Design, Analysis And Experimental Researches For Space Inflatable Antenna Reflectors

Space inflatable antenna is a new type of deployed space structure. Compared with the mechanically deployed mechanism, it has advantages such as small deployed volume, simple construction and light mass, etc. The basic researches began in later of 1960s, and the promising progress and application have been achieved oversea in recent 10 years. But in China, the theoretic and technology researches involved with inflatable antenna just began in recent years without any practical aerospace applications.At first, an inflatable space antenna reflector model design is briefly introduced herein. The progressing stages are summarized for different models, especially for the model IAE-2 and IAE-3. The manufacture procedure, realization technique and procedure test are emphasized.According to the model design and procedure test requirements, a series of experiments thus have been carried out. The mechanical properties are tested for different film, such as Kapton 100HN, Kapton VN, Mylar and NAR fabric, etc. Furthermore, the seam parametric tests also are verified. The connectivity performance is finally experimented for the apron and outer ring edge. A lot of experimental results are obtained, including the stress-strain curve, the broken style, the ultimate strength and the broken elongation ratio with respect various specimens.The geometric parametric quantities are formulated in line with basic parabolic surface equation, such as surface area, volume and focal length. According to the classic membrane theorem, the tensions of meridian and latitudinal and deformation are explicitly formulated, and parametric analysis also performed.Finally,in contrast to‘inverse problem’, a forward procedure to make antenna shape is evaluated with cylindrical surface panel. The numerical analysis are performed thoroughly using ANSYS for the best-fit cylindrical and real parabolic surface, the tensile stress and deformation are investigated with respect to the various panes, different inner pressure and different film.