Design and Verification of Continuous Moulding Process of Ultra-long Thin-walled Deployable Boom

Ultra-long Thin-walled deployable composite boom with high strain ability are of considerable interest used in the main support component of hundred-meter-size deployable spacecraft structures due to their light weight and high folding-storage ratio function. This research seeks to investigate continuous curing technology of an ultra-long thin-walled deployable composite boom made of high strain carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastics. The equipment and process for continuous curing of semi-thin-walled boom and continuous adhesion of thin-walled boom are designed. The effect of the length of the translational traction zone from unfolding to reeling on the stress level during continuous forming process is simulated by finite element model for determining the minimum length of the transition zone of the equipment. The test run of the continuous molding equipment for thin-walled boom is conducted according to the formulated pressure and pulsation time parameters in the curing process. The design rationality of the moulding equipment and process is verified by the trial-manufacture of 17 m ultra-long thin-walled deployable boom sample. © 2023 Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering. All rights reserved.