JP2014184812A - Expansion device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To expand a panel including a panel on a first row in outer space.SOLUTION: The expansion device 75, configured to expand a panel folded in half in outer space, comprises: an arm portion 76 that extends in the expanding direction of the panel and guides the panel in the expanding direction; and an expansion portion 81 that can move along the arm portion 76 and has a holding portion 96 capable of holding an end of the panel, where the expansion portion 81 moves in the expanding direction holding the end of the panel so that the panel folded in half is expanded.

Description

  The present invention relates to a deployment device for deploying a single panel constituting a space solar power generation system.

  There is a concept of a space solar power generation system in which power generation by sunlight is performed in outer space and energy obtained by power generation is sent to the earth. Since this space solar power generation system becomes a huge building, its construction method becomes a problem. In patent document 1, the expansion | deployment method of the panel which comprises a space solar power generation system is disclosed.

JP 2012-131458 A

  However, Patent Document 1 is premised on the presence of a deployed panel, and does not disclose a panel deployment method or a deployment apparatus corresponding to the first row. This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, Comprising: It aims at providing the expansion | deployment apparatus which can expand | deploy a panel in outer space also including the panel which hits the 1st line.

  A deployment device according to a form of the present invention is a deployment device for deploying a folded panel in outer space, and extends in the deployment direction of the panel to guide the panel in the deployment direction; A deployment part having a holding part that is movable along the arm part and can hold the front end of the panel, and the development part moves in the deployment direction while holding the front end of the panel. The half-folded panel is configured to be unfolded.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to deploy the panel in outer space where there is no gravity regardless of whether or not the panel has already been deployed.

  Further, in the above-described unfolding device, the unfolding portion includes a pressing roller located on the upper surface side of the panel, and when the unfolding portion moves in a direction opposite to the direction in which the panel is unfolded, When the panels are not parallel to each other and the boundary portion is raised, the pushing roller may contact the boundary portion, and the adjacent panels may be configured to be parallel to each other.

  In the space where there is no gravity, a force due to its own weight is not applied, so adjacent front and rear panels are unlikely to be parallel to each other. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, the adjacent front and rear panels are forcibly made parallel to each other by the pressing roller, so that the panels can be developed with high accuracy.

  In addition, the above-described deployment device may further include a drive unit for moving along the deployed panel row.

  According to such a configuration, the panel can be expanded while moving along the expanded row of panels, so that the second and subsequent columns can also be expanded.

  Further, in the above deployment device, the holding portion may be formed in a plate shape.

  According to this configuration, the holding member can have a simpler structure, the weight of the developing device can be reduced, and the occurrence of failure can be suppressed.

  In the deployment device, the holding unit may be configured to be displaceable between a position where the tip of the panel can be held and a position where the panel cannot be held.

  According to this configuration, the holding unit can have a simpler structure. Therefore, the deployment device can be reduced in weight and the occurrence of failure can be suppressed.

  According to the expansion device described above, the panel including the panel corresponding to the first row can be expanded in outer space.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the power generation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the set of wire control devices shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a single panel constituting the shipping power panel shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the frame portion constituting the single panel shown in FIG. 3 until it is unfolded from the folded state. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a mounting portion of the single panel shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a panel container that accommodates the shipping power panel shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a deployment device for deploying the single panel shown in FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the VIII plane of FIG. FIG. 9 is a plan view of a service unit for constructing the power generation system shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view of the service unit shown in FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the gripping portion shown in FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the gripping portion shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a method for developing a single panel using the developing device shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 16 is a plan view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 18 is a plan view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 19 is a plan view showing how the tether wire shown in FIG. 1 is stretched. FIG. 20 is a plan view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 21 is a plan view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 22 is a plan view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the power generation system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram of a storage unit included in the power generation system shown in FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a commander unit included in the power generation system shown in FIG. FIG. 27 is a plan view of a service unit for maintaining the power generation system shown in FIG. FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a container set that accommodates a single panel constituting the shipping power panel shown in FIG. FIG. 29 is a plan view showing a method for developing a single panel constituting the shipping power panel shown in FIG. FIG. 30 is a plan view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 31 is a perspective view showing how the tether wire shown in FIG. 24 is stretched. FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 33 is a perspective view showing a continuation of FIG. FIG. 34 is a side view showing a method for obtaining and collecting a single panel constituting the shipping power panel shown in FIG. FIG. 35 is a plan view showing a method for replacing a single panel constituting the shipping power panel shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a space solar power generation system (hereinafter simply referred to as “power generation system”) will be described with reference to the drawings. Below, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the element which is the same or it corresponds through all the drawings, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

(First embodiment)
First, the first embodiment will be described. The power generation system 200 of the second embodiment to be described later is a practical machine assuming actual operation, but the power generation system 100 of the first embodiment is a demonstration machine for verifying the practical machine.

<Overall configuration>
First, the overall configuration of the power generation system 100 will be described. The power generation system 100 is a system that generates power by sunlight and transmits energy obtained by power generation to the earth. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the power generation system 100. In the following, for the sake of convenience, the right rear side of FIG. 1 is “front”, the left front side is “rear”, the right front side is “right”, the left rear side is “left”, the upper side is “up”, The lower part will be referred to as “lower” for the description.

  The power generation system 100 of the present embodiment is a so-called 40 m class, and the length of one side is approximately 40 m. The power generation system 100 of the present embodiment rotates on a geostationary orbit of 500 km above the ground and moves in outer space in accordance with the rotation of the earth. Note that the earth is located below the power generation system 100, and the power generation system 100 moves rearward.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the power generation system 100 includes a shipping power panel 10, a bus 11, a tether wire 12, and a wire control device 13.

  The shipping power panel 10 is a device that generates power using sunlight and sends the generated energy to the earth using radio waves or a racer. The shipping power panel 10 of the present embodiment has a flat plate shape as a whole, and is constituted by 72 single panels 14. Each single panel 14 can independently generate and transmit power. Details of the single panel 14 will be described later.

  The bus 11 is a part that functions as a counterweight of the shipping power panel 10. The bus 11 of this embodiment is configured by a single panel container 65 described later. Since the bus 11 and the shipping power panel 10 are connected by the tether wire 12, the center of gravity of the power generation system 100 is located between the shipping power panel 10 and the bus 11. As a result, the power generation system 100 that continues to rotate around the earth can be stabilized in outer space.

  The tether wire 12 is a wire that connects the shipping power panel 10 and the bus 11. In FIG. 1, one tether wire 12 extends from each of the four corners of the shipping power panel 10, but actually two tether wires 12 extend from each of the four corners. The tether wire 12 may be a stainless wire formed of a plurality of thin wires, but in the present embodiment, a thin tape-like wire having a thickness of about 0.05 mm formed of a spring material may be used. If the tether wire 12 is formed into a tape shape, even if damage caused by cosmic dust occurs, the width is wide, so that it is difficult to cut.

