Stereoscopic solar panel mechanism in flexible connection

Abstract

The invention relates to a flexibly-connected three-dimensional solar panel mechanism, which comprises a panel main body which is configured to perform solar photoelectric conversion and provide power supply for in-orbit operation of a satellite, the panel main body is an inflatable shaping type panel main body, when the panel main body is unfolded in orbit, the panel main body is formed into a polygonal pyramid pair from a folded state, and the polygonal pyramid pair is formed into a rectangular pyramid pair from a folded state; the cone bottoms of the polygonal cone pairs are mutually attached and joined, and the cone angles are oppositely positioned at the two ends of the sailboard main body; a storage cabin; the booth forming assembly is configured to open the sailboard main body; the flexible connection assembly is configured to flexibly connect the sailboard main body with the satellite body and realize electric energy transmission and signal communication between the sailboard main body and the satellite body; and the electric propulsion assembly is configured to adjust the pose of the sailboard main body and provide orbit maintaining thrust for the satellite body. The interference of vibration, disturbance and the like of the solar panel on the satellite body is reduced to the maximum extent, and meanwhile the electric energy obtaining capacity of the solar panel is not reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace satellite energy supply technology, and to a flexible connection three-dimensional solar panel mechanism, particularly a flexible connection rope-tethered three-dimensional solar panel mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] Solar panels, as the core energy device for satellite operation in orbit, consist of solar cells attached to a substrate. They convert solar energy into electrical energy using the photoelectric effect of the solar cells, providing continuous power support for the entire process of satellite tasks such as attitude control, payload operation, and orbit maintenance. Their structure and connection method directly determine the satellite's power generation efficiency, attitude stability, and on-orbit service capability, making them a key core component in satellite engineering design.

[0003] Solar panels, based on the rigidity of their substrate structure, are categorized into rigid and flexible solar cell arrays. Each type can be further divided into deployable and non-deployable designs. Therefore, solar panels are generally classified into body-mounted, rigid deployable, rigid non-deployable, and flexible deployable types. The connection structure between the solar panel and the satellite body is divided into fixed connection, deployable connection, and motion connection. These three connection methods are all rigid connections. For body-mounted solar panels, the supporting solar cells and solar cell circuits are directly fixed to the satellite surface. Body-mounted solar panels belong to a type of fixed connection. Other fixed connections include flange mounting, integrated supports, and truss connections. Deployable connections are generally made using hinges or articulated plates. Motion connections refer to the solar panel adjusting its orientation according to the sun's position; the connection methods include drive mechanisms, drive joints, and linkage frames.

[0004] As satellites become increasingly powerful, their energy consumption also increases, leading to a corresponding increase in the area of ​​solar panels. The area of ​​solar cells mounted on the satellite body is far from sufficient to generate enough power. Therefore, these solar cells are mounted on the exterior of the satellite body in a flat panel structure, forming the solar panel structure. The launch cost of a satellite is directly proportional to its weight. To reduce the weight of the solar panels, designers have reduced the structural strength of the solar panel substrate, resulting in a lower fundamental frequency. It is difficult to achieve a fundamental frequency above 5Hz for solar panels larger than 10 square meters. Simultaneously, to improve the power generation efficiency of the solar panels, some satellites have installed a rotating mechanism between the solar panels and the satellite body. The satellite rotates the solar panels to bring sunlight closer to a perpendicular angle onto them. In the microgravity environment of space, the vibration of large-area solar panels already makes it difficult for satellites to maintain high-precision pointing accuracy and stability. The addition of the rotating mechanism further complicates attitude control. In summary, existing solar panels suffer from low structural stiffness, low fundamental frequency vibration, and a tendency to resonate with the satellite body or cause flexural vibrations, leading to a decrease in the satellite's attitude control accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a flexible, three-dimensional solar panel mechanism, specifically a flexible, rope-connected three-dimensional solar panel mechanism. This addresses the problems of low structural stiffness, low fundamental vibration frequency, and susceptibility to resonance with the satellite body or flexural vibration leading to decreased satellite attitude control accuracy associated with solar panels.

