Form-Finding Design of Cable–Mesh Deployable Reflector Antennas Considering Wire Mesh Properties

The wire mesh is a key component of a cable–mesh deployable antenna; it is laid on the cable net to reflect electromagnetic waves. The knitting form, mesh size, and wire mesh ductility directly affect the accuracy of the reflector. In this paper, a form-finding design method that considers wire mesh properties is proposed for cable–mesh deployable reflector antennas. First, a three-dimensional geometric model of the wire mesh is established. Based on the augmented Lagrange multiplier method, the finite element method model of the wire mesh is derived, and its accuracy is verified by experimental data. Second, to simplify the computation for a large-scale flexible wire mesh structure, the mechanical model is made equivalent to an anisotropy membrane. Third, based on the nonlinear finite element method, the form-finding design method of the cable–membrane composite structure is proposed. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate the significant influence of the mechanical properties of wire mesh and the validity of the proposed design method.