Research on the repeated folding mechanism of membrane antennas based on crease endurance degradation

Abstract

Deployable membrane antennas are extensively utilized in space exploration due to their high packing efficiency and lightweight properties. Prior to orbital deployment, these antennas must undergo repeated ground-based deployment tests to verify their reliability and performance during deployment. However, repeated deployment aggravates damage at the membrane creases, compromising structural integrity and deployment accuracy. To address this issue, this paper establishes an endurance degradation model for membrane creases under repeated folding based on experimental data, and derives a quantitative relationship between the crease characteristic dimension (i.e., crease angle) and the number of folding cycles. A deployment analysis model for the membrane structure is then developed based on the Flasher folding method, incorporating the effects of both repeated folding and initial bending stress at the creases on deployment behavior. Through the stress-bending moment relationship, it is demonstrated that an increasing number of folding cycles leads to higher initial bending stress at the creases, resulting in a significant reduction in deployment accuracy. Concurrently, the energy required for the deployment process, i.e., the driving force, increases substantially. Finally, repeated folding-deployment experiments were conducted on a prototype planar membrane antenna. The experimental results validate the crease endurance degradation model and confirm the mechanistic influence of repetitive folding on the unfolding process.