[0006] This invention provides a flexible, three-dimensional solar panel mechanism, comprising: The main body of the solar panel is configured to perform solar photovoltaic conversion and provide power for the satellite's on-orbit operation. The main body of the solar panel is an inflatable, fixed-shape solar panel. When the satellite separates from the rocket and the main body of the solar panel unfolds in orbit, the main body of the solar panel is folded into a pair of multi-faceted pyramids. The bases of the pyramids of the pair of multi-faceted pyramids fit together and are connected, and the cone angles are located at opposite ends of the main body of the solar panel. The storage compartment is configured to store the folded body of the solar panel main body from satellite launch until separation from the rocket; A booth forming assembly is configured to open the main body of the solar panel and push the main body of the solar panel away from the satellite body, so that the main body of the solar panel is inflated from a folded state to form the pair of polygonal pyramids; A flexible connection assembly is configured to flexibly connect the solar panel body to the satellite body, enabling power transmission and signal communication between the two. This allows the solar panel to deliver power to the satellite while isolating the satellite's attitude from the effects of solar panel movement, vibration, and solar radiation pressure disturbances, preventing direct transmission of forces from the solar panel body to the satellite and improving satellite attitude control accuracy. The electric propulsion assembly is configured to adjust the attitude of the solar panel body and provide orbit-maintaining thrust for the satellite body.

[0007] Furthermore, the surface of the solar panel is encapsulated with flexible solar cell modules. The solar cell modules on the solar panel complete photoelectric conversion and supply power to the satellite through flexible connection components.

[0008] Furthermore, the polygonal pyramid pair is formed by two polygonal pyramids joined together along their bases. The polygonal pyramids are Z-pyramids, where Z ≥ 3. Preferably, the polygonal pyramids are hexagonal pyramids, so that when the main body of the solar panel is deployed, it forms a solar panel body with a main structure of 12 faces and 18 prisms. When the satellite is inside the rocket fairing, the main body of the solar panel is in a folded state, less than one-tenth of its deployed volume. The polygonal pyramids include various pyramidal structures such as triangular pyramids, square pyramids, pentagonal pyramids, hexagonal pyramids, and heptagonal pyramids. In this invention, the main body of the solar panel is a pair of polygonal pyramids, that is, a polygonal pyramidal structure with edges. After UV curing, the edges allow the solar panel to reliably form a stable three-dimensional configuration. If a pure conical curved surface structure is used, uniform curing in orbit is more difficult, and the forming accuracy is hard to guarantee. The pyramidal structure with cone angles is smoother and more reasonable in force transmission, and has better structural stability. This invention previously compared and analyzed various configurations, including square, cylindrical, and spherical shapes. All of these structures require multiple ropes or flexible components to maintain stability when connected to the satellite body. In the microgravity environment of space, these ropes are prone to tangling and hooking, posing safety risks such as deployment interference and attitude loss. This invention overcomes the shortcomings of various configurations, including spherical, cylindrical, and conical shapes, and proposes a flexible, three-dimensional solar panel mechanism that combines inflatable curing technology with on-orbit safety requirements. The invention employs a multi-faceted pyramidal structure with a single flexible cable connection, effectively avoiding the problem of multiple ropes hooking together, resulting in higher on-orbit safety. This configuration solves the problems of difficult storage, deployment entanglement risks, molding accuracy issues, and the contradiction between disturbance and power generation for three-dimensional solar panels.

[0009] Furthermore, the conical surface of the main body of the sailboard is made of a foldable flexible membrane, and the multiple prisms of the main body of the sailboard are bendable inflatable prism structures.

[0010] Furthermore, the foldable flexible film consists of, from the outside to the inside, a colorless polyimide surface protective layer, an upper adhesive layer, a triple-junction gallium arsenide battery array layer, a flexible printed circuit bus layer, a lower adhesive layer, a polyimide flexible substrate layer, and a black polyimide thermal control coating. Furthermore, the multiple prisms of the main body of the solar panel constitute an internally interconnected UV-curable inflatable frame; the inflatable frame is a tubular multi-layer composite membrane structure, which, from the inside out, consists of a polyurethane airtight membrane, a UV resin pre-impregnated fiber cloth, a flexible epoxy adhesive layer, and a UV-transmitting outer layer. Applying UV curing to the structural design of in-orbit 3D solar panels is a novel application proposed in this invention. UV curing offers higher reliability and economy in the space environment, enabling in-situ curing of the prisms under natural light conditions during orbit insertion. This allows the deployed inflatable frame to quickly form a stable and rigid structure, thereby ensuring the morphological stability of the 3D solar panel during long-term operation in orbit.