  The wire control device 13 is a device that adjusts and replaces the length of the tether wire 12. One wire control device 13 is disposed at each of the four corners of the shipping power panel 10, and four wire control devices 13 are also disposed on the bus 11 correspondingly. The wire control device 13 on the shipping power panel 10 side and the wire control device 13 on the bus 11 side perform control as a set of two. Details of the wire control device 13 will be described next.

<Wire control device>
Next, details of the wire control device 13 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing two corresponding wire control devices 13. The wire control device 13 has two systems for redundancy, and controls one tether wire 12 and a total of two tether wires 12 for each system.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each wire control device 13 includes a wire drum 16, a damage detection unit 17, a drive pulley 18, a tension pulley 19, and a slack detection unit 20 for each system. .

  The wire drum 16 is a part that winds and accommodates the tether wire 12. The wire drum 16 is rotationally driven by a winding motor 21. As the take-up motor 21, a torque motor whose rotational speed increases as the torque decreases is employed. Therefore, the wire drum 16 can be wound while applying a constant tension to the tether wire 12.

  The damage detection unit 17 is a part that detects whether the tether wire 12 is damaged. The damage detection unit 17 of the present embodiment includes a light emitting unit 22 disposed on one side with the tether wire 12 interposed therebetween, and a light receiving unit 23 disposed on the other side. When the tether wire 12 is damaged, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 22 passes through the damaged part and is received by the light receiving unit 23. Therefore, the damage detection unit 17 can determine that the tether wire 12 is damaged when the light receiving unit 23 receives light. The damage detection unit 17 may employ other methods such as detecting the presence or absence of damage to the tether wire 12 from an image.

  The drive pulley 18 is a part that adjusts the winding amount or feeding amount of the tether wire 12. The drive pulley 18 includes two rollers 24 and 25, and the tether wire 12 is wound around one of the rollers 24 so that the tether wire 12 does not slip. Thereby, the tether wire 12 is wound or fed out at a speed proportional to the rotational speed of the roller 24 around which the tether wire 12 is wound.

  The tension pulley 19 is a portion that applies tension to the tether wire 12. The tension pulley 19 is also composed of two rollers 26 and 27. The rotational speed of each of the rollers 26 and 27 is slightly slower than the speed of the tether wire 12, and the tether wire 12 slides between the rollers 26 and 27. Go through. Tension is generated in the tether wire 12 by the frictional force between the rollers 26 and 27 and the tether wire 12 at that time.

  The slack detecting unit 20 is a part that detects slack of the tether wire 12. While the power generation system 100 is operated, the tether wire 12 is controlled so as not to be loosened. On the other hand, the tether wire 12 may be loosened when the power generation system 100 is constructed. The looseness of the tether wire 12 may be detected by irradiating the tether wire 12 with light and based on the angle of the reflected light, may be detected by an image, or may be detected by another method.

  The wire control device 13 configured as described above adjusts the length of the tether wire 12 when the power generation system 100 is constructed, but is not limited thereto. That is, since the tether wire 12 is expected to be worn by space dust or the like, the tether wire 12 is also replaced when the power generation system 100 is operated. In the case of the present embodiment, the distance between the bus 11 and the shipping power panel 10 is about 1 km, but the wire drum 16 is configured to accommodate a tether wire 12 of about 10 km. Then, the tether wire 12 is exchanged by winding and feeding the tether wire 12 at regular intervals or at a constant speed.

<Single panel>
Next, details of the single panel 14 will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of two adjacent single panels 14. As shown in FIG. 3, the two single panels 14 adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction are connected to each other (hereinafter, a set of two single panels connected in the front-rear direction is referred to as a “single panel unit” 30). The single panel 14 (single panel unit 30) is conveyed from the earth to outer space in a folded state.

  As shown in FIG. 3, each single panel 14 has a frame portion 31, a panel body 32, a guide roller 33, a left and right connecting portion 34, and a left and right connecting portion 35.

  The frame portion 31 is a framework portion of the single panel 14 and is configured to be foldable. The frame portion 31 has a rectangular upper frame 36 and a lower frame 37, which are connected to each other by a connecting member 38 extending in the vertical direction so as to be movable in parallel. In the single panel unit 30, the upper frame 36 adjacent to the front and rear shares the boundary member, and the lower frame 37 adjacent to the front and rear shares the boundary member (the guide roller 33 described later). , Left and right connecting portions 34 and left and right connected portions 35). In addition, a plurality of telescopic members 39 and 40 extending obliquely are disposed between the upper frame 36 and the lower frame 37.

  Here, the “telescopic member” is a member that is fixed by extending or contracting to a predetermined length, and is constituted by, for example, an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder that slides inside the outer cylinder. The telescopic member 39 located in the vicinity of the boundary between the front and rear frame portions 31 is a contraction type member that contracts and is fixed to a predetermined length (in a contracted state in FIG. 3). On the other hand, the telescopic member 40 far from the boundary between the front and rear frame portions 31 is of an extension type that is extended and fixed to a predetermined length (in an extended state in FIG. 3).

  FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which the frame portions 31 (single panel unit 30) adjacent to each other in the front and rear directions are expanded from the folded state. FIG. 4A shows a state where the adjacent frame portions 31 are completely folded. As described above, the single panel 14 (single panel unit 30) is transported from the earth to outer space with the frame portion 31 being folded flat as shown in FIG. 4A.

  When the frame portion 31 is in the state shown in FIG. 4A, if the lower end of the front frame portion 31 is pulled forward while the lower end of the rear frame portion 31 is fixed, the telescopic telescopic member 39 contracts. The elongated telescopic member 40 extends, and the frame portion 31 shifts to the state shown in FIG. Further, when the lower end of the front frame portion 31 is pulled forward, the frame portion 31 shifts from the state of FIG. 4B to the state of FIG. 4C and then to the state of FIG. When the frame portion 31 reaches the state shown in FIG. 4D, the lengths of the telescopic members 39 and 40 are fixed, and the frame portion 31 has a shape as shown in FIG.

