Abstract: Because the supporting structure that keeps the focus cabin of five-hundred-meters aperture spherical telescope (FAST) airborne is highly flexible, it is difficult for the design of the linking mechanisms which hold power supply cable or optical fiber cable for signal transmission into the focus cabin. Three design candidates are put forward and compared, where one or several steel ropes are used as the supporting channel. Static analysis is especially investigated upon the adverse effects on the tension forces of the steel ropes and the natural tilt of the cabin because of the additional weight of suspended cables. To solve the static equilibrium and the workspace optimization of the cabin-cable system, different catenaries of the steel ropes respectively used as the supporting channel in three design candidates are deduced, which connect the catenary parameter with the equilibrium equations. The calculations prove that the adverse effects are relatively small for all designs; therefore they all are feasible from the viewpoint of mechanics.

Key words: Five-hundred-meters aperture spherical radio telescope, Focus cabin suspension, Linking mechanisms of cable, Static analysis optimization