[0011] Furthermore, the main body of the sailboard folds symmetrically into the storage compartment. This symmetrical design ensures consistent flow resistance during inflation, avoiding issues of skewing or asymmetry.

[0012] Furthermore, the booth forming component includes: An inflatable shaping assembly is configured to inflate the inflatable frame, causing the main body of the sail to unfold from a folded state into the pair of polygonal pyramids, thereby enabling: when sunlight shines on the pair of polygonal pyramids, the pyramids to undergo initial solidification and shaping; and A buffer deflation device, located within the inflatable frame, is configured to assist the prisms in solidifying and shaping during the deployment of the solar panel. On one hand, the buffer deflation device uses the deflation thrust to rotate the solar panel, allowing the inflatable frame prisms to uniformly receive ultraviolet light for solidification and shaping. On the other hand, the counter-thrust generated by deflation pushes the solar panel away from the satellite, enabling the satellite to independently perform on-orbit operations such as deploying its antenna array and directional positioning. In other words, the inflatable shaping component and the buffer deflation device work together to complete the deployment, shaping, and separation of the solar panel.

[0013] Furthermore, the gas medium in the buffer venting device is nitrogen. When the buffer venting device is running, the nitrogen gas exiting the gas cylinder first passes through a throttle valve, and the venting device also has a buffer valve to regulate the flow rate, so that the main body of the solar panel can rotate controllably, thereby ensuring that each prism is uniformly cured by light. The flow rate adjustment is calculated based on the volume of all prisms and the moment of inertia of the entire three-dimensional solar panel column after inflation. The specific flow rate is also related to the installation angle of the jet nozzle, the UV curing time, and the satellite orbit.

[0014] Furthermore, the inflatable shaping assembly includes: An inflatable cylinder, configured to provide inflation fluid and power for the unfolding and shaping of the sail body; the inflatable cylinder stores high-pressure nitrogen (the cylinder is made of carbon fiber, typically inflated to around 30 MPa, allowing for sufficient working fluid without making the cylinder excessively thick), and the inflatable cylinder is positioned on top of the storage compartment; and A supply system is configured to deliver nitrogen from the gas cylinder to the inflatable frame. One end of the supply system is connected to the gas cylinder, and the other end is connected to the inflatable frame. After separation of the satellite and rocket, the supply system delivers gas from the gas cylinder to the prisms within the inflatable frame. After inflation, a pressure of 0.3 MPa is maintained within the prisms to keep them in a straight line. Ultraviolet rays from sunlight irradiate and solidify the prisms. As the solar panel gradually unfolds from a folded state, a buffer deflation device simultaneously releases gas in a directional manner, causing the solar panel to rotate around its own axis. This ensures that the prisms around the solar panel are evenly exposed to sunlight, achieving uniform solidification and preventing incomplete solidification due to uneven sunlight exposure in certain areas. During inflation, the gas exiting the gas cylinder passes through a throttle valve. The throttle valve controls the flow rate to prevent localized bulging.

[0015] Furthermore, the buffer venting device includes: A directional exhaust vent, which is a jet nozzle facing away from the satellite body; and Flow regulating valve.

[0016] Furthermore, the storage compartment is a hollow polygonal column structure, so that the main body of the sail can be folded and retracted into the storage compartment before the star and rocket separate.

[0017] More preferably, when the main structure of the solar panel is a dodecahedron with 18 prisms, the storage compartment is a hollow hexagonal prism structure. The inflatable frame composed of the 18 prisms can be folded into a bundle-like structure matching the hexagonal prism storage compartment, thus being stored inside the hexagonal prism storage compartment. After entering orbit, it expands by inflation to form a hexagonal pyramidal structure. The three-dimensional solar panel is connected to the storage compartment with a conical angle, which ensures that the plume of the electric thruster installed on the storage compartment will not be ejected onto the solar panels of the three-dimensional solar panel. The conical angle at the tail is connected to the satellite body through a flexible cable, which can keep the force transmission path stable.

[0018] Furthermore, the flexible connection assembly includes a flexible cable, the electric propulsion assembly is located at the connection position between the storage compartment and the head of the solar panel body, and the tail of the solar panel body is connected to the satellite body via the flexible cable.

