A novel design and thermal analysis of micro solar sails for solar sailing with chip scale spacecraft

Space vehicles may be propelled by solar sails exploiting the radiation pressure coming from the sun and applied on their surfaces. This work deals with the adoption of Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) elements in the sail deployment mechanism activated by the Joule Effect, i.e., using the same SMA elements as a resistance within suitable designed electrical circuits. Mathematical models were analyzed for the thermal analysis by implementing algorithms for the evaluation of the temperature trend depending on the design parameters. Several solar sail prototypes were built up and tested with different number, size, and arrangement of the SMA elements, as well as the type of the selected electrical circuit. The main parameters were discussed in the tested configurations and advantages discussed as well.

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Electron Exposure Measurements of Candidate Solar Sail Materials

Journal of Solar Energy Engineering ◽

10.1115/1.1823495 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 127 (1) ◽

pp. 125-130 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Tesia L. Albarado ◽

William A. Hollerman ◽

David Edwards ◽

Whitney Hubbs ◽

Charles Semmel

Keyword(s):

Solar Sail ◽

Reaction Mass ◽

Space Environment ◽

Back Surface ◽

Unique Form ◽

Polymeric Substrate ◽

Solar Sails ◽

Solar Sailing ◽

Optical And Mechanical Properties ◽

Exposure Measurements

Solar sailing is a unique form of propulsion where a spacecraft gains momentum from incident photons. Since sails are not limited by reaction mass, they provide continual acceleration, reduced only by the lifetime of the lightweight film in the space environment and the distance to the Sun. Practical solar sails can expand the number of possible missions that are difficult by conventional means. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is concentrating research into the utilization of ultra lightweight materials for spacecraft propulsion. Solar sails are generally composed of a highly reflective metallic front layer, a thin polymeric substrate, and occasionally a highly emissive back surface. The Space Environmental Effects Team at MSFC is actively characterizing candidate sails to evaluate the thermo-optical and mechanical properties after exposure to electrons. This paper will discuss the preliminary results of this research.

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Deployment of Solar Sails by Joule Effect: Thermal Analysis and Experimental Results

10.20944/preprints202011.0690.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Gianluigi Bovesecchi ◽

Sandra Corasaniti ◽

Girolamo Costanza ◽

Fabrizio Paolo Piferi ◽

Maria Elisa Tata

Keyword(s):

Thermal Analysis ◽

Shape Memory Alloy ◽

Solar Sail ◽

Electrical Circuit ◽

Design Parameters ◽

Space Vehicles ◽

The Sun ◽

Solar Sails ◽

Joule Effect ◽

Electrical Circuits

Space vehicles may be propelled by solar sails exploiting the radiation pressure coming from the sun and applied on their surfaces. This work deals with the adoption of Shape-Memory Alloy (SMA) elements in the sail deployment mechanism activated by the Joule Effect, i.e. using the same SMA elements as a resistance within suitable designed electrical circuits. Mathematical models were analyzed for the thermal analysis by implementing algorithms for the evaluation of the temperature trend depending on the design parameters. Several solar sail prototypes were built up and tested with different number, size and arrangement of the SMA elements, as well as the type of the selected electrical circuit. The main parameters have been discussed in the tested configurations and advantages discussed as well.

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Investigating the Design Space for Solar Sail Trajectories in the Earth-Moon System

The Open Aerospace Engineering Journal ◽

10.2174/1874146001104010026 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 26-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Geoffrey G. Wawrzyniak ◽

Kathleen C. Howell

Keyword(s):

Design Space ◽

Solar Sail ◽

Mission Design ◽

South Pole ◽

Low Thrust ◽

Solar Sails ◽

Moon System ◽

Solar Sailing ◽

The Earth ◽

Lunar South Pole

Solar sailing is an enabling technology for many mission applications. One potential application is the use of a sail as a communications relay for a base at the lunar south pole. A survey of the design space for a solar sail spacecraft that orbits in view of the lunar south pole at all times demonstrates that trajectory options are available for sails with characteristic acceleration values of 1.3 mm/s or higher. Although the current sail technology is presently not at this level, this survey reveals the minimum acceleration values that are required for sail technology to facilitate the lunar south pole application. This information is also useful for potential hybrid solar-sail-low-thrust designs. Other critical metrics for mission design and trajectory selection are also examined, such as body torques that are required to articulate the vehicle orientation, sail pitch angles throughout the orbit, and trajectory characteristics that would impact the design of the lunar base. This analysis and the techniques that support it supply an understanding of the design space for solar sails and their trajectories in the Earth-Moon system.

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Mechanical Design of Distributed Solar Sail Deployment Systems

Volume 1: Advances in Aerospace Technology ◽

10.1115/imece2019-11968 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Ni Li ◽

Salla Kim ◽

Jason Lin ◽

Benjamin De La Torre ◽

Manhong Wong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Theoretical Analysis ◽

Mechanical Design ◽

Experimental Tests ◽

Solar Sail ◽

Space Travel ◽

Coordinated Motion ◽

Solar Sails ◽

Solar Sailing ◽

Future Space ◽

Propulsion Force

Abstract Solar sailing has been increasingly considered for future space missions as an alternative method of propulsion, since it uses radiation pressure exerted by sunlight on a large mirrored surface for thrust and it does not require propellants such as chemicals or compressed gasses. For decades, single solar sail designs and deployment mechanisms have been studied and implemented in several CubeSats with the purpose of propulsion or deorbiting. Recently, a distributed four sail design has been proposed. The distributed four sails would have the potential to not only provide the spacecraft with propulsion force for space travel, but also control the attitude of the spacecraft by the coordinated motion of the four sails. Considering the large dimensions of the sails, it is necessary for the solar sails to be effectively stowed before launch and then deployed in a controlled manner in space. In this paper, the mechanical design of a deployment system that can stow and deploy four independent triangular solar sails with the ability to rotate after deployment will be presented. To demonstrate the effectiveness and the feasibility of the design, a prototype has been developed and validated through theoretical analysis and experimental tests.

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Electron Exposure Measurements of Candidate Solar Sail Materials

Solar Energy ◽

10.1115/isec2003-44207 ◽

2003 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tesia L. Albarado ◽

William A. Hollerman ◽

David Edwards ◽

Whitney Hubbs ◽

Charles Semmel

Keyword(s):

Solar Sail ◽

Reaction Mass ◽

Space Environment ◽

Back Surface ◽

Unique Form ◽

Polymeric Substrate ◽

Solar Sails ◽

Solar Sailing ◽

Optical And Mechanical Properties ◽

Exposure Measurements

Solar sailing is a unique form of propulsion where a spacecraft gains momentum from incident photons. Since sails are not limited by reaction mass, they provide continual acceleration, reduced only by the lifetime of the lightweight film in the space environment and the distance to the Sun. Practical solar sails can expand the number of possible missions that are difficult by conventional means. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is concentrating research into the utilization of ultra lightweight materials for spacecraft propulsion. Solar sails are generally composed of a highly reflective metallic front layer, a thin polymeric substrate, and occasionally a highly emissive back surface. The Space Environmental Effects Team at MSFC is actively characterizing candidate sails to evaluate the thermo-optical and mechanical properties after exposure to electrons. This paper will discuss the preliminary results of this research.

Download Full-text