Deployable space structures experience thermally induced deformations on-orbit due to solar radiant heating. Deflection and temperature profiles under radiant heating are simulated for a section of a prototype deployable strip structure and verified experimentally. The simulation is extended to model structures with extended lengths (1, 2, and 5 m) under sunlight conditions. Results are compared with those of a small-scale experiment. The resulting deflection and temperature fields yield insight into the factors dominating the behavior of thin composite strip structures, specifically in-plane conductivity and axial twisting.
Published January 2024
| Version v1
Conference Paper
Thermal Deformation of Ultrathin Composite Structures in a Vacuum Environment
Abstract
Copyright and License
© 2024 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc.
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to acknowledge Eric Sunada, Thermal Technologist in Propulsion, Thermal, and MaterialsSystems at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for his insight on thermal experiments, modeling, and material support. TheNational Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, as well as the Caltech Space Solar Power Project,provided financial support for this research.
Additional details
Funding
- National Science Foundation
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- California Institute of Technology
- Space Solar Power Project
Caltech Custom Metadata
- Caltech groups
- GALCIT, Space Solar Power Project
- Other Numbering System Name
- AIAA Paper
- Other Numbering System Identifier
- 2024-0412