Shape Memory Alloy Control Thermal Deformation Of The Deployable Antenna Mesh At Orbit

The objective of this article is mostly using characteristic of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) to control the thermal deformation of antenna at orbit, ensuring the precision of antenna in a certain range. Previously the mesh antenna would be adjusted to meet the demand of the mesh precision before the antenna was launched. The precision of the antenna at orbit will lower for the changefully complex space surroundings. Especially recent years, aviation and spaceflight, communication, the earth observation and satellite scout enterprise are developed along with the science development swiftly and violently, so the demand for high precision mesh shape deployable antenna is more and more rigorous. This article is just for the demand and discusses a method using Shape Memory Alloy to control the thermal deformation of antenna at orbit.Based on the pioneer's achievement, I consulted a plenty of information and improved for farther perfect. An innovative method were put forward. According to the constitutive relation of SMA, the SMA auxiliary ribs were studied, furthermore a demand was given for installing the auxiliary rib on the antenna; the SMA bar were expounded and the finite element model were put forward; the finite element model were simulated using ANSYS software for the thermal deformation. How to realize simulation in the ANSYS were explained detailedly. The thermal deformation of a sample -with auxiliary rib and without auxiliary rib was calculated and the result was analyzed. Finally a general thermal deformation control was given with the adjustive cord and auxiliary rib of SMA. The results of general control were analyzed. All of these validate the theory of this article and guidance suggestions are brought forward for a farther work.