Numerical Simulation and Model Test of Deploying Process of Tape Springs

The tape spring, as one type of thin-walled deployable components, boasts a small volume and lightweight when coiled. It effectively resolves the contradiction between the increasing complexity, large size, and high precision of spacecraft, and the stringent control over their dimensions and shapes by launch vehicles. In aerospace applications, it is primarily used in de-orbit sails, solar wings, and wrapped rib antennas. The driving force for its deployment originates from the elastic strain energy stored in the thin-walled shell. Prior to deployment, the tape spring is coiled around the central hub, storing elastic potential energy. Upon receiving a control command, the elastic strain energy is released, and the structure automatically deploys. The impact force generated during the deployment of the tape spring has a certain degree of influence on the satellite, making it necessary to study its deploying speed and time. This paper presents numerical simulations and experimental analyses of the deployment behavior of tape springs, focusing on their mechanical properties during motion. A numerical model was established in ABAQUS to investigate the deployment time and angular velocity during the deploying process of tape springs. Additionally, deploying tests of the tape springs were conducted in both atmospheric and vacuum environments, with high-speed photography equipment employed to record target points. Finally, the test results were compared with the numerical simulation results.