Design and simulation of a solar array deployment mechanism for a small satellite using implicit time-stepping.

Area of Science:

• Space engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Satellite technology

Background:

• Satellite solar arrays (SA's) are folded during launch and deployed in orbit.
• The SA deployment mechanism (DM) is critical; failure leads to mission loss.
• SA deployment requires robust design for safe unfolding and locking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a robust solar array deployment mechanism (SADM) with controlled deployment speed and gentle locking.
• To optimize the SADM design for reliability and to prevent damage to the satellite and SA's.
• To verify the SADM design through transient Finite Element Analysis (FEA).

Main Methods:

• Design and optimization of a novel Solar Array Deployment Mechanism (SADM).
• Transient Finite Element Analysis (FEA) using an implicit time-stepping scheme for simulation.
• Addressing and overcoming convergence difficulties arising from large rotations and complex contacts.

Main Results:

• A SADM design with a reasonable deployment speed and smooth locking was achieved.
• FEA simulations confirmed the design's viability.
• Methodologies for overcoming convergence issues in complex mechanism simulations were demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The presented SADM design offers a reliable solution for satellite solar array deployment.
• FEA simulation is a valuable tool for verifying and optimizing such mechanisms.
• The findings are applicable to the design and simulation of other slow-moving mechanical systems.