Pretension design for space deployable mesh reflectors under multi-uncertainty

The main purpose of this paper is to present a pretension design method for space deployable mesh reflectors under multi-uncertainty. There exist multi-source errors in space deployable structures, such as dimensional error, imperfect material properties, and thermal error in space environment. The error which results in the structural uncertainties is a "time bomb" for space structures. It is thus essential to keep the structural performance robust and reliable under multi-source errors. In this paper, the relationships between multi-source errors and cable-tension uncertainty are established firstly. The errors of dimension, elastic modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion, and thermal load, etc. are equivalent to the tension uncertainty in cables. Then combining with the anti-optimization strategy, a pretension design method for space deployable mesh reflectors considering multi-uncertainty is proposed to minimize the influence from the uncertainties. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the design method are validated by a numerical simulation. (C) 2015 IAA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.