Modeling the hinge moment of skew mounted tape spring folds

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Description/Abstract

Tape springs, defined as thin metallic strips with an initially curved cross section, are an attractive structural solution and hinge mechanism for small satellite deployable structures due to their low mass, low cost and general simplicity. When mounted at skewed angles to the hinge line, the tapes can be subjected to complex folds involving both bending and twisting of the tape. These folds have been experimentally investigated and theories have been developed to model the resulting opening moment. However, the opening moment of these theories are not equivalent to the opening moment about the hinge line, which is the parameter required in satellite deployment applications. This paper derives a method to determine the hinge moment from the previous theories and compares the theoretical predictions with experimental and finite element results. It uses this model to investigate the predicted hinge moment trends for full deployments of 180 degrees. The model is then applied to a practical spacecraft hinge application.