Design and Dynamic Validation of a Membrane-Frame Solar Array Module
A. Esser (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
P.P. Sundaramoorthy – Mentor (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
Kees Honselaar – Mentor (GTM Advanced Structures B.V.)
Henk Cruijssen – Mentor
I. Uriol Balbin – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
V. Yaghoubi Nasrabadi – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
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Abstract
Semi-flexible solar arrays offer lightweight alternatives to rigid spacecraft structures but are susceptible to dynamic out-of-plane launch deformations. This research evaluates how accurately a finite element (FE) model predicts the dynamic behavior of a scaled prototype. Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) using a shaker and Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer was compared against an Abaqus FE model employing element birth-and-death manufacturing simulations.
For the unpopulated structure, the FE model predicted the first three membrane modes within a 9% error and frame modes within 14%. For the populated prototype, utilizing a simplified distributed-mass approach (incorporating 40% of the photovoltaic mass to neglect local stiffness), frequency errors remained below 5% and 13% for membrane and frame modes, respectively.
The results demonstrate strong numerical and experimental correlation, validating that this FE framework successfully captures global dynamic characteristics for practical structural analysis.