Deployable Antenna Membrane with Stiff-Flexible Fold Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deployable antenna reflectors with large reflector areas are unwieldy and costly due to the need for complex backing structures to maintain stiffness and stability, which increases mass and complexity, while existing flexible membranes lack sufficient stiffness for dimensional stability and are prone to damage during folding.
Innovation Solution
A deployable membrane structure comprising a plurality of higher-stiffness regions connected by lower-stiffness regions, formed from composite materials like carbon fibre reinforced silicone, allowing the membrane to be folded and unfolded efficiently, with the higher-stiffness regions providing dimensional stability and the lower-stiffness regions enabling folding without damage, and arranged to form a parabolic shape for optimal performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a large reflector area is used to increase antenna capabilities, then more energy can be received and transmitted, but the antenna becomes unwieldy and difficult to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector membrane is segmented into multiple panels that can be folded relative to each other along hinge lines. This segmentation allows the large reflector area to be collapsed into a compact configuration for transport, while maintaining the full reflector area when deployed for operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The reflector employs a deployable structure that transitions between static folded and deployed states. The membrane is supported by a framework of struts and hinges that enable dynamic transformation from a compact transport configuration to a large operational reflector configuration.
2Volume of moving object
If a thin flexible membrane is used to reduce size, then the structure can be collapsed into a small space, but the membrane lacks sufficient stiffness for dimensional stability
Solution Approach 1:
A thin flexible membrane is used as the reflector surface, which can be collapsed into a small volume for stowage. The membrane is supported by a framework structure that provides the necessary stiffness and dimensional stability when deployed, while allowing compact folding when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane structure combines flexible membrane material with a supporting framework of struts and hinges. This composite structure provides both the flexibility needed for compact stowage and the stiffness required for dimensional stability during operation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a complex backing structure is used to increase stiffness, then the membrane geometry is stabilized, but the overall cost, complexity and mass increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a uniformly complex backing structure across the entire membrane, the support structure is localized to specific regions where stiffness is needed. The framework of struts and hinges is positioned to provide geometric stability at critical locations while minimizing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane structure is designed to deploy and stabilize itself through the geometric arrangement of struts and hinges. The structure uses its own configuration and material properties to achieve dimensional stability without requiring additional active control systems or complex backing mechanisms.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a compliant membrane is used to enable folding, then the structure can be collapsed, but the membrane is prone to damage during folding
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane is pre-reinforced with material at the hinge regions before deployment. This preliminary reinforcement ensures that the membrane can withstand the stresses of folding and unfolding without damage, while still maintaining the ability to collapse into a compact configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane structure incorporates reinforced zones at the hinge lines that act as cushioning elements during folding operations. These reinforced regions protect the membrane from damage by distributing the stress concentrations that occur during repeated folding and deployment cycles.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces the overall size and mass of the antenna while maintaining dimensional stability and RF performance, allowing for repeated folding and deployment without degradation, and reduces the complexity of the deployment mechanism by using the membrane's stored elastic energy for unfolding.
Implementation Method 1
the one or more second regions are formed from compliant material configured to permit the membrane to be folded into a collapsed configuration and subsequently unfolded into a deployed configuration
Implementation Method 2
a membrane comprising a plurality of first regions of higher-stiffness material integrally connected via one or more second regions of lower-stiffness material
Implementation Method 3
reduces the complexity of the deployment mechanism by using the membrane's stored elastic energy for unfolding
Data Source
AI summary
A deployable membrane structure for an antenna comprises a membrane comprising a plurality of first regions of higher-stiffness material integrally connected via one or more second regions of lower-stiffness material, wherein the one or more second regions are formed from compliant material configured to permit the membrane to be folded into a collapsed configuration and subsequently unfolded into a deployed configuration, and are arranged so as to allow adjacent ones of the plurality of first regions to be folded so as to lie against one another. In some embodiments the membrane is formed of a composite material comprising a plurality of fibres in a compliant matrix, and the plurality of first regions comprise material with a higher fibre density than the one or more second regions. A deployable antenna comprising the deployable membrane structure is also disclosed.