[0019] Furthermore, the flexible cable consists of a center conductor, an insulation layer, and a sheath layer from the inside out. The center conductor is a conductive core made of silver-plated copper wire stranded together, the insulation layer is polytetrafluoroethylene propylene, and the sheath layer is a tetrafluoroethylene copolymer sheath.

[0020] Furthermore, the cables within the flexible cable include the positive power line and the return power line for battery arrays 1 to N, as well as a 42V power supply line for powering the electric propulsion components and a communication line for asynchronous serial communication; Furthermore, the electric propulsion assembly includes: Multiple Hall thrusters are configured to generate thrust to adjust the attitude of the solar panel body and provide orbital maintenance thrust for the satellite body; Multiple working propellant cylinders are configured to provide working propellant for the Hall thrusters; each cylinder stores high-pressure xenon gas (xenon filling pressure is typically 10-15 MPa, depending on the amount of working propellant. The longer the satellite's on-orbit lifespan, the more working propellant is required, and the higher the filling pressure). These working propellant cylinders are located on top of the storage compartment. Multiple electric propulsion control modules are configured to control the operating status of corresponding Hall effect electric thrusters and propellant cylinders. These modules are located on the top of the storage compartment for easy wiring and heat dissipation; the Hall effect electric thrusters are positioned at the connection point between the storage compartment and the head of the solar panel.

[0021] Furthermore, the number of Hall thrusters is ≥3; the number of working fluid bottles is greater than or equal to 2, to form a main working fluid bottle and at least one backup working fluid bottle.

[0022] The operation process of this invention is as follows: 1. Launch and Retrieval Phase Before the satellite is launched into space, the main body of the flexible solar panel is in a folded and retracted state, and is stored in the storage compartment. The main body of the panel is constrained by the storage compartment to maintain a compact configuration until the satellite separates from the rocket.

[0023] 2. Star-arrow separation and deployment trigger After the satellite enters orbit and completes separation from the launch vehicle, the onboard controller issues a deployment command, initiating the deployment of the solar panels to expand the forming components.

[0024] 3. Inflation and expansion stage The gas cylinder releases high-pressure nitrogen gas, which is then injected into the inflatable frame of the main body of the sail through the inflatable shaping component. This causes the folded main body of the sail to gradually unfold and eventually form a double-pyramid structure with two multi-faceted pyramids facing each other and their apexes located at opposite ends, namely the multi-pyramid pair.

[0025] 4. Buffer Degassing and Push-away Phase While the system is inflated and expanded, the buffer deflation device slowly deflates the air away from the satellite body. The reverse thrust is used to rotate the main body of the solar panel away from the satellite body to avoid interference with the satellite. At the same time, the rotation of the main body of the solar panel ensures that all surfaces are evenly exposed to sunlight, achieving the final UV curing and shaping of the inflatable frame.

[0026] 5. Flexible connection stretching stage After the solar panel is moved away from the satellite, the flexible cable connecting the solar panel and the satellite is straightened and kept in a stretched state, so as to achieve power transmission without generating rigid disturbance.

[0027] 6. On-orbit operation and attitude maintenance phase The solar panels on the main body of the solar panel complete the photoelectric conversion and supply power to the satellite through a flexible cable; Meanwhile, the Hall thruster uses xenon propellant provided by the working propellant cylinder to generate micro-thrust, which is used to adjust the attitude of the solar panel, maintain the flexible connection and stretch, and assist in maintaining the satellite orbit, so that the solar panel can work stably in orbit for a long time.

