Surface Folding Design and Experiment of Satellite-borne Membrane Antennas Based on Origami Technology

doi:10.3901/JME.2025.21.179

Abstract

Abstract: The membrane materials combined with origami technology provide promising solutions for light weight and high storage of reflective surfaces of satellite-borne planar array antennas and membrane reflector antennas. To achieve efficient stowage of membrane antennas and mitigate the adverse effects of crease on surface accuracy, the crease pattern design, numerical simulation analysis, and physical folding experiments for both planar and parabolic membrane structures are carried out on the basis of the Flasher thick-membrane origami model. Firstly, the membrane thickness factor is introduced into the crease pattern design, and the numerical model of non-zero thickness crease analysis model for planar array antennas is established by introducing sub-creases to reduce the folding height and enhance the stowage efficiency of antenna. Then, for membrane reflector antennas, the numerical models of non-zero-thickness crease pattern for curved membranes is established based on planar crease patterns, incorporating the parallel projection geometry method and the spiral curve microelement method. And the finite element simulations are performed to analyze the folding processes of both planar and parabolic membranes, confirming the feasibility and rationality of the proposed crease pattern designs. Finally, prototypes of polyimide planar and parabolic membrane samples are fabricated using the extended gap method. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed crease pattern designs enable effective folding of both planar and curved membranes while maintaining the surface accuracy after deployment, providing theoretical support for the efficient stowage and deployment management of satellite-borne membrane antennas.

Key words: membrane antenna, origami technology, planar membrane, parabolic membrane, thick-membrane folding

CLC Number:

V445

REN Zhiwei, DU Jingli, ZI Bin, GUO Jiayuan. Surface Folding Design and Experiment of Satellite-borne Membrane Antennas Based on Origami Technology[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2025, 61(21): 179-191.

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