  The panel main body 32 is a part that actually performs dispatch power. The panel main body 32 has a rectangular plate shape and is detachably fixed to the lower surface side of the frame portion 31. The panel main body 32 has attachment portions 41 embedded at three locations, and is fixed to the frame portion 31 via the attachment portions 41.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the mounting portion 41. 5A is a partial cross-sectional view of the attachment portion 41 when the panel body 32 is removed, and FIG. 5B is a view of the attachment portion 41 when the panel body 32 is attached. FIG. 5C is a partial cross-sectional view of the attachment portion 41 as viewed from below.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the frame portion 31 of the single panel 14 has a coupling pin 42 protruding downward, and the mounting portion 41 of the panel body 32 is coupled to the coupling pin 42. The coupling pin 42 is formed with a locking groove 43 on the outer periphery, and the front end portion 44 is formed with notches 45 on the front side and the rear side.

  On the other hand, the attachment portion 41 includes a cylindrical outer shell portion 47 having a long hole 46 formed on the lower surface and a lock member 48 whose upper surface is in contact with the outer shell portion 47. The lock member 48 has a claw portion 49 as shown in FIG. The claw portion 49 is configured such that the tip can be inserted into the locking groove 43 of the coupling pin 42. In FIG. 5B, the claw portions 49 are located on both the left and right sides, but are not located on the front and rear sides (front side and back side). When the claw portion 49 is inserted into the locking groove 43, the lock member 48 is restricted from moving in the vertical direction with respect to the coupling pin 42 of the frame portion 31, and as a result, the mounting portion 41 that contacts the lock member 48 is also The movement in the vertical direction is restricted (that is, the panel body 32 is fixed to the frame portion 31).

  5B, when the lock member 48 is rotated 90 degrees about the vertical direction as the rotation axis, the claw portion 49 moves to a position corresponding to the notch portion 45 of the distal end portion 44 of the coupling pin 42. To do. Therefore, in this position, the lock member 48 can move in the vertical direction with respect to the coupling pin 42. The lock member 48 has a knob 50 corresponding to the shape of a detachable shaft 125 (see FIG. 12) of the simple service unit 110 described later.

  The guide roller 33 (see the enlarged view on the lower side of FIG. 3) is a member used when the single panel 14 is deployed, and is configured to roll in the rails 78, 79, 80 of the deployment device 75 described later. Yes. The guide roller 33 includes a horizontal roller 55 having a vertical axis as a rotation axis and a vertical roller 56 having a horizontal direction as a rotation axis. All of the guide rollers 33 are provided in the vicinity of the four corners of the upper frame 36 and the lower frame 37.

  The left and right connecting portion 34 (see the enlarged view on the upper side in FIG. 3) is a portion connected to the left and right connected portion 35, and is used when connecting the single panel 14 in the left and right direction. The left and right connecting portion 34 has a vertical insertion piece 57 extending in the vertical direction and a horizontal insertion piece 58 displaced in the left and right direction. The left and right connecting portions 34 are provided at the left and right front and rear end portions of the upper frame 36 and the lower frame 37.

  The left and right connecting portion 35 (see the enlarged view on the right side of FIG. 3) is a portion connected to the left and right connecting portion 34. The left and right connecting portion 35 has a vertical insertion hole 59 extending in the up-down direction and a horizontal insertion hole 60 extending in the left-right direction. The left and right connecting portions 35 are provided at the right front and rear end portions of the upper frame 36 and the lower frame 37.

  Since the left and right connecting portions 34 and the left and right connected portions 35 are configured as described above, the left and right connecting portions 34 of the single panel 14 positioned on the right side are connected to the left and right connected portions 35 of the single panel 14 positioned on the left side. Both can be connected by contacting so as to cover from above. That is, the vertical insertion piece 57 and the horizontal insertion piece 58 of the left and right connecting portion 34 are inserted into the vertical insertion hole 59 and the horizontal insertion hole 60 of the left and right connecting portion 35, and the left and right connecting portion 35 and the left and right connecting portion 34 are connected. As a result, the single panels 14 adjacent in the left-right direction are connected.

  Here, if the unit panel unit 30 composed of the two unit panels 14 connected in the front-rear direction is used as a unit, the unit panel unit 30 is provided in the front-rear connection part 61 provided in the front end part and the rear end part. And a front / rear connecting portion 62.

  The front / rear connecting part 61 and the front / rear connecting part 62 are configured to be connected to each other, and are used when connecting the single panel unit 30 in the front / rear direction. That is, by connecting the front / rear connecting part 62 of the single panel unit 30 positioned in the front and the front / rear connecting part 61 of the single panel unit 30 positioned behind the single panel unit 30, the single panel units 30 adjacent to each other in the front / rear direction are connected. be able to.

  In the present embodiment, the single panel unit 30 includes the front and rear connecting portions 61 and the front and rear connected portions 62, but all the single panels 14 arranged in the front and rear may be connected in advance. That is, in this embodiment, as will be described later, six single panels 14 are connected in the front-rear direction, but all of them may be connected in advance. In this case, each single panel unit 30 does not have to have the front / rear connecting portion 61 and the front / rear connecting portion 62.

<Panel container>
Next, the panel container 65 will be described. As described above, the panel container 65 constitutes the bus 11 but is essentially a device that accommodates the single panel 14. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the panel container 65.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the panel container 65 has an outer frame part 66, a sending part 67, a thruster 68, and a positioning guide 69.

  The outer frame portion 66 is a portion that forms the outline of the panel container 65, and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The outer frame portion 66 of this embodiment can accommodate 80 single panels 14 in a folded state. However, in this embodiment, the panel container 65 carries 72 pieces of the single panels 14 and is transported to space. The outer frame portion 66 can be loaded with a simple service unit 110 described later, and is transported from the earth to outer space with the simple service unit 110 mounted. The outer frame portion 66 is provided with a plurality of convex grip projections for attaching the simple service unit 110.

  The sending unit 67 is a part that sends the single panel 14 accommodated in the panel container 65 to a developing device 75 described later. The delivery unit 67 has delivery conveyors 70 disposed at two locations on the upper surface side and at two locations on the lower surface side. The delivery conveyor 70 is in contact with the end of the single panel 14 in a folded state. When the delivery conveyor 70 is driven, the single panel 14 can be sent forward. Note that a grip portion for gripping the single panel 14 may be provided on the surface of the delivery conveyor 70.

  The thruster 68 is a device for moving the panel container 65 in outer space. The thruster 68 has a fuel tank 71 and an injection nozzle 72. The fuel tank 71 contains xenon gas, and propelling force can be obtained by injecting this xenon gas from the injection nozzle 72. The injection nozzle 72 is configured such that the injection angle can be arbitrarily changed.

  The positioning guide 69 is a member for aligning a developing device 75 and a panel container 65 described later. The positioning guide 69 is a trapezoidal plate material provided on the left side surface of the panel container 65 and inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The unfolding device 75 is also provided with a positioning guide 74 (see FIG. 7), and the positioning of the panel container 65 and the unfolding device 75 is adjusted by contacting the positioning guide 69 of the panel container 65 and the unfolding device 75. Done.

