Analytical modeling of the flexible rim of space antenna reflectors

Resumo

This paper presents a geometrically nonlinear analytical model of the flexible cylindrical rim of a deployable precision large space antenna reflectors made of shape-memory polymer composites. A nonlinear boundary-value problem for the rim in the deformed (folded) configuration is formulated and exact analytical solutions in elliptic functions and integrals describing the deformation modes of the rim are obtained. Exact analytical solutions based on the geometrically nonlinear model are obtained and can be used to determine preliminary geometric dimensions and optimal shape of the flexible rim along with the estimation of the accumulated energy.