Study on in-plane deformation mechanism and mechanical properties of a novel pre-winded 6-ligament chiral structure

The mesh deployable antenna, due to the lack of bending stiffness in the metal mesh, can cause anti-pillow effect under pre-tension, which has adverse effects on spaceborne antennas. Many scholars have analyzed these solutions based on the assumptions of thin shell no moment theory and thin shell theory. However, these solutions have not achieved ideal results. The research group combines the research hotspots of metamaterials and proposes a novel pre-winded six-ligament chiral structure. Based on this, this paper analyzes the deformation mechanism of the new material through experiments, provides analytical solutions for the Poisson’s ratio and Young’s modulus of the structure, and verifies them through simulation with different configurations of structures, laying the foundation for the application of the material on deployable reflective surfaces.