Deployment characteristics of braided coated Bi-convex tape booms partly used SMA for deployable membrane structures

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate and investigate the concepts of new deployable boom systems, which consist of the Braid Coated Bi-Convex tape (BCON) boom and the Braid Coated Bi-shape memory alloy convex tape (SMA-BCON) boom. Both booms are developed for the deployable membrane structures such as solar sails, thin membrane solar array panels, deorbit mechanisms for small satellites, reflectors of Space Solar Power Satellite, and etc. BCON booms can store around polygonal or cylindrical center hub, and the booms can deploy by the stepwise manner by releasing a constraint mechanism which pin the boons into two or three points for the total length. SMA-BCON booms are mainly developed for a square center body systems, SMA is adapted on the bent points of the booms where stored around each edge of the center hub. Through the deployment experiments of both booms, the stepwise deployment behavior and its tendency are obtained. The design concept of BCON boom and SMA-BCON boom is demonstrated through this study.