{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":11546,"title":"Compliant Space Mechanisms","primaryTaxonomyNodes":[{"taxonomyNodeId":10872,"taxonomyRootId":8816,"parentNodeId":10870,"level":3,"code":"TX12.3.2","title":"Electro-Mechanical, Mechanical, and Micromechanisms","definition":"This area covers the development and testing of tools and interfaces for electro-mechanical, mechanical, and micromechanisms.","exampleTechnologies":"Robotic tools and interfaces that will allow robotic assembly, manipulation, and servicing of aerospace vehicles and components as well as interfaces; fluid transfer and refueling; provisions for operation in harsh environment.","hasChildren":false,"hasInteriorContent":true}],"startTrl":2,"currentTrl":3,"endTrl":3,"benefits":"The resulting shift in mechanism design will increase robustness and simplify manufacturing, leading to reduced risk and cost in space mission planning. Coupling compliant mechanism technology with adaptive structures technology will integrate these functions in fewer components, reducing mass and cost while increasing reliability. The work proposed here not only answers some of the needs put forth in several of the Space Technology Roadmaps, but it also has the potential to apply in other areas of national interest, including rehabilitation robotics and socially assistive robotics. Concurrent research in these areas is being conducted at BYU. Further, compliant mechanisms span all size scales, providing many unique solutions to technical challenges currently being faced at the nano- and micro-scales as well.","description":"OBJECTIVES The proposed research will combine the areas of compliant mechanisms and space technology. Compliant mechanisms perform their function through the elastic deflection of their members. The advantages of compliant mechanisms include increased performance, reduced or eliminated assembly, no friction or wear, fewer parts, lower cost, and lower weight. These advantages make compliant mechanisms ideally suited for space or aerospace applications, where low weight and no lubrication are essential. My research will exploit the advantages of compliant mechanisms in the areas of human safety in proximity to robots and in flexible deployable structures and mechanisms. METHODS The tasks associated with the proposed research are: (1) identify compliant mechanism replacement opportunities in mechanisms and robotics, including back-driveability, transparency, reactive surfaces, and compliant joints; (2) create fundamental compliant mechanism building blocks that can be used in a wide range of applications; and (3) demonstrate effectiveness of designs in applications. BENEFITS Under the guidance of a NASA mentor (at JPL), I will apply compliant mechanism theory to create compliant-space-mechanism designs that enable the primary benefit of significant performance gains in critical applications. In doing so, I will personally benefit in engineering experience, but so will BYU and JPL in the building of a technology relationship offering new benefits and opportunities to both. The resulting shift in mechanism design will increase robustness and simplify manufacturing, leading to reduced risk and cost in space mission planning. Coupling compliant mechanism technology with adaptive structures technology will integrate these functions in fewer components, reducing mass and cost while increasing reliability. The work proposed here not only answers some of the needs put forth in several of the Space Technology Roadmaps, but it also has the potential to apply in other areas of national interest, including rehabilitation robotics and socially assistive robotics. Concurrent research in these areas is being conducted at BYU. Further, compliant mechanisms span all size scales, providing many unique solutions to technical challenges currently being faced at the nano- and micro-scales as well.","startYear":2012,"startMonth":8,"endYear":2015,"endMonth":8,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":283973,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Larry","lastName":"Howell","fullName":"Larry Howell","fullNameInverted":"Howell, Larry","primaryEmail":"lhowell@byu.edu","publicEmail":false,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":84634,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Claudia","lastName":"Meyer","fullName":"Claudia M Meyer","fullNameInverted":"Meyer, Claudia M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"claudia.m.meyer@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":84634,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Claudia","lastName":"Meyer","fullName":"Claudia M Meyer","fullNameInverted":"Meyer, Claudia M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"claudia.m.meyer@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":183514,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Hung","lastName":"Nguyen","fullName":"Hung