• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.86-94
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• 2021

PCB-based deployable solar panel is mainly used for CubeSat due to its lightweight and easy of electrical connection. However, as the size of solar panel increases, there is a limit to ensuring the structural safety of solar cells due to excessive dynamic displacement under launch vibration environment. In previous mechanical designs, for the minimization of dynamic deflection, panel stiffness is increased by applying additional stiffeners made of various materials such as aluminum or composite. However, it could have disadvantages for CubeSat design requirements due to limited mass and volumes. In this study, a high-damping 6U solar panel was proposed. It had superior damping characteristic with a multi-layered stiffener laminated with viscoelastic acrylic tapes. Basic characteristics of this solar panel were measured through free-vibration tests. Design effectiveness of the solar panel was validated through qualification-level launch vibration test. Based on test results, vibration characteristics of a typical PCB solar panel and the high-damping laminated solar panel were predicted and a comparative analysis was performed.