Nonlinear Dynamics of a Space Tensioned Membrane Antenna during Orbital Maneuvering

Due to the super flexibility and strong nonlinearity of space membrane antennas, the dynamic response of a space membrane antenna will be affected by the rigid–flexible coupling effect in the process of orbital maneuvering. In this case, the dynamic model of a tensioned membrane antenna is significantly different from that under the general condition (fixed boundary). In this study, a nonlinear dynamic model of a tensioned space membrane antenna experiencing maneuvering is established, and the influence of the rigid–flexible coupling effect on structural stiffness and damping characteristics is described. Through a numerical solution, the effects of rigid body motion and structural natural frequency on the rigid–flexible coupling effect are discussed. The results show that the vibration frequency and amplitude of the antenna are positively correlated with the acceleration and initial velocity of rigid body motion. With the increase of the natural frequency of the antenna, the vibration frequency increases but the amplitude decreases. The rigid–flexible coupling nonlinear dynamic model proposed in this work is more applicable in intelligent vibration control compared to finite element software.