Design method and driving optimization of origami-inspired single-layer truss structures for parabolic cylindrical mesh reflector antennas

Abstract

Deployable parabolic cylindrical antennas with lightweight and high deploy/fold ratio are a research hotspot in aerospace. Most of the deployable structures of parabolic cylindrical antennas are double-layer truss structures, which are heavy and oversized in folded volume. The 2D origami-inspired structure is a typical single-layer deployable structure, including multiple origami configurations that provide various strategies for designing single-layer deployable structures. This study proposes a design method for origami-inspired single-layer truss structures applied to deployable parabolic cylindrical mesh reflector antennas. Unlike the widely researched thick-panel origami structure, we adopt the strategy of equating the creases in the origami model as links with constant length, and the vertices are regarded as hinges. The design criteria for an origami-inspired single-layer truss structure are researched and summarized by analyzing the engineering issues during design. Based on this design method, a single-layer deployable truss applied to a parabolic cylindrical antenna is presented. An optimization model of the antenna driving components is established to ensure that the antenna can deploy appropriately on the basis of the co-simulation of MATLAB and finite element software Abaqus. The optimization results are validated through software simulation and prototype test. The work presented in this paper can broaden the application of origami-inspired structures and provide a reference for the design of parabolic cylindrical antennas or curved surface mechanisms.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

origami-inspired structure / single-layer truss / structural design criteria / driving components

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52475280).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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