<Deployment device>
Next, the developing device 75 will be described. The unfolding device 75 is a device that unfolds the single panel 14. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the deployment device 75. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along plane VIII of FIG. This deployment device 75 may be deployed in outer space as a folding structure (truss structure), or may be assembled in outer space as an assembly structure.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the deployment device 75 includes an arm portion 76, a drive portion 77, an existing panel rail 78, a deployment panel rail 79, an auxiliary panel rail 80, a deployment portion 81, a slide portion 82, have.

  The arm portion 76 extends in the front-rear direction (deployment direction) and has an L-shape when viewed from the up-down direction. The arm portion 76 has an upper arm 83 located on the upper side and a lower arm 84 located on the lower side, and the upper arm 83 and the lower arm 84 are connected to each other at their ends. On the upper arm 83, a rack 86 that meshes with the pinion gear 85 of the deploying portion 81 is formed in the front-rear direction, and a gripping protrusion 87 is formed on the rear end portion and the front-rear center portion of the upper surface. The upper arm 83 is provided with a positioning guide 74 corresponding to the positioning guide of the panel container 65. Furthermore, the upper arm 83 and the lower arm 84 are each formed with a guide groove 88 (FIG. 8) for guiding the developing portion 81 in the front-rear direction.

  The drive part 77 is a part which drives the expansion | deployment apparatus 75 to the front-back direction. The drive unit 77 includes a plurality of gripping members 89 that grip the frame portion 31 (see FIG. 3) of the single panel 14 and a moving unit 90 that moves the gripping members 89 in the front-rear direction. The moving means 90 is a so-called endless belt, and a gripping member 89 is fixed on the surface thereof. The deployment device 75 can be driven in the front-rear direction by moving the gripping member 89 while gripping the frame portion 31 of the single panel 14.

  The existing panel rail 78 is a rail into which the guide roller 33 of the single panel 14 (existing panel) that has already been deployed (located on the left side) is inserted (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8). The existing panel rails 78 are provided on the upper arm 83 and the lower arm 84 so as to face each other. By using the existing panel rail 78, the deployment device 75 can move along the single panel 14 that has already been deployed.

  The unfolding panel rail 79 is a rail into which the guide roller 33 of the single panel 14 to be unfolded (located on the right side) is inserted (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8). The deployment panel rail 79 is provided only on the lower arm 84. In FIG. 8, the development panel rail 79 is located above the existing panel rail 78 provided on the lower arm 84, and a level difference is generated between both rails. However, the development panel rail 79 is inclined so that the front side is lowered, and the front end portion has no step with the existing panel rail 78 on the lower side.

  The auxiliary panel rail 80 is a rail into which the guide rollers 33 arranged at the lower right, upper right, and upper left of the single panel 14 to be developed (located on the right side) are inserted. The auxiliary panel rails 80 are provided at three positions on the distal end portion of the arm portion 76.

  The unfolding part 81 is a part for unfolding the unit panel 14 in a weightless environment. The development part 81 has a moving frame part 94 mainly composed of an upper surface part 91, a lower surface part 92, and a side surface part 93. A guide insertion portion 95 is formed on the upper surface portion 91 and the lower surface portion 92 of the moving frame portion 94 (FIG. 8), and this guide insertion portion 95 is inserted into the guide groove 88 of the arm portion 76. Further, a pinion gear 85 that meshes with the rack 86 of the arm portion 76 is provided on the upper surface portion 91 and the lower surface portion 92 of the moving frame portion 94. As the pinion gear 85 rotates, the deploying portion 81 can move in the front-rear direction with respect to the arm portion 76.

  Further, the developing part 81 has a holding part 96 provided inside the upper surface part 91. The holding portion 96 of the present embodiment is formed in a plate shape, and comes into contact with the frame portion 31 of the unit panel 14 to be developed. The holding part 96 may be configured to be able to grip the frame part 31. Further, the holding portion 96 extends in the vertical direction and is configured to be movable between a position where it contacts the frame portion 31 and a position where it does not contact.

  Further, the developing portion 81 has a pushing roller 97 provided inside the upper surface portion 91. The pushing roller 97 is a member for making the unit panels 14 before and after unfolding parallel to each other. The pushing roller 97 rotates about the left-right direction as a rotation axis. If the developed single panels 14 are not parallel in the front-rear direction, the boundary portion of the single panels 14 (the central portion of the single panel unit) rises. In this case, when the developing portion 81 moves in the front-rear direction, the pushing roller 97 contacts the boundary portion. Thereby, the single panel 14 adjacent to front and back can be made parallel to each other.

  The slide part 82 is a part that is connected to a simple service unit 110 described later and slides the developing device 75 in the left-right direction. The slide portion 82 is provided at the front end of the arm portion 76, and includes a fixed member 98 and a movable member 99. The fixed member 98 is a rail-shaped member extending in the left-right direction, and the movable member 99 can move in the left-right direction along the fixed member 98. In addition, connecting holes 101 are formed at the left and right ends of the movable member 99.

<Simple service unit>
Next, the simple service unit 110 will be described. The simple service unit 110 is an apparatus that performs assembly work and the like of the power generation system 100. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the simple service unit 110. FIG. 10 is a side view of the simple service unit 110.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the simple service unit 110 includes a base portion 111 and a manipulator 112.

  The base portion 111 is a portion that supports the manipulator 112 and is configured to be attached to the single panel 14 or the panel container 65. The base portion 111 includes a frame body 113, a grip rail 114, a movement preventing member 115, a connecting portion 116, a solar cell panel 117, and a panel attaching / detaching portion 118.

  The frame body 113 is a portion that becomes a base of the base portion 111. The frame body 113 has a rectangular frame shape, and the size thereof is substantially equal to the single panel 14. Convex manipulator connectors 119 are provided at the four corners of the frame 113, and are configured to be gripped by the hand portion 129 of the manipulator 112. The base 111 can supply power and control signals to the manipulator 112 via the manipulator connector 119.

  The grip rail 114 is a rail-shaped member that is disposed on the lower surface side of the frame body 113 and extends in the front-rear direction. The grip rail 114 is configured to be able to grip the guide roller 33 of the single panel 14 and to be able to slide in the grip rail 114. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the gripping rail 114. The gripping rail 114 includes a horizontal gripping rail 120 that grips the horizontal roller 55 and a vertical gripping rail 121 that grips the vertical roller 56. Of these, the vertical grip rail 121 is mainly configured by an outer member 122 that covers the vertical outer side of the vertical roller 56 and an inner member 123 that covers the vertical inner side of the vertical roller 56 and is movable in the horizontal direction.