[0028] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: 1) In its folded state, the present invention can be comparable to or smaller in volume than a rigid solar panel of the same area. After being deployed in orbit, it does not require complex solar orientation control by the satellite and can stably capture solar energy under any orbital attitude, with a power generation efficiency significantly higher than that of traditional planar solar panels; 2) The purely flexible connection between the solar panel body and the satellite body ensures that the attitude stability control of the satellite body is not affected by the solar panel. To ensure that the solar panel is far away from the satellite body, periodic electric thruster ignition is performed, which not only keeps the rope between the solar panel and the satellite body in an uncurled state but also provides acceleration in the forward direction to maintain orbital altitude; 3) In traditional designs, solar panel vibration will interfere with satellite attitude, while satellite attitude fluctuations will... The interference from solar panels on the satellite's solar array can lead to a vicious cycle of disturbance, attitude deviation, and poor power generation. Achieving low-disturbance satellite operation while ensuring high-stability power generation presents significant challenges in terms of control logic and structure. This invention minimizes the impact of solar panels on the satellite's vibration and disturbance without compromising their ability to acquire power. 4) This invention folds and retracts during launch, unfolding into a rigid three-dimensional structure. This achieves lightweight design while maintaining structural rigidity and strong resistance to space environment disturbances. 5) Traditional solar panels are planar structures that rely on complex solar tracking mechanisms to ensure sunlight reception. However, three-dimensional solar panels face several implementation challenges in the aerospace field due to the extremely harsh launch mechanical environment. The solar panel of this invention is compactly retracted during launch and can be stably reshaped after entering orbit. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To further illustrate the above and other advantages and features of the various embodiments of the present invention, a more specific description of the embodiments of the invention will be presented with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not intended to limit its scope. In the drawings, identical or corresponding parts will be indicated by identical or similar reference numerals for clarity.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the folded state of the main body of the sail before separation from the rocket is shown in some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the normal power generation state after the main body of the solar panel is deployed and solidified in some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 3A schematic diagram showing the main body of the sailboard unfolded to half its maximum extent in some embodiments of the present invention is shown; Figure 4 A schematic diagram is shown in some embodiments of the present invention, showing the main body of the sail fully deployed but the electric propulsion component not yet ignited; Figure label: 1-Sailboard body, 2-Storage compartment, 3-Flexible cable, 4-Satellite body, 5-Deployed antenna array, 6-Inflatable cylinder, 7-Propellant cylinder, 8-Electric propulsion control module. Detailed Implementation

[0031] It should be noted that the components in the accompanying drawings may be shown exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may not be to scale.

[0032] In this invention, the various embodiments are merely intended to illustrate the solutions of the invention and should not be construed as limiting.

[0033] In this invention, unless otherwise specified, the quantifiers “a” and “one” do not exclude scenarios involving multiple elements.

[0034] It should also be noted that, in the embodiments of the present invention, only a portion of the parts or components may be shown for clarity and simplicity. However, those skilled in the art will understand that, under the teachings of the present invention, the required parts or components can be added as needed for specific scenarios.

[0035] It should also be noted that within the scope of this invention, the terms "same", "equal", and "equal to" do not mean that the two values ​​are absolutely equal, but allow for a certain reasonable error. In other words, the terms also cover "substantially the same", "substantially equal", and "substantially equal to".

[0036] In this invention, the energy storage and supply system and electric propulsion control module can be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in software, the relevant functions can be implemented through computer program flow, for example, through program code segments stored in an onboard storage device, which, when executed by a processor, can complete the corresponding control logic. When implemented in hardware, they can be implemented through corresponding hardware circuits, such as using programmable logic devices like field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). When implemented in firmware, the functional program can be stored in non-volatile memory such as EPROM or EEPROM, and called and executed by a processor to achieve the corresponding control functions. The signal acquisition, valve control, thrust adjustment, and other functions of the energy storage and supply system and electric propulsion control module can be achieved collaboratively through supporting sensors and drive circuits.

[0037] It should also be noted that in the description of this invention, the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not explicitly or implicitly suggest 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 the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0038] Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention describe the process steps in a specific order. However, this is only for the convenience of distinguishing each step, and is not a limitation on the order of each step. In different embodiments of the present invention, the order of each step can be adjusted according to the process.

[0039] The following examples of multi-sided pyramids include various pyramidal structures such as triangular pyramids, square pyramids, pentagonal pyramids, hexagonal pyramids, and heptagonal pyramids.

