Influence of design parameters on mechanical characteristics of the lenstype space deployable boom with bi-directional bending deformation

The bi-directional bending deformation of the lens-type space deployable boom (LSDB), with high specific stiffness and high storage ratio, is prone to result in structural damage during folding and unfolding process. Mechanical analysis models of the LSDB are established based on theoretical equivalence and finite element method, and comparative verification is conducted. The influence of design parameters such as lay-up angle, arc radius, and material thickness on the stress and folded strain energy of LSDBs is analyzed. The results show that the simulation analysis is close to the theoretical calculation results, which can basically validate the rationality of models. The stress of LSDB in the folded state decreases with the increase of arc radius, increases with the increase of material thickness, and the influence of lay-up angle on stress has symmetry and is affected by the proportion of arc radius to coller radius. The folded strain energy increases with the increase of material thickness, decreases with the increase of roller radius and arc radius, the influence of lay-up angle on strain energy also has symmetry, and there exists an optimal angle that minimizes the strain energy. The analysis conclusion can provide design references for improving the strength and deployment performance of the LSDB.