Design and optimization of a self-deployable composite structure

Self-deployable composite structures are attractive for space applications as they provide lightweight, low cost and simple solutions that can replace mechanical systems. These structures can be folded and use the stored strain energy to promote a self-deployment event. However, these structures present design, manufacture and optimize challenges. This article describes the process of designing and optimizing an elastic-hinge, for a telecommunication satellite considering both structural and frequency requirements using finite element analysis, manufacturing and experimental testing. Furthermore, the paper details the sequence of optimization algorithms that were used to produce a solution capable of meeting the original design specifications. The structural assessment consists of the elastic-hinge numerical modelling during the folding process, by means of an explicit formulation. This model correlates well to the experimental test data and was used to evaluate the damage installed in the hinge using a pletfora of damage criteria. The frequency analysis considers the numerical modelling of a system constituted by the elastic-hinge and a telecommunication satellite antenna. This model was used to estimate the natural frequency of the system. Results show that a design methodology which uses a genetic algorithm (GA) for a global search, followed by a particle swarm optimization (PSO) method for a local search provides a good approach to the optimization problem. It is also shown that the efficiency of these algorithms can be maximized by tailoring their architecture and internal parameters.