Optimization design of mesh antenna considering thermal deformation in service

Mesh antennas serve in harsh space environments with extreme temperatures and intense radiation. Thermal deformation is an essential factor that affects the performances of mesh antennas. The existing pretension design methods are generally carried out under ambient temperature, which is challenging to consider the influence of the in-orbit service environment on the antenna's performances. An optimization model was established by introducing the temperature load into the cable net model. In this model, the cable element parameters at ambient temperature were the optimization variables. The surface accuracy and tension distribution under the in-orbit service environment were the optimization objectives and constraint conditions, respectively, which can fully consider the performances of antennas in the service environment at the initial design stage to improve the surface accuracy and uniformity of tension distribution. The in-orbit thermal environment of the antenna was analyzed, and the temperature fields of different orbital positions were calculated. Based on the nonlinear finite element theory, a thermal-structure model of the mesh antenna was established, and a form-finding and optimization design method considering the temperature effect was proposed. The optimization design of the antenna's service performance was carried out. The optimization results indicate that the proposed method can effectively improve the antenna's in-orbit performance, which can provide a strategy for the optimal design of the mesh antenna considering the space environment