Thermally induced vibrations of solar panel and their coupling with satellite

A coupled thermal-structural model of a laminated composite plate is proposed by using the absolute nodal coordinate formulation, the transverse shear and normal deformations through element thickness are included. The dynamic equations of structure are established by applying the d'Alembert's principle and then solved numerically to determine dynamic responses and transient heat conduction in the structure due to the nonlinear elastic force and thermal radiation. A cantilevered flexible solar panel subjected suddenly to a solar radiation is examined, it is found that by considering the coupling between the thermal and structural responses, thermal flutter of the composite panel can be well predicted. The coupled behavior of the composite solar panel with a satellite is also analyzed by idealizing it as a rigid-flexible multibody system in the low earth orbit, in which a natural coordinate formulation is established to analyze the attitude of the satellite rigid hub, the thermal snap phenomenon is also well predicted.