[0040] The following embodiment provides a flexible, three-dimensional solar panel mechanism, comprising: The main body 1 of the solar panel is configured to perform solar photovoltaic conversion and provide power to the satellite during its on-orbit operation. The main body 1 is an inflatable, fixed-shape solar panel. When the satellite separates from the rocket and the main body 1 unfolds in orbit, the main body 1 is folded into a pair of polygonal pyramids. The bases of the pyramids are joined together, and the cone angles are located at opposite ends of the main body 1. The pair of polygonal pyramids is formed by two polygonal pyramids joined together along their bases. The pyramids are hexagonal pyramids, so that when the main body 1 is unfolded, it forms a main body 1 with a dodecahedron and 18 prisms. When the satellite is inside the rocket fairing, the main body 1 is folded, with a volume of less than one-tenth of the unfolded volume. The surface of the main body 1 is encapsulated with flexible solar cell modules. The solar cell modules on the main body 1 complete the photovoltaic conversion and supply power to the satellite through flexible connection components. The cone surface of the main body 1 is made of a foldable flexible film. Storage compartment 2 is configured to store the folded form of the main solar panel 1 from satellite launch until separation from the launch vehicle. Storage compartment 2 has a hollow hexagonal column structure so that the main solar panel 1 can be folded and retracted into storage compartment 2 before separation from the launch vehicle. Figure 1 A schematic diagram shows the folded state of the main body 1 of the sail before separation of the satellite and rocket; The booth forming component is configured to expand the main body 1 of the sail and push the main body 1 away from the satellite body 4, so that the main body 1 is inflated from a folded state into a pair of multi-faceted pyramids. The cone surface of the main body 1 is made of a foldable flexible membrane, and the multiple prisms of the main body 1 are bendable inflatable prism structures. The foldable flexible membrane consists of, from the outside to the inside, a colorless polyimide surface protective layer, an upper adhesive layer, a triple-junction gallium arsenide battery array layer, a flexible printed circuit bus layer, a lower adhesive layer, a polyimide flexible substrate layer, and a black polyimide thermal control coating. The multiple prisms of the main body 1 form an internally interconnected ultraviolet-cured inflatable frame. The inflatable frame is a tubular multilayer composite membrane structure, which consists of, from the inside to the outside, a polyurethane airtight membrane, an ultraviolet resin pre-impregnated fiber cloth, a flexible epoxy adhesive layer, and an ultraviolet-transmitting outer layer. A flexible connection assembly is configured to flexibly connect the solar panel body 1 and the satellite body 4, enabling power transmission and signal communication between them. This allows the solar panel body 1 to supply power to the satellite body 4 while isolating the satellite's attitude from the movement, vibration, and solar radiation pressure disturbances of the solar panel body 1, preventing the direct transmission of forces from the solar panel body 1 to the satellite body 4, and improving the satellite's attitude control accuracy. The flexible connection assembly includes a flexible cable 3, and an electric propulsion assembly is located at the connection point between the storage compartment 2 and the head of the solar panel body 1. The tail of the main body 1 is connected to the satellite body 4 via a flexible cable 3. The flexible cable 3 consists of a central conductor, an insulation layer, and a sheath layer, arranged from the inside out. The central conductor is a conductive core composed of stranded ultra-fine silver-plated copper wire (0.15mm in diameter). The insulation layer is made of low-temperature flexible, high- and low-temperature resistant polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material. The sheath layer is a tetrafluoroethylene copolymer sheath. The cables within the flexible cable 3 include the positive power line and return power line for battery arrays 1 to N, a 42V power supply line for the electric propulsion components, and a communication line for asynchronous serial communication. The electric propulsion assembly is configured to adjust the attitude of the solar panel body 1 and provide orbit-maintaining thrust for the satellite body 4; the electric propulsion assembly includes: Three Hall thrusters are configured to generate thrust to adjust the attitude of the solar panel body 1 and provide orbital maintenance thrust for the satellite body 4. Two working propellant cylinders 7 are configured to provide working propellant for the Hall thrusters; one working propellant cylinder 7 serves as the main working propellant cylinder 7, and the other as a backup working propellant cylinder 7. The working propellant cylinder 7 stores high-pressure xenon gas and is located on the top of the hollow hexagonal prism-shaped storage compartment 2 (top surface of the -Z axis, coordinate axis shown). Figure 1 );as well as Three electric propulsion control modules 8 are configured to control the operating status of the corresponding Hall thrusters and working propellant cylinders 7. The three electric propulsion control modules 8 are located on the top of the storage compartment 2 for easy wiring and heat dissipation; the Hall thrusters are located at the connection point between the storage compartment 2 and the head of the sail body 1.

