Design Study of Cable Mesh Configuration for Deployable Space Antenna System

Abstract

Space agencies are looking for development of large size reflectors (6 m diameter and more) for high bandwidth data communication. Mesh reflectors are always a preferable option for large size reflector over solid surface reflectors due to its flexibility of adjustment in minimum possible space and later stretched to full configuration in deployed state. Maintaining surface properties and accuracy are two major properties considered in design of mesh reflector for the performance of cable network antenna reflectors. The present work investigate the various design approaches for cable mesh configuration of space deployable antenna reflectors. Various shape forming criteria such as force density and equal force density are applied for obtaining desired parabolic curvature of mesh configuration. Ring structure for deployable mechanism are considered as rigid linkages for designing mesh configuration. A generalized numbering scheme for nodes and cables mesh link is formulated for carry forward various shape forming criteria which helps in making algorithm. Algorithm for better understanding of these methods are made using MATLAB with nodal coordinates and its connection. Mesh configuration is developed with different number of divisions. An optimization study is also carried out for finding optimize number of divisions for highly accurate parabolic profile for particular band frequency. Optimized results obtained for mesh configuration is experimentally evaluated over 1 m prototype and 3.4 m deployable configuration. Actual measured results are found close to theoretically predicted values.