(A) study on the deformability and recovery moment improvement of shape memory polymer composite bending actuators for space deployable structures

Abstract

As the space technologies continue to advance, the needs for large space structures such as satellite panels and reflectors are increasing. Therefore, deployment technology that can efficiently store these large structures in a limited spaceship space is emerging as one of the core technologies. Shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) are one of the promising candidates for the space deployable structure materials owing to their lightweight, ease of operation, and high mechanical properties. As the space deployable structures are getting larger and larger, SMPC actuators are required to have not only the large recovery moment but also the improved deformability. Although increasing the SMPC thickness is a simple method to increase recovery moment, it is not suitable for structures that require large deformation due to damages by low elongation of the reinforcing fibers and micro-buckling. Therefore, this trade-off relationship should be resolved to fulfill the requirements of simultaneous improvement on recovery moment and deformability. In this study, a sandwich type SMPC bending actuator is designed to improve deformability as well as recovery moment including two novel features: multiple neutral axes skins and a deployable core