  In particular, the gripping rail 114 configured as described above can grip the vertical roller 56 as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 11A, the gripping rail 114 is approached from the outside in the vertical direction of the vertical roller 56. Then, as shown in FIG. 11B, the outer member 122 is brought into contact with the vertical roller 56. In this state, as shown in FIG. 11C, the inner member 123 is moved in the left-right direction and is disposed on the inner side in the up-down direction of the vertical roller 56. As a result, the grip rail 114 can grip the vertical roller 56.

  The movement preventing member 115 is a member that prevents the base portion 111 from moving forward, backward, left and right on the single panel 14. The movement preventing member 115 of this embodiment is formed in a plate shape, and is provided on the front, rear, left, and right outer surfaces of the frame body 113. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the movement preventing member 115 is configured to be rotatable in the vertical direction. When the movement preventing member 115 is positioned below on a single panel 14, each movement preventing member 115 can be disposed so as to surround the frame portion 31 of the single panel 14. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the base portion 111 from moving forward, backward, left and right with respect to the single panel 14.

  The connection part 116 is a part for connecting with the expansion | deployment apparatus 75 grade | etc.,. The connecting portion 116 has a pair of holding members 124 positioned on both the left and right sides of the rear end portion of the frame body 113. Each sandwiching member 124 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction, and a member to be sandwiched can be sandwiched by changing the interval between both sandwiching members 124. Further, a connecting pin 130 is provided on the inner side of both the holding members 124. The connecting pin 130 can be inserted into a connecting hole 101 (see FIG. 7) formed in the movable member 99 of the deployment device 75.

  The solar cell panel 117 is a part for securing the power supply of the simple service unit 110. The solar cell panel 117 is located at the inner center portion of the frame body 113. The solar cell panel 117 generates power with sunlight, and uses the energy obtained by the power generation as power for the simple service unit 110. Note that the solar cell panel 117 does not necessarily have to be disposed at the inner central portion of the frame body 113, and may be disposed along the frame body 113 (in a rectangular frame shape), for example.

  The panel attaching / detaching portion 118 is a portion for attaching / detaching the panel main body 32 of the single panel 14. FIG. 12 is a side view showing a method of attaching / detaching the panel body 32 using the panel attaching / detaching portion 118. Since the panel body 32 is exchanged from below, the top and bottom in FIG. 12 and the top and bottom in FIG. 10 are reversed. As shown in FIG. 12, the panel attaching / detaching portion 118 includes an attaching / detaching shaft 125 and an actuator 126 that rotates the attaching / detaching shaft 125. The detachable shaft 125 has a blade portion 127 extending in the horizontal direction. The blade portion 127 has a shape corresponding to the long hole 46 formed in the attachment portion 41 of the panel body 32 when viewed from the vertical direction.

  Since the panel attaching / detaching portion 118 is configured as described above, the panel main body 32 can be detached as follows. As shown in FIG. 12A, the detachable shaft 125 is inserted inside the outer shell portion 47, and the detachable shaft 125 is coupled to the knob 50 as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 12C, the detachable shaft 125 is rotated 90 degrees. Thereby, the lock by the lock member 48 is released. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12D, when the panel attaching / detaching portion 118 is pulled downward, the blade portion 127 of the attaching / detaching shaft 125 is caught on the inner surface of the outer shell portion 47, and the entire panel body 32 is removed from the frame portion 31. be able to.

  The manipulator 112 is an apparatus that extends from the base portion 111 and grips various convex members. The manipulator 112 has an arm part 128 having a plurality of joints, and hand parts 129 provided at both ends of the arm part 128. The hand part 129 is configured to be able to grip the convex member. The convex member here includes a manipulator connector 119 provided on the base 111, a guide roller 33 provided on the unit panel 14, a gripping projection provided on the panel container 65, and a deployment device 75. A gripping protrusion 87 and the like are included.

<How to deploy a single panel>
Next, a method for expanding the single panel 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 18. FIGS. 13 to 18 are schematic plan views showing a method of developing the single panel 14. In the present embodiment, the single panel 14 mounted on the panel container 65 is expanded using the expansion device 75 and the simple service unit 110. The simple service unit 110 is attached to the panel container 65 in advance. In the present embodiment, six single panels 14 (three sets of single panel units 30) are connected in the front-rear direction, and twelve single panels 14 (12 sets of single panel units 30) are connected in the left-right direction.

  First, as shown in FIG. 13A, so-called manipulator bursing is performed to dock the panel container 65 and the deployment device 75. Specifically, the simple service unit 110 attached to the panel container 65 grips the gripping protrusion 87 of the deployment device 75 and brings the deployment device 75 closer to the panel container 65. Since the developing device 75 and the panel container 65 have positioning guides 69 and 74 corresponding to each other, the developing device 75 and the panel container 65 can be docked in a predetermined positional relationship. The panel container 65 is located in the rear part of the developing device 75.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13B, the developing device 75 moves the developing unit 81 to the panel container 65 side. At this time, the panel container 65 sends out the unit panel 14 slightly forward, and holds the front end of the unit panel 14 with the holding unit 96 (see FIG. 7 and the like) of the developing unit 81.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13C, the developing unit 81 is moved forward with the developing unit 81 holding the front end of the single panel 14. Thereby, the front-end | tip of the single-piece | unit panel 14 is pulled ahead along the expansion | deployment panel rail 79 (refer FIG. 7 etc.) of the expansion | deployment apparatus 75. FIG. As a result, the single panel 14 (first set of single panel units 30) with the front end pulled is gradually developed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13D, when the expanding portion 81 reaches the front end of the arm portion 76, the expanding portion 81 pulls up the holding portion 96 to release the holding of the single panel 14. In the state shown in FIG. 13 (D), the single panel 14 is almost unfolded, but the outer space is weightless. May not be parallel to each other (not in the same plane).

  Therefore, next, as shown in FIG. 14A, the developing portion 81 is moved again toward the panel container 65. Thereby, when the front and back single panels 14 are not parallel, the pushing roller 97 (see FIG. 8) of the developing portion 81 contacts the upper surface side of the single panel 14, and the single panel 14 is pushed downward. As a result, the front and rear single panels 14 are in a parallel state. Thereby, the development of the first set of single panel units 30 is completed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 14B, when the developing portion 81 reaches the panel container 65, the front end of the single panel 14 constituting the second set of single panel units 30 is held by the holding portion 96. In this way, the deployment of the second set of single panel units 30 is started.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 14C, the expanding portion 81 holds the front end of the single panel 14, and the expanding portion 81 is moved forward in this state. Accordingly, the second set of single panel units 30 is gradually deployed. Further, the front and rear connecting portions 61 (see FIG. 3) of the second set of single panel units 30 are connected to the front and rear connected portions 62 (see FIG. 3) of the first set of single panel units 30, and The panel unit 30 is pushed forward.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 14D, when the expanding portion 81 reaches the front end of the arm portion 76, the expanding portion 81 releases the holding of the single panel 14 and then moves toward the panel container 65. Move again. As a result, the single panels 14 before and after the second set of single panel units 30 are parallel to each other. This completes the development of the second set of single panel units 30. Thereafter, the third set of single panel units 30 is expanded through the same procedure as that of the second set.

