Passive damped deployment of full composite structures

This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility, use and functionality of carbon fibre-reinforced flexible epoxy (CFRFE) materials for self-deployable space structures (such as deployable tape-spring hinges) by designing, simulating, manufacturing, testing and correlating a classic (100% carbon fibre-reinforced plastic -rigid resin- CFRP) deployable tape-spring hinge and a CFRFE deployable tape-spring hinge and compare their mechanical and dynamic behaviours.This project justified the efficacy of using CFRFE materials in a real space case. For this purpose, a self-deployable full composite boom was designed, manufactured, tested and validated so that in could deploy a tip payload with a relevant mass with less final impact at the final deployment than a typical CFRP hinged boom.