ACTIVE CONTROL OF DEFLECTIONS IN SPACE STRUCTURES Jonathan Leavitt A. Epstein & Sons, Inc. - Chicago, Illinois 60632 As a structure increases in size it becomes increasingly less rigid in proportion to its linear dimensions. For deployable structures on the order of kilometers in size the maximum allowable deflection will certainly be a significant factor in the structural design. Especially if a flexible structure is to resist dynamic loads encountered during construction and maneuvering and still have minimal mass, some method of actively controlling deflections may be required. Dimensional relationships between such properties as strength, static deflection, stiffness, frequency of vibration, and thermally induced deflection are related to system mass and size. Criteria involving these parameters are explored as a guide to establishing the structural performance needed for large antenna arrays. The need for active control of deflections will then be described in terms of increasing linear dimensions and system mass. For structures of various scales different control systems are preferred. [Extended Abstract Not Re,ceived]
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==