  Thus, the development of the single panel unit 30 from the first group to the third group corresponding to the first row is completed. In addition, although mentioned later in detail, the tether wire 12 is detachably fixed to the left side of the single panel 14 in the first row in advance (see FIG. 19 and the like). In addition, one wire control device 13 is attached to the single panel 14 located in the forefront of the first row, and three wire control devices 13 are attached to the rearmost single panel 14 in the first row. (See FIG. 19 and the like).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 15A, the manipulator 112 is extended from the simple service unit 110 attached to the panel container 65, and the gripping protrusion 87 of the deployment device 75 is gripped by the hand portion 129 of the manipulator 112.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 15B, the base portion 111 of the simple service unit 110 attached to the panel container 65 is removed, and the base portion 111 is moved forward using the manipulator 112.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 15C, the base 111 is placed on the developed single panel 14, and the guide roller 33 of the single panel 14 is held by the holding rail 114 of the base 111. The method for gripping the guide roller 33 is as described with reference to FIG. As a result, the base portion 111 can slide in the front-rear direction with respect to the single panel 14.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 15D, the base portion 111 is moved until it contacts the developing device 75. And the movable member 99 (refer FIG. 7) located in the front-end | tip of the expansion | deployment apparatus 75 is pinched by the holding member 124 (refer FIG. 9) located in the rear end of the base part 111, and the base part 111 and the expansion | deployment apparatus 75 are held. Link.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 16A, the base 111 is moved backward. Thereby, the expansion | deployment apparatus 75 (and panel container 65) also moves back. When the hand roller 129 of the manipulator 112 grips the guide roller 33 of the developed single panel 14 and expands and contracts the arm portion 128, the base portion 111 can be slid back and forth.

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 16B, the deployment device 75 is positioned behind the deployed single panel 14. As a result, the guide roller 33 of the single panel 14 is detached from the deployment panel rail 79 of the deployment device 75. In this state, when the movable member 99 of the unfolding device 75 is moved to the left with respect to the fixed member 98, the unfolding device 75 moves to the right with respect to the base portion 111. At this time, the base portion 111 prevents the movement preventing member 115 (see FIG. 10) from rotating downward, thereby preventing the base portion 111 from moving back and forth and left and right.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 16C, the simple service unit 110 is moved forward. Thereby, the guide roller 33 of the deployed single panel 14 is fitted into the existing panel rail 78 of the deployment device 75. And the expansion | deployment apparatus 75 can drive to the front-back direction by own force by hold | gripping the single-piece | unit panel 14 with the holding member 89 of the drive part 77 (refer FIG. 7), and moving the holding member 89. FIG.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 17A, when the unfolding device 75 reaches the front panel of the single panel 14 in the first row and the base portion 111 is positioned in front of the front end of the single panel 14, the unfolding device 75. Drives the movable member 99 and moves the simple service unit 110 to the right.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 17B, the developing device 75 holds the front end of the single panel 14 with the holding portion 96 of the developing portion 81, moves the developing portion 81 forward in this state, and the single panel 14. Pull the front end of to the front. Thereby, the expansion of the single panel 14 corresponding to the second row is started.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 17C, when the expanding portion 81 reaches the front end of the arm portion 76, the expanding portion 81 pulls up the holding portion 96 to release the holding of the single panel 14.

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 18A, the developing unit 81 is moved toward the panel container 65. As a result, the pushing roller 97 of the developing portion 81 comes into contact with the upper surface side of the single panel 14, and the single panels 14 adjacent in the front-rear direction are parallel to each other. Thereafter, the developing device 75 holds the front end of the single panel 14 to be deployed next by the holding unit 96 of the developing unit 81.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 18B, the deployment device 75 moves rearward along the deployed single panel 14 (first row). As described above, the development panel rail 79 is inclined so that the front side is lowered, and the front end portion has no step with the lower existing panel rail 78. Therefore, when the developing device 75 moves rearward, the left and right connecting portions 34 and the left and right connecting portions 35 (see FIG. 3) are coupled with the passage of the tip portion of the developing device 75, and the single panel 14 adjacent in the left and right direction. They are linked together.

  As described above, the deployment device 75 moves backward, but the deployment unit 81 moves forward with respect to the deployment device 75 at the same speed as this movement speed. That is, when the developed single panel 14 (in the first row) is used as a reference, the developed portion 81 does not move. Therefore, it can be considered that the unit panel 30 to be deployed next has the deployment unit 81 holding the front end of the unit panel 14 and the panel container 65 pulling the rear end of the unit panel 14 rearward.

Next, as shown in FIG. 18C, when the developing portion 81 reaches the front end of the arm portion 76, the single panel unit 30 being developed is roughly deployed. Then, by moving the deployment part 81 to the panel container 65 side, the single panels 14 adjacent in the front-rear direction are parallel to each other. Further, the third set of single panels 14 in the second row can be developed by following the same procedure as in the second set. Thereby, the expansion of the second column is completed.

  And if the expansion | deployment method of the 2nd row demonstrated above is continued to the 12th column, expansion | deployment of the dispatch electric power panel 10 whole will be completed. The tether wire 12 is detachably fixed in advance to the right side of the twelfth row of single panels 14 located on the rightmost side of the shipping power panel 10 (see FIG. 19 and the like). One wire control device 13 is attached to the single panel 14 located in the forefront of the 12th row, and one wire control device 13 is also attached to the rearmost single panel 14 in the 12th row. It has been.

<How to stretch tether wire>
Next, how to stretch the tether wire 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 22 are schematic plan views showing how the tether wire 12 is stretched, and FIG. 23 is a schematic perspective view showing how the tether wire 12 is stretched.

  In the present embodiment, the tether wire 12 is stretched after the shipping power panel 10 is expanded. First, the state immediately after unfolding the shipping power panel 10 will be described. FIG. 19 shows the state of the shipping power panel 10 after the shipping power panel 10 has been deployed.

