Key technologies for high-accuracy large mesh antenna reflectors

摘要

Nippon Telephone and Telegram Corporation (NTT) continues to develop the modular mesh-type deployable antenna. Antenna diameter can be changed from 5 m to about 20 m by changing the number of modules used with surface accuracy better than 2.4 mm RMS (including all error factors) with sufficient deployment reliability. Key technologies are the antenna's structural design, the deployment mechanism, the design tool, the analysis tool, and modularized testing/evaluation methods. This paper describes our beam steering mechanism. Tests show that it yields a beam pointing accuracy of better than 0.1°. Based on the S-band modular mesh antenna reflector, the surface accuracy degradation factors that must be considered in designing the new antenna are partially identified. The influence of modular connection errors on surface accuracy is quantitatively estimated. Our analysis tool SPADE is extended to include the addition of joint gaps. The addition of gaps allows non-linear vibration characteristics due to gapping in deployment hinges to be calculated. We intend to design a new type of mesh antenna reflector. Our new goal is an antenna for Ku or Ka band satellite communication. For this mission, the surface shape must be 5 times more accurate than is required for an S-band antenna.