Boxed unwindable solar generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9975652-B2
Application number	US-201113336927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2011
Priority date	Dec 30, 2010
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A solar generator deployment device includes at least one primary tape-spring supporting a flexible membrane with a set of flexible photovoltaic cells on one face, at least one secondary tape-spring, and a reinforcing structure attached to the primary tape-spring and secondary tape-spring, said device having a wound state in which the primary tape-spring supporting the flexible membrane and secondary tape-spring and reinforcing structure are co-wound around a mandrel; and an unwound state in which said primary tape-spring and secondary tape-spring are unwound. The device comprises, at the level of said mandrel, means for offsetting, in the unwound state, the root of said secondary tape-spring so that the reinforcing structure is deployed within a volume situated on the side opposite the face of the flexible membrane comprising flexible photovoltaic cells and supports said flexible membrane, the device then being in the deployed state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for deploying at least one membrane on a face of which are arranged a set of elements capable of converting solar energy into electrical energy, said device comprising:
a membrane comprising a set of elements capable of converting solar energy into electrical energy arranged on a face of said membrane;
a deployment structure for each membrane to be deployed, said deployment structure comprising at least one primary tape-spring supporting said membrane,
said deployment structure further comprising at least one secondary tape-spring, and a reinforcing structure arranged between and attached to both of said at least one primary tape-spring and said at least one secondary tape-spring,
said device having a wound state in which said at least one primary tape-spring supporting said membrane and said at least one secondary tape-spring as well as said reinforcing structure are co-wound around a mandrel, and
an unwound state in which said at least one primary tape-spring and said at least one secondary tape-spring are unwound, said at least one primary tape-spring and said at least one secondary tape-spring each forming a plane parallel with one another and spaced from one another in a direction perpendicular to a plane of said membrane once deployed, and
wherein said device comprises, linked to said mandrel, a mobile element to which is fixed exclusively to either said at least one secondary tape-spring or said at least one primary tape-spring, for offsetting, in the unwound state, a root of respectively said at least one secondary tape-spring or said at least one primary tape-spring, said offsetting resulting in a movement of the mobile element and leading to a deployment of said reinforcing structure within the volume between said at least one primary tape-spring and said at least one secondary tape-spring, and said reinforcing structure then supporting said membrane, the device then being in the deployed state.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said mobile element is a secondary mandrel with the same axis as the mandrel, capable of performing, in the unwound state, a rotation on itself of a fraction of a mandrel turn so as to offset the root of said at least one secondary tape-spring or, respectively, the root of said at least one primary tape-spring.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said mobile element comprises a mechanical actuator capable of offsetting the root of said at least one secondary tape-spring or, respectively, the root of said at least one primary tape-spring, relative to the mandrel.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing structure comprises a set of cables or of link rods.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the reinforcing structure also comprises a set of transversal braces.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising two deployment structures, making it possible to deploy two flexible membranes, respectively on either side of the mandrel.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein, for a first membrane, the mobile element makes it possible to offset the root of said at least one secondary tape-spring and, for a second membrane, the offsetting means make it possible to offset the root of said at least one primary tape-spring.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said membrane is flexible.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said membrane is semi-rigid.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said membrane comprise flexible and rigid elements.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said flexible and rigid elements comprise thin flat braces linked flexibly together.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said elements capable of converting the solar energy into electrical energy are flexible photovoltaic cells.

13. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the tape-springs comprises a layer of a material exhibiting a rigidity variation on crossing a temperature threshold.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1 , the reinforcing structure once deployed is located between the primary and secondary tape-springs in the direction perpendicular to a plane of said membrane once deployed.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1 , said reinforcing structure is located on an opposite side of the face of said membrane comprising the set of elements capable of converting the solar energy into electrical energy.

Assignees

• Blanchard Laurent
• Ducarne Julien
• Baudasse Yannick
• Thales Sa

Inventors

• Blanchard Laurent
• Ducarne Julien
• Baudasse Yannick

Classifications

• B64G1/44 Primary

  using radiation, e.g. deployable solar arrays · CPC title

• Y02E10/60

  Thermal-PV hybrids · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• B64G1/222 Primary

  for deploying structures between a stowed and deployed state · CPC title

• H01L31/044

  Electricity · mapped topic