Experiments on Buckling Characteristics of Strain Energy Hinges for Solar Array Deployment

인공위성 태양전지판 전개에 사용되는 변형 에너지 힌지의 좌굴특성 실험

This research is concerned with the experiments on buckling characteristics of strain energy hinge(SEH) for solar arrays. The dynamic characteristics of the strain energy hinge is very important since it affects the shape and speed of the solar array deployment. The rapid deployment results in overshoot and undesirable residual vibrations. In this study, we carry out a series of buckling experiments to identify the dynamic characteristics of the SEH, which is made of strip measures. Buckling tests were done on the single-plate, double-plate and triple-plate SEH and VSEH. The experimental results show that the SEH has a very complex buckling behavior which can not be coped with theoretically. The modeling problem of the SEH is also discussed.