D Nguyen","fullNameInverted":"Nguyen, Hung D","middleInitial":"D","primaryEmail":"hung.d.nguyen@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"projectManagers":[{"contactId":53924,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Brian","lastName":"Trease","fullName":"Brian P Trease","fullNameInverted":"Trease, Brian P","middleInitial":"P","primaryEmail":"brian.p.trease@jpl.nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"coInvestigators":[{"contactId":432697,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Shannon","lastName":"Zirbel","fullName":"Shannon A Zirbel","fullNameInverted":"Zirbel, Shannon A","middleInitial":"A","primaryEmail":"shannon.zirbel@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"website":"https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/home/index.html","libraryItems":[{"caption":"Project Image Compliant Space Mechanisms","file":{"fileExtension":"jpg","fileId":313861,"fileName":"11546-1363118563395","fileSize":194342,"objectId":306428,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"189.8 KB"},"files":[{"fileExtension":"jpg","fileId":313861,"fileName":"11546-1363118563395","fileSize":194342,"objectId":306428,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"189.8 KB"}],"id":306428,"title":"11546-1363118563395.jpg","description":"Project Image Compliant Space Mechanisms","libraryItemTypeId":1095,"projectId":11546,"primary":true,"publishedDateString":"","contentType":{"lkuCodeId":1095,"code":"IMAGE","description":"Image","lkuCodeTypeId":341,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"LIBRARY_ITEM_TYPE","description":"Library Item Type"}}}],"transitions":[{"transitionId":75633,"projectId":11546,"transitionDate":"2015-08-01","path":"Closed Out","details":"The key contributions of this dissertation are: development of rigid-foldable methods for “winding-membrane” structures as deployable arrays, specifically focusing on a modified origami flasher pattern; investigation of actuation methods for the deployable array; development of a self-deployable map-fold array that is fully dense when folded; integration of deployable array and perimeter truss system; and design of bistable mechanisms in bulk metallic glass. The primary objective of this work was to develop approaches to accommodate thickness in origami-based deployable arrays with a high ratio of deployed-to-stowed diameter. The HanaFlex design was derived from the origami flasher model and is developed as a deployable solar array for large arrays (150 kW or greater) and CubeSat arrays (60 W). The origami-folding concept enables compact stowage of the array, which would be deployed from a hexagonal prism into a flat array with about a 10-times increase in deployed diameter as compared to stowed diameter. The work on the origami pattern for the solar array was also applied to the folding of 100 m2 solar sails for two NASA CubeSat missions, NEA-Scout and Lunar Flashlight. The CubeSat program is a promising avenue to put the solar array or solar sails into space for testing and proving their functionality. The deployable array concept is easily scalable, although application to CubeSats changes some of the design constraints. The thickness-to-diameter ratio is larger, making the issues of thickness more pronounced. Methods of actuation are also limited on CubeSats because of the rigorous size and weight constraints. This dissertation also includes the development of a compact, self-deploying array based on a tapered map fold design. The tapered map fold was modified by applying an elastic membrane to one side of the array and adequately spacing the panels adjacent to valley folds. Through this approach, the array can be folded into a fully dense stowed volume. Potential applications for the array include a collapsible solar array for military or backpacking applications. Additional compliant mechanism design was done in support of the HanaFlex array. This included a serpentine flexure to attach the array to the perimeter truss for deployment, and a bistable mechanism that may be used in the deployment of the array or sail.","infoText":"Closed out","infoTextExtra":"","dateText":"August 2015"}],"primaryImage":{"file":{"fileExtension":"jpg","fileId":313861,"fileSizeString":"0 Byte"},"id":306428,"description":"Project Image Compliant Space Mechanisms","projectId":11546,"publishedDateString":""},"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"program":{"acronym":"STRG","active":true,"description":"
\tThe Space Technology Research Grants Program will accelerate the development of "push" technologies to support the future space science and exploration needs of NASA, other government agencies and the commercial space sector. Innovative efforts with high risk and high payoff will be encouraged. The program is composed of two competitively awarded components.
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