Authors: Lais Oliveira, Corinne Jackson
Mentors: Spencer Magleby
Insitution: Brigham Young University
Space applications, such as LiDAR telescopes and reflectarray antennas, often need large arrays that deploy to meet specific mission requirements. These deployable arrays transform from a compact stowed volume to a large deployed surface area, and it is crucial for them to be light and compact with a high functional area. In this project we are improving the ratio with research in deployment by investigating the deployment of various array designs developed by the Compliant Mechanisms Research lab, intended for space applications. We obtain relative metrics, including the deployment energy curves for each design, so designs can be compared for specific applications. Specifically, we aim to assess each design’s compatibility with the aim to minimize volume and maximize surface area. This research will allow us to determine which deployment techniques can be combined, or design for external structures to aid in deployment, if needed, to create an efficient deployable array.