is only disposed on one side of the left wing planar antenna 102 and the right wing planar antenna 103, which reduces structural complexity while meeting the antenna deployment requirements.

[0063] In addition, the high-precision planar antenna deployment device also includes a damping device (not shown in the figure). The damping device is located at the end where the inner antenna plate 102A is hinged to the satellite 2, which can reduce the deployment speed of the left and right wing deployment mechanisms. In this way, the deployment speed of the deployment mechanism can be controlled at a low level by the damping device, reducing the locking impact when the antenna is deployed into position, reducing the impact of the impact at the locking moment on the antenna locking accuracy, and facilitating the achievement of high-precision antenna locking.

[0064] In this embodiment, when the antenna is in the retracted state, the left-wing planar antenna 102 and the right-wing planar antenna 103 are folded and pressed firmly to both sides of the satellite 2, and the Y-shaped diagonal brace assembly 3 is folded between the inner antenna plate 102A and the satellite 2. In the unfolded state, the first diagonal brace 301, the second diagonal brace 302, and the third diagonal brace 303 are coplanar, thus forming a stable triangular structure between the inner antenna plate 102A, the Y-shaped diagonal brace assembly 3, and the satellite 2, improving the stability of the relative position of the planar antenna and the satellite 2 in the unfolded state. Moreover, in the unfolded state, when the outer antenna plate 102B rotates 180° relative to the inner antenna plate 102A, the inter-plate hinge locks; when the first diagonal brace 301 rotates 180° relative to the second diagonal brace 302 and the third diagonal brace 303, the inter-rod hinge 304 locks; and when the inner antenna plate 102A rotates 90° relative to the satellite 2, the root hinge locks. It is worth noting that since the Y-shaped diagonal strut assembly 3, the inner antenna plate 102A, and the star 2 have formed a four-bar linkage, the root hinge can be equipped with a coil spring or not. When the coil spring is not used, the root hinge can move accordingly. Similarly, the root hinge can be locked or not after the antenna is deployed.

[0065] More specifically, this embodiment also includes a fixed planar antenna 101, which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the satellite 2. In the deployed state, the left wing planar antenna 102, the right wing planar antenna 103, and the fixed planar antenna 101 are coplanar. Moreover, in this embodiment, after the deployment mechanism deploys the five antenna panels, the total length of the planar array is 5m, the flatness of the planar array is less than 0.8mm, and the weight of the deployment mechanism is 9.9kg (including 8 clamping and releasing devices). It can be seen that this high-precision planar antenna deployment device has a significant weight advantage and is particularly suitable for the development trend of high-density, low-cost, and clustered spaceborne SAR antennas.

[0066] In summary, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-precision planar antenna deployment device, characterized in that, This includes a left-wing planar antenna, a left-wing deployment mechanism, a right-wing planar antenna, and a right-wing deployment mechanism, all mounted on the celestial body. The left-wing planar antenna includes an inner antenna plate and an outer antenna plate; one end of the inner antenna plate is hinged to the star through a root hinge, and the other end is hinged to one end of the outer antenna plate through an inter-plate hinge, and the other end of the outer antenna plate extends outward; The left wing deployment mechanism includes a Y-shaped diagonal brace assembly; the Y-shaped diagonal brace assembly includes a first diagonal brace, a second diagonal brace, and a third diagonal brace; one end of the first diagonal brace, the second diagonal brace, and the third diagonal brace are hinged together by inter-brace hinges; the other end of the first diagonal brace is hinged to the satellite, and the other ends of the second diagonal brace and the third diagonal brace are respectively hinged to the two lateral ends of the inner antenna plate; there are no locking devices in the root hinge, the support for the first diagonal brace hinged to the satellite, and the support for the second diagonal brace and the third diagonal brace hinged to the inner antenna plate, only the inter-brace hinge contains a locking device; Both the inter-plate hinge and the inter-rod hinge are hinges with spring drive sources. It also includes the antenna board linkage mechanism; The antenna plate linkage mechanism includes an outer rope wheel, an inner rope wheel, and a rope. The outer rope wheel is fixedly connected to the inter-plate hinge on one side, the inner rope wheel is fixedly connected to the root hinge on the same side, and the rope is tensioned on the outer rope wheel and the inner rope wheel. When the outer antenna plate rotates relative to the inner antenna plate via the inter-plate hinge, it can drive the inner antenna plate to rotate relative to the star via the antenna plate linkage device; The right-wing planar antenna and the left-wing planar antenna are symmetrical about the star. The right wing deployment mechanism and the left wing deployment mechanism are symmetrical about the star.

2. The high-precision planar antenna deployment device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the deployed state of the antenna, the first diagonal brace, the second diagonal brace, and the third diagonal brace are coplanar.

3. The high-precision planar antenna deployment device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the antenna is deployed, the hinge between the outer antenna plate and the inner antenna plate is locked when the outer antenna plate rotates to 180° relative to the inner antenna plate. The hinge between the first diagonal brace and the second and third diagonal braces is locked when the first diagonal brace rotates to 180° relative to the second and third diagonal braces.

4. The high-precision planar antenna deployment device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna linkage mechanism is located on one side of the left wing planar antenna and the right wing planar antenna.

5. The high-precision planar antenna deployment device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner antenna plate is also connected to the satellite via a damping device.

6. A high-precision planar antenna deployment device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, It also includes a pressure release device; The compression release device is located on the left and right sides of the star body. In the retracted state, it can compress and fix the left wing planar antenna and the right wing planar antenna to the left and right sides of the star body. In the unfolded state, it can release the fixing constraint on the left wing planar antenna and the right wing planar antenna.

7. The high-precision planar antenna deployment device as described in claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes fixed planar antennas; The fixed planar antenna is fixedly connected to the star, and after the clamping release device releases the clamping, the left wing planar antenna, the right wing planar antenna, and the fixed planar antenna are coplanar.

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