[0041] The aforementioned booth forming components include: An inflatable shaping assembly is configured to inflate an inflatable frame, causing the main body 1 of the sailboard to unfold from a folded state into a pair of polygonal pyramids, thereby enabling the pyramids to initially solidify and form when sunlight shines on them; the inflatable shaping assembly includes: Inflatable cylinder 6 is configured to provide inflation material and power source for the expansion and shaping of the main body 1 of the sailboard; inflatable cylinder 6 stores high-pressure nitrogen and is located on top of the storage compartment 2; and The storage and supply system is configured to deliver nitrogen from the gas cylinder 6 to the inflatable frame. One end of the system is connected to the gas cylinder 6, and the other end is connected to the inflatable frame. After the spacecraft separates from the rocket, the system delivers the gas from the gas cylinder 6 to the prisms within the inflatable frame. After inflation, a pressure of 0.3 MPa is maintained within the prisms to keep them in a straight line. Ultraviolet rays from sunlight irradiate and solidify the prisms. As the sailboard body 1 gradually unfolds from its folded state, a buffer deflation device simultaneously releases gas in a directional manner, causing the sailboard body 1 to rotate around its own axis. This ensures that the prisms around the sailboard body 1 are evenly exposed to sunlight, achieving uniform solidification and preventing insufficient solidification due to uneven sunlight exposure in certain areas. After 20 minutes, the inflatable frame completes solidification, permanently maintaining its dodecahedral shape. A buffer deflation device, located within the inflatable frame, is configured to assist the prisms in solidifying and shaping during the deployment of the solar panel body 1. On one hand, the buffer deflation device uses the deflation thrust to rotate the solar panel body 1, ensuring the inflatable frame prisms uniformly receive ultraviolet light for solidification and shaping. On the other hand, the counter-thrust generated by deflation pushes the solar panel body 1 away from the satellite body 4, allowing the satellite body 4 to independently perform on-orbit operations such as deploying its antenna array and directional positioning. In other words, the inflatable shaping component and the buffer deflation device work together to complete the unfolding, shaping, and retraction of the solar panel body 1. The buffer deflation device includes: Directional exhaust vents, which are exhaust nozzles facing away from the satellite body in four directions; and Flow regulating valve.

[0042] Satellite body 4 is equipped with a deployable antenna array for two-way data communication between the satellite and ground stations. This array receives ground control commands and transmits on-orbit mission data while avoiding obstruction by the deployed solar panels, ensuring a stable and reliable communication link. Before launch, the antenna array is folded and stored on the side of satellite body 4 to minimize the space occupied by the rocket fairing. After separation from the rocket, it unfolds to its operational state, forming a complete antenna configuration. (See attached image for details.) Figure 2 .

[0043] In this embodiment, the flexible, three-dimensional solar panel mechanism folds the main body 1 of the flexible solar panel into a hexagonal cylindrical solar panel storage compartment 2 before satellite launch. After separation of the satellite and rocket, high-pressure nitrogen from the gas cylinder 6 is supplied to the 18 prisms through a storage and supply system, causing the main body 1 of the three-dimensional solar panel to gradually take shape and emerge from the storage compartment 2. Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the main body 1 of the windsurfing board unfolded halfway is shown. Figure 4 The diagram shows the solar panel body 1 fully deployed but the electric propulsion components not yet ignited. After the 18 prisms solidify, the three Hall thrusters on the storage compartment 2 activate the thrusters through the storage and supply system to ventilate the pipelines and perform on-orbit degassing. Subsequently, the three electric propulsion control modules 8 ignite and drive the solar panel storage compartment 2 to rotate to an attitude perpendicular to the satellite's direction of travel, forming an attached... Figure 2 The working status is shown.

[0044] In this embodiment, the final form of the solar panel body 1 after unfolding and molding is two mating hexagonal pyramidal dodecahedrons. After the 12 edges of the solar panel body 1 are hardened and shaped, they maintain the dodecahedron shape. The solar panel folding and storage compartment 2, connected to the head of the dodecahedron, is equipped with three Hall thrusters. A flexible cable 3 connects the tail of the dodecahedron solar panel body 1 to the satellite body 4. The dodecahedron solar panel body 1 has a buffer deflation device to generate thrust during the inflating and hardening process, causing the dodecahedron to move away from the satellite body 4. Once the dodecahedron is away from the satellite body 4, the satellite body 4 can operate normally, such as deploying the antenna array and performing ground orientation operations.

[0045] In this embodiment, the solar panel body 1 of the three-dimensional solar panel mechanism has a cone shape at both ends, which facilitates the initial deployment of the solar panel body 1 by pushing the solar panel away from the satellite body 4 through the buffer vent in the middle of the dodecahedron; the cone shape at the head makes it easier to arrange the electric thrusters. Due to the presence of the cone angle, the plasma flow generated by the electric thruster ignition is prevented from being sprayed onto the solar panel or the satellite body 4.

