Optimum design of lightweight silicon carbide mirror assembly

Abstract

According to the design requirement and on the basis of the principle that the thermal expansion coeffi cient of the support structure should match with that of the mirror, a lightweight silicon carbide primary mirror assembly was designed. Finite element analysis combined with the parameter-optimized method was used during the design. Lightweight cell and rigid rib structure were used for the mirror assembly. The static, dynamic and thermal properties of the primary mirror assembly were analyzed. It is shown that after optimization, the lightweight ratio of the silicon carbide mirror is 52.5%, and the rigidity of the silicon carbide structure is high enough to support the required mirror. When temperature changes, the deformation of the mirror surface is in proportion to the temperature difference.

Keywords

silicon carbide / mirror assembly / optimum design / finite element

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