An enhanced method of resizing support links for a planar closed-loop overconstrained deployable structure considering kinematic reliability and surface accuracy

Abstract Kinematic reliability and surface accuracy are of importance for the deployable structure in that the former directly determines whether the deployment is successful or not and the latter is greatly associated with the performance of the space antenna. These two key indexes are generally guaranteed by adjusting the length of the support link. To this end, this study proposes an enhanced method of quantitatively resizing support links for a planar closed-loop overconstrained deployable structure. First, the relationship between the successful unfolding and the combination of link adjustments is derived by taking advantage of the support vector machine to train the motion data that is collected from rigid-flexible dynamic simulations. Then, resorting to structural mechanics, the system of equilibrium equations in terms of stretching and bending is established, thereby leading to the implicit mapping from link deviations to the angular errors of the satellite panels. Thereon, a discrete optimization model with two objectives ensuring the deployable reliability and accuracy performance for link adjustment is completely developed. This optimization model is solved by an improved successive Taguchi approach, which uses the grey relational analysis coupled with principal component analysis as the multicriteria decision-making model. Finally, the implementation of the proposed method and its effectiveness are comprehensively demonstrated by a numerical example.