CHARACTERISATION OF INTEGRATED DAMPING FEATURES FOR ELASTIC COLLAPSIBLE CFRP HINGES (ARTES 5.1 4E.061) EXPRO+ (RE-ISSUE)

Description

The objective is to investigate, conceive and develop suitable means to overcome end of travel shock criticality of CFRP based elastic collapsible deployable hinges, by implementing suitable structural damping features, to be fully integrated within the CFRP blades themselves (no additional mechanism to be introduced).

Targeted Improvements:

The targeted improvements are cost & complexity reduction of antenna deployment mechanisms by approximately 50%.

Description:

Elastic collapsible metallic tape-spring based hinges are used for low accuracy deployment of panels/appendages. The possibility to realize a collapsible hinge from high stability materials will allow applicability of the same concept to more demanding applications (in particular reflectors and segments of antenna reflectors). An ARTES 5 activity have been already performed within ESA for the CFRP based hinge versions (UDM Ctr.N. 22565/09/NL/NA), demonstrating concept and performances in relevant environment. Unfortunately the device suffers from a high level of mechanical shock when reaching the end of travel, which would make the usable angular range too small for most application. Means to implement design features to reduce the end of travel shock are essential to ensure a wide application of this device. Attempts to minimise end of travel shocks have been already pursued, in the past, within ESA R&D programs, but proposals were found not technically adequate. Having reached a better understanding of the CFRP technology as applied to the elastic collapsible hinge, also thanks to the recent successful completion of the UDM activity, it is deemed even more important to find means to mitigate the end of travel shock and new ideas / solutions are sought. In particular this activity will investigate new design features to be fully embedded into the CFRP blades and integrated into the hinge (e.g. visco-elastic materials, different blade shape/lamination/materials, ...). Particular attention will be paid to the simplicity of the design in order to increase the market potential of the future product.

The work logic includes a dedicated study of suitable integrated concepts, for further trade-off, preliminary design and BB demonstration on a simplified hinge including a representative blade elements of an achieved adequate damping capability.

Tender Specifics