Vibration Characteristics and Thermal Structural Dynamic Responses of a Flexible Rolled-up Solar Array

Abstract

Analytical studies of the natural vibration characteristics and dynamic response for a simple model of an asymmetric flexible rolled-up solar array are presented. A natural vibration analysis of the solar array model including bending-torsion coupling due to geometric asymmetry provides natural frequencies and mode shapes. Unusual features of the lower mode frequencies and mode shapes are discussed. The dynamic response of the solar array induced by sudden radiation heating for a typical night-day orbital transition is formulated. Additionally, numerical calculations are conducted for the solar array of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Variations of the dynamic response with the axial preload forces of the solar array booms are examined, and the vibration response due to the radiation heating of the HST solar array is discussed.