  As shown in FIG. 19, a single wire control device 13 is attached to the left front corner of the shipping electrical panel 10, and the tether wire 12 extending from the wire control device 13 is removed on the left side of the shipping electrical panel 10. It is attached as possible. The other wire control device 13 corresponding to the tether wire 12 is attached to the left rear corner of the shipping power panel 10. The wire control device 13 is attached to the bus 11 (panel container 65) later.

  Further, two wire control devices 13 different from the above-described wire control device 13 are attached to the left rear corner of the shipping power panel 10. The two wire control devices 13 cooperate to control the tether wire 12, and one of them is attached to the bus 11 (panel container 65) later.

  Further, one wire control device 13 is attached to the right front corner of the shipping power panel 10, and a tether wire 12 extending from the wire control device 13 is detachably attached to the right side of the shipping power panel 10. Yes. Another wire control device 13 corresponding to the tether wire 12 is attached to the panel container 65 in advance, and the tether wire 12 is passed between the wire control devices 13 in advance.

  Further, one wire control device 13 is attached to the right rear corner of the shipping power panel 10, and another wire control device 13 corresponding to this is attached to the panel container 65 in advance. A tether wire 12 is passed between the wire control devices 13 in advance. The shipping power panel 10 after unfolding is in the above state, and the tether wire 12 is stretched from this state as described below.

  First, as shown in FIG. 19, the simple service unit 110, the deployment device 75, and the panel container 65 are moved together to move the deployment device 75 to the rear side of the shipping power panel 10.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 19, the simple service unit 110 extends the manipulator 112 to the left side and grips the guide roller 33 of the single panel 14 positioned on the left side of the base part 111. Then, the gripping of the guide roller 33 gripped by the gripping rail 114 of the base part 111 is released, the base part 111 is lifted by the manipulator 112, and the base part 111 is separated from the single panel 14.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 20, using the manipulator 112, the base part 111 is placed on the single panel 14 on the left side of the single panel 14 from which the base part 111 is separated. Then, the grip rail 114 of the base portion 111 is gripped by the guide roller 33 of the single panel 14 to be moved. Further, the manipulator 112 is extended to the left and the same operation is repeated. As a result, the base part 111 and the developing device 75 and the panel container 65 connected to the base part 111 move to the left side.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 21, when the base 111 moves to the vicinity of the left rear corner of the shipping power panel 10, the simplified service unit 110 controls the wire control attached to the left rear corner of the shipping power panel 10. Of the devices 13, the wire control device 13 attached to the bus 11 (panel container 65) is removed by the manipulator 112. A convex gripping protrusion that can be gripped by the hand portion 129 of the manipulator 112 is provided on the surface of the wire control device 13.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 22, two of the wire control devices 13 attached to the left rear corner of the shipping power panel 10 are attached to the panel container 65 using the manipulator 112.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 23, the panel container 65 on which the four wire control devices 13 are mounted is raised. The panel container 65 gradually rises by jetting in the direction (forward) opposite to the traveling direction (backward) by the thruster 68 provided in the panel container 65. Then, when the panel container 65 reaches a predetermined position, the work of stretching the tether wire 12 is completed.

  When the panel container 65 is raised, the panel container 65 is moved left and right in order to remove the tether wire 12 fixed to the shipping power panel 10. That is, after moving the panel container 65 to the left side and pulling and removing the tether wire 12 attached to the left side of the shipping power panel 10, the panel container 65 is moved to the right side and attached to the right side of the shipping power panel 10. Pull 12 to remove. At this time, the length of the tether wire 12 is adjusted by the wire control device 13 so that the tether wire 12 is not caught on the corner of the shipping power panel 10.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the second embodiment will be described. As described above, the power generation system 200 of the second embodiment corresponds to a practical machine that assumes actual operation.

<Overall configuration>
First, the overall configuration of the power generation system 200 will be described. FIG. 24 is a schematic perspective view of the power generation system 200 according to the present embodiment. The power generation system 200 according to the present embodiment is a so-called 2500 m class, and the length of one side is about 2500 m. The power generation system 200 of the present embodiment rotates on a very high geostationary orbit of 36000 km above the ground.

  As shown in FIG. 24, the power generation system 200 includes a shipping power panel 10, a bus 11, a tether wire 12, and a wire control device 13 as in the first embodiment, and a storage unit 131 (FIG. 25). ) And a commander unit 132 (FIG. 26).

  The shipping power panel 10 is divided into 25 blocks each having a side length of about 2500 m and a side length of about 500 m. Each block is composed of about 11,000 single panels 14. Therefore, the shipping power panel 10 as a whole is composed of about 300,000 single panels 14.

  The tether wire 12 extends from the four corners of each block of the shipping power panel 10 to the bus 11. The tether wire 12 is configured to be the longest at the center in the left-right direction and to be shorter at the outer side in the left-right direction. However, the length is the same in the front-rear direction (that is, the moving direction of the power generation system 200). By setting the length of the tether wire 12 in this way, it is possible to increase the moment of inertia of the power generation system 200 and suppress the collapse of the posture of the power generation system 200.

  The bus 11 is provided for each block in this embodiment. In addition, the bus 11 according to the present embodiment is not configured by one panel container 65 but is configured by 64 panel containers 65 (container sets 142).

  One wire control device 13 is arranged at each of the four corners of each block, and four wires are arranged on the bus corresponding to each block. The configuration of the wire control device 13 of the present embodiment is basically the same as the configuration described in the first embodiment.

  The storage unit 131 is a device that houses the panel body 32 for replacement. Since the power generation system 200 of the present embodiment is scheduled for permanent operation, the panel body 32 is replaced when the panel body 32 is damaged. FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram of the storage unit 131. 25A is a side view of the storage unit 131, and FIG. 25B is a plan view of the storage unit 131. The storage units 131 are arranged at a plurality of locations at the end of the shipping power panel 10.

  Further, the storage unit 131 has a housing part 133 that houses the replacement panel body 32 and a sending part 134 that feeds the housed panel body 32 downward. In this embodiment, the unused panel main body 32 that is used for replacement is taken out from the lower side of the accommodating portion 133, and the used panel main body 32 is recovered from the upper side of the accommodating portion 133. Also good. Furthermore, the storage unit 131 has a thruster 135 for maintaining the trajectory of the power generation system 200.

  The commander unit 132 is a device that controls each device. FIG. 26 is a schematic perspective view of the commander unit 132. The commander unit 132 is arranged at two places at the end of the shipping power panel 10 for redundancy. The commander unit 132 includes a main body 136 incorporating a control device, an antenna 137 for communicating with each device, a parabolic antenna 138 for communicating with a ground operator, and a solar panel 139 for securing power. And have. The commander unit 132 wirelessly transmits a control signal to the bus 11, each service unit 110, 141, the wire control device 13, the storage unit 131, etc. based on a command from the ground operator.

