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Recent advances in heliogyro solar sail structural dynamics, stability, and control research

Publication ,  Conference
Wilkie, WK; Warren, JE; Horta, LG; Lyle, KH; Juang, JN; Gibbs, SC; Dowell, EH; Guerrant, DV; Lawrence, D
Published in: 2nd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference
January 1, 2015

© 2015, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc. All rights reserved. Results from recent NASA sponsored research on the structural dynamics, stability, and control characteristics of heliogyro solar sails are summarized. Specific areas under investigation include coupled nonlinear finite element analysis of heliogyro membrane blade with solar radiation pressure effects, system identification of spinning membrane structures, and solarelastic stability analysis of heliogyro solar sails, including stability during blade deployment. Recent results from terrestrial 1-g blade dynamics and control experiments on “rope ladder” membrane blade analogs, and small-scale in vacuo system identification experiments with hanging and spinning high-aspect ratio membranes will also be presented. A low-cost, rideshare payload heliogyro technology demonstration mission concept is used as a mission context for these heliogyro structural dynamics and solarelasticity investigations, and is also described. Blade torsional dynamic response and control are also shown to be significantly improved through the use of edge stiffening structural features or inclusion of modest tip masses to increase centrifugal stiffening of the blade structure. An output-only system identification procedure suitable for on-orbit blade dynamics investigations is also developed and validated using ground tests of spinning sub-scale heliogyro blade models. Overall, analytical and experimental investigations to date indicate no intractable stability or control issues for the heliogyro solar sail concept.

Duke Scholars

Published In

2nd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference

ISBN

9781624103452

Publication Date

January 1, 2015
 

Citation

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Wilkie, W. K., Warren, J. E., Horta, L. G., Lyle, K. H., Juang, J. N., Gibbs, S. C., … Lawrence, D. (2015). Recent advances in heliogyro solar sail structural dynamics, stability, and control research. In 2nd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference.
Wilkie, W. K., J. E. Warren, L. G. Horta, K. H. Lyle, J. N. Juang, S. C. Gibbs, E. H. Dowell, D. V. Guerrant, and D. Lawrence. “Recent advances in heliogyro solar sail structural dynamics, stability, and control research.” In 2nd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference, 2015.
Wilkie WK, Warren JE, Horta LG, Lyle KH, Juang JN, Gibbs SC, et al. Recent advances in heliogyro solar sail structural dynamics, stability, and control research. In: 2nd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference. 2015.
Wilkie, W. K., et al. “Recent advances in heliogyro solar sail structural dynamics, stability, and control research.” 2nd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference, 2015.
Wilkie WK, Warren JE, Horta LG, Lyle KH, Juang JN, Gibbs SC, Dowell EH, Guerrant DV, Lawrence D. Recent advances in heliogyro solar sail structural dynamics, stability, and control research. 2nd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference. 2015.

Published In

2nd AIAA Spacecraft Structures Conference

ISBN

9781624103452

Publication Date

January 1, 2015