Design and verification of continuous forming process of ultra-long thin-walled Lenticular Deployable Composite Boom

Abstract

Ultra-long thin-walled deployable composite structures with high-strain ability are of considerable interest and increasingly used in large-size deployable spacecraft structures due to their high folding-storage ratio function. This paper seeks to investigate continuous curing technology of an ultra-long thin-walled Lenticular Deployable Composite Boom (LDCB) made of high strain carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastics. The equipment for continuous curing of thin-walled boom is designed. The continuous forming process including flattening, traction and coiling are simulated by explicit finite element method for determining the length of the transition zone of the equipment, the gap of the flattening roll, and the radius of the reeling roller.

Keywords:

• Ultra-long composite boom
• continuous curing process
• large deformation
• geometrically nonlinear
• deployable