[0046] While some embodiments of the present invention have been described in this application, those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative. Numerous variations, alternatives, and improvements will arise in those skilled in the art under the teachings of this invention without departing from its scope. The appended claims are intended to define the scope of the invention and thereby cover methods and structures within the scope of the claims themselves and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A flexible, three-dimensional solar panel mechanism, characterized in that, include: The main body of the solar panel is configured to perform solar photovoltaic conversion and provide power supply for the satellite's on-orbit operation. The main body of the solar panel is an inflatable, fixed-shape solar panel. When the main body of the solar panel is deployed in orbit, it is folded into a pair of multi-faceted pyramids. The bases of the pyramids are fitted together and connected, and the cone angles are located at opposite ends of the main body of the solar panel. The storage compartment is configured to store the folded body of the sailboard body before separation from the rocket; A booth forming assembly is configured to open the main body of the solar panel and push the main body of the solar panel away from the satellite body, so that the main body of the solar panel is inflated from a folded state to form the pair of polygonal pyramids; A flexible connection assembly is configured to flexibly connect the solar panel body and the satellite body, and to realize power transmission and signal communication between the solar panel body and the satellite body; as well as The electric propulsion assembly is configured to adjust the attitude of the solar panel body and provide orbit-maintaining thrust for the satellite body.

2. The flexible connection three-dimensional solar panel mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conical surface of the main body of the sailboard is made of a foldable flexible membrane, and the multiple prisms of the main body of the sailboard are bendable inflatable prism structures.

3. The flexible connection three-dimensional solar panel mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The foldable flexible film consists of, from the outside to the inside, a colorless polyimide surface protective layer, an upper adhesive layer, a triple-junction gallium arsenide battery array layer, a flexible printed circuit bus layer, a lower adhesive layer, a polyimide flexible substrate layer, and a black polyimide thermal control coating.

4. The flexible connection three-dimensional solar panel mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the sailboard has multiple prisms that form an internally interconnected UV-cured inflatable frame; the inflatable frame is a tubular multi-layer composite membrane structure, which consists of, from the inside out, a polyurethane airtight membrane, a UV resin pre-impregnated fiber cloth, a flexible epoxy adhesive layer, and a UV-transmitting outer layer.

5. The flexible connection three-dimensional solar panel mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The booth forming component includes: An inflatable shaping assembly is configured to inflate the inflatable frame, causing the main body of the sail to unfold from a folded state into the pair of polygonal pyramids, thereby enabling: when sunlight shines on the pair of polygonal pyramids, the pyramids to undergo initial solidification and shaping; and A buffer deflation device is located within the inflatable frame and is configured to assist the prism in solidifying and shaping when the main body of the sail is deployed.

6. The flexible connection three-dimensional solar panel mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The inflatable shaping component includes: An inflatable cylinder, configured to provide an inflatable working fluid and power source for the expansion and shaping of the sail body; the inflatable cylinder stores nitrogen gas; and A storage and supply system is configured to deliver nitrogen from the gas cylinder to the gas filling frame; one end of the storage and supply system is connected to the gas cylinder, and the other end is connected to the gas filling frame.

7. The flexible connection three-dimensional solar panel mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage compartment is a hollow polygonal cylindrical structure so that the main body of the sail can be folded and retracted into the storage compartment before the star and rocket separate.

8. The flexible connection three-dimensional solar panel mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible connection assembly includes a flexible cable, the electric propulsion assembly is located at the connection position between the storage compartment and the head of the solar panel body, and the tail of the solar panel body is connected to the satellite body via the flexible cable.

9. The flexible connection three-dimensional solar panel mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cables within the flexible cable include the positive power line and return power line for battery arrays 1 to N, as well as the power supply line for powering the electric propulsion components and the communication line for asynchronous serial communication.

10. The flexible connection three-dimensional solar panel mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electric propulsion assembly includes: Multiple Hall thrusters are configured to generate thrust to adjust the attitude of the solar panel body and provide orbital maintenance thrust for the satellite body; Multiple working propellant cylinders configured to supply working propellant to the Hall thruster; the working propellant cylinders storing xenon gas; and Multiple electric propulsion control modules are configured to control the operating status of corresponding Hall thrusters and working propellant cylinders.

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