Method for releasing a deployable boom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059471-B2
Application number	US-201715638063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a method of deploying an extensible boom from a housing. Sheets supporting respective arrays of photovoltaic devices are deployed substantially simultaneously so that a first sheet is deployed in a first direction from the housing and a second sheet is deployed in an opposite direction from the housing. Angular momentum imparted by deploying the first sheet is canceled by angular momentum imparted by deploying the second sheet. The housing can be part of a space satellite, such that the first and second sheets are deployed without causing the satellite to move out of its orbit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of deploying an extensible boom from a housing that is part of a space vehicle, the method comprising:
supporting first and second flexible rectangular sheets under compression in a stowed configuration on a same spool in the housing, each of the sheets supporting thereon a respective array of transducer devices, wherein each particular one of the first and second sheets has a respective surface that faces backside surfaces of all the transducer devices supported by the particular one of the sheets, the surface of each of the particular one of the sheets having an area that is greater than a combined area of the backside surfaces of all the transducer devices supported by the particular one of the sheets, and the housing having a rectangular parallel-piped shape, wherein in the stowed configuration each of the first and second sheets is circumferentially wound about the same spool; and
releasing the first and second sheets from the stowed configuration by releasing the spool to allow the spool to rotate during a deployment operation so that each of the first and second sheets automatically deploys from the spool and unwinds into a curvilinear sheet having a uniform radius of curvature along a major axis of the sheet and extending substantially linearly away from the housing;
wherein the first and second sheets are deployed simultaneously so that the first sheet is deployed in a first direction from the housing and the second sheet is deployed in an opposite direction from the housing such that angular momentum imparted by deploying the first sheet is canceled by angular momentum imparted by deploying the second sheet and vice-versa, thereby stabilizing the space vehicle by applying equal and opposite forces to the space vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein net momentum imparted to the space vehicle by deploying the first and second sheets is substantially zero.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second sheets are deployed without causing the satellite to move out of orbit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the housing includes apertures through which the first and second sheets are deployed, respectively.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the apertures are located on opposite sides of the housing, wherein the first and second sheets are deployed simultaneously so that the first sheet is deployed through a first one of the apertures in the first direction from the housing and the second sheet is deployed through a second one of the apertures in an opposite direction from the housing, wherein angular momentum imparted by deploying the first sheet is canceled by angular momentum imparted by deploying the second sheet.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the arrays of transducer devices comprises at least one of: (i) an array of photovoltaic devices; (ii) an array of semiconductor sensors; (iii) an antenna array; or (iv) thermal transfer elements.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each of the arrays of transducers is mounted on a respective polyimide carrier that is bonded, respectively, to the first or second sheet.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the array of transducer devices comprises an array of coverglass-interconnected solar cells mounted on the polyimide carrier by a pressure sensitive adhesive.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein each of the first and second sheets is composed of a composite laminate having a predetermined pattern of graphite fiber plies that impart a predefined tension in a planar surface of the sheet.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the pattern of graphite fiber plies is pre-impregnated with resin and consists of at least intermediate modulus graphite fiber reinforced plies to impart substantially uniform strength, stiffness, and flexibility.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second sheets forms into a planar cylindrical portion sheet having a uniform cross-sectional curvature as the sheet unwinds from the spool configuration upon deployment to a deployed configuration.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the housing is a one unit CubeSat housing.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the housing is disposed in a spacecraft, and the spacecraft is composed of CubeSat modules, wherein the first and second sheets are stowed within a one unit CubeSat housing.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the housing has a cubic shape.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the backside surface of each of the transducer devices supported by the first sheet is mounted to a polyimide carrier bonded to the first sheet, and wherein the backside surface of each of the transducer devices supported by the second sheet is mounted to a polyimide carrier bonded to the second sheet.

Assignees

• Solaero Tech Corp

Inventors

• Steele Kenneth Loyd
• Stern Theodore Garry

Classifications

• B64G1/443 Primary

  Photovoltaic cell arrays · CPC title

• B65H2701/371

  Curved tapes, e.g. "Spreizband" · CPC title

• B64G1/503

  Radiator panels · CPC title

• H02S30/20

  Collapsible or foldable PV modules · CPC title

• B65H75/28

  Arrangements for positively securing ends of material · CPC title