Scissors Radial Reflector Structure for Compact Antenna Stowage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional antenna reflector designs face challenges in achieving a compact stowed length while maintaining sufficient structural stiffness and shape integrity, particularly in hoop configurations, which often require significant thickness and bending stiffness to maintain a parabolic shape, making it difficult to design a compact stowed form.
Innovation Solution
The deployment system utilizes scissoring rib assemblies with link elements that pivot and slide to expand and contract, allowing the reflector surface to assume a curved shape, supported by a circumferential hoop and cords, enabling a compact stowed configuration and efficient energy concentration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a hoop structure is made sufficiently rigid to maintain a parabolic shape, then the reflector shape integrity is improved, but the stowed length becomes elongated and compactness is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The hoop structure is divided into multiple discrete tube elements (first hoop element, second hoop element, third hoop element) that can be independently positioned and connected. This segmentation allows the hoop to be collapsed into a compact configuration during stowage while maintaining the ability to form a rigid parabolic shape when deployed, resolving the contradiction between shape integrity and compact stowed length
Solution Approach 2:
The hoop structure transitions from a static rigid form to a dynamic deployable system. The tube elements are connected through joints that allow movement between stowed and deployed positions. When deployed, the hoop assumes a fixed parabolic shape; when stowed, the elements can be collapsed along the longitudinal axis, enabling compact storage while maintaining structural integrity during operation
2Strength
If the hoop structure is made thicker to provide sufficient bending stiffness, then the structural stiffness is improved, but the deployed thickness and stowed volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hoop is constructed from multiple discrete tube elements rather than a single thick continuous structure. This segmentation allows the system to achieve the required bending stiffness through the arrangement and connection of multiple thinner elements, reducing the overall stowed volume compared to a single thick hoop while maintaining structural strength when deployed
Solution Approach 2:
The hoop structure functions as a composite system combining multiple tube elements with different orientations and positions. The triangular configuration of members creates a composite structural system that achieves high bending stiffness through geometric arrangement rather than material thickness, enabling compact stowage while maintaining structural integrity
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for operating a deployable reflector system. The methods comprising: causing a proximal end of a first link element (LE) located at a first end of a scissoring rib assembly (SRA) to slidingly engage a hub; allowing a proximal end of a second LE of SRA to pivot relative to the hub so as to cause scissor motion of SRA while the first LE is slidingly engaging the hub; causing a distal end of a third LE located at a second end of SRA to pivot relative to the edge member during the scissor motion of SA; allowing the edge member to slidingly engage a fourth LE located at the second end of SRA during pivotal motion of the third LE; and using the edge member to cause vertical movement of a peripheral edge of a reflector relative to the hub while the edge member slidingly engages the fourth LE.