<Service unit>
Next, the service unit 141 will be described. The service unit 141 is a device for constructing and maintaining the power generation system 200, and a plurality of service units 141 are resident at each location of the power generation system 200. FIG. 27 is a plan view of the service unit 141. As shown in FIG. 27, the service unit 141 is different from the simple service unit 110 in that it has two base portions 111, but the other is basically the same including the structure of the base portion 111 and the manipulator 112. It has the same configuration. Since the service unit 141 includes the two base portions 111, the panel main body 32 can be exchanged efficiently.

<Container set>
Next, the container set 142 will be described. FIG. 28 is a schematic perspective view of the container set 142. The shipping power panel 10 of the present embodiment is composed of a large number of single panels 14. Therefore, the single panel 14 is transported from the earth to the outer space by a container set 142 in which a plurality of panel containers 65 as shown in FIG. The container set 142 may include a storage unit 131 in addition to the panel container 65.

  The panel container 65 constituting the container set 142 is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 6, but the thruster 68 is not included in each panel container 65, and the container set 142 as a whole has the thruster 68. Yes. Each panel container 65 accommodates 80 single panels 14. The length when the 80 single panels 14 are connected is equal to the length of one side of each block of the shipping power panel 10.

  Furthermore, a plurality of simple service units 110 or service units 141 are attached to the container set 142. These simple service units 110 and the like can freely move on the container set 142. Note that all or part of the container set 142 constitutes part of the bus 11.

<How to deploy a single panel>
Next, with reference to FIG. 29 and FIG. 30, a method for expanding the single panel 14 will be described. FIG. 29 and FIG. 30 are schematic plan views showing a method of expanding the single panel 14. In the present embodiment, as in the case of the first embodiment, the single panel 14 is expanded using the expansion device 75 and the simple service unit 110 (or the service unit 141).

  First, as shown in FIG. 29A, one panel container 65 is separated from the container set 142 using the simple service unit 110. Then, the detached panel container 65 and the developing device 75 are docked. The docking method is as described in the first embodiment.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 29B, the single panel 14 (single panel unit 30) accommodated in the panel container 65 is sent out forward in order using the developing device 75 and developed. The unfolding method of the single panel 14 in the first row is as described in the first embodiment. However, in the present embodiment, all (80) single panels 14 accommodated in one panel container 65 are continuously developed, and this is defined as the first row. Note that the empty panel container 65 is returned to the original position of the container set 142 by the simple service unit 110. Then, another panel container 65 that accommodates the single panel 14 is separated from the container set 142, and the panel container 65 is docked to the developing device 75.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 29C, using the simple service unit 110, the unfolding device 75 is moved to the rear end of the unfolded unit panel 14, and then the unfolding device 75 is slid to the right. A specific method is as described in the first embodiment.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 29D, the developing device 75 is moved to the foremost single panel 14 in the first row, and the expansion of the single panel 14 in the second row is started. The container set 142 is connected to the deployed single panel 14 using the simple service unit 110 (or using a dedicated device). Also for the second row, the expansion device 75 expands all the single panels 14 accommodated in the panel container 65 while moving backward. Similarly, when the single panel 14 is expanded in the order of the third column and the fourth column and expanded to the 150th column, one block is completed. In addition, when all the panel containers 65 of the container set 142 become empty, another container set 142 is conveyed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 30, the expansion of the single panel 14 corresponding to another block is started. Specifically, after the 150th column, the development is advanced to the 151st and 152nd columns, thereby forming another block on the right side of the completed block. Further, by starting the development of the single panel 14 from the rear end of the first row of completed blocks, another block is formed on the rear side of the completed block. By proceeding with the development in this way, all the blocks constituting the shipping power panel 10 are completed.

<How to wire>
Next, how to stretch the tether wire 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIGS. 31 to 33 are perspective views illustrating how the tether wire 12 is stretched. As described above, the tether wire 12 is stretched for each block of the shipping power panel 10, but in this embodiment, the tether wire 12 is stretched sequentially after some blocks are completed.

  First, as shown in FIG. 31, using the service unit 141, the container set 142 (or a part of the container set 142) is transported to the vicinity of the corner of the block on which the tether wire 12 is stretched. Since the service unit 141 includes the two base portions 111, the two base portions 111 can be alternately advanced and moved so as to walk on two legs. In the present embodiment, the container set 142 is placed on one of the two base portions 111 and moved in that state. In addition, you may perform the connection of the container set 142 and the base part 111 using a dedicated adapter.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 32, the container set 142 is lifted and the wire control device 13 is attached to the lower surface portion thereof. The container set 142 can be lifted by the manipulator 112 of the service unit 141 that has transported the container set 142. Specifically, the hand part 129 connected to the base part 111 on which the container set 142 is placed in the manipulator 112 is cut off, and the container set 142 is gripped and lifted by the cut off hand part 129. Further, the attachment of the wire control device 13 can be performed by another simple service unit 110 or the service unit 141. The other wire control device 13 corresponding to the wire control device 13 attached to the container set 142 is attached in advance to the corner of the block on which the tether wire 12 is stretched. The same operation as described above is performed at the other three corners of the block where the tether wire 12 is stretched.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 33, the container sets 142 to which the wire control device 13 is attached are raised from the four corners of the block using the thrusters 135, respectively. Each container set 142 is raised to a predetermined height at which the bus 11 is disposed. Then, the container sets 142 that have been raised to a predetermined height are connected to each other using the installed simple service unit 110. By performing the above operation, the container sets 142 are coupled to each other to form the bus 11, and the operation of stretching the tether wire 12 is completed.

<Panel body replacement method>
Subsequently, a method for replacing the panel body 32 will be described with reference to FIGS. 34 and 35. FIG. 34 is a side view showing a method for obtaining the panel body 32 from the storage unit 131 and a method for collecting the panel body 32 in the storage unit 131. FIG. 35 is a diagram for explaining a method of replacing the panel body 32, and is a view of the shipping power panel 10 as viewed from below. In FIG. 35, the black-painted panel main body 32 is the replacement target panel main body 32, and the hatched one is the replacement panel main body 32. Replacement of the panel body 32 is performed using the service unit 141. When the panel main body 32 needs to be replaced, it is replaced as follows.

  First, as shown in FIG. 34A, the service unit 141 is moved to the vicinity of the storage unit 131 and to the lower surface side of the shipping power panel 10. Then, the service unit 141 holds the replacement panel main body 32 delivered from below the storage unit 131 on one base 111. Since the guide roller 33 is formed not only on the upper surface side but also on the lower surface side of the single panel 14, the service unit 141 moves back and forth between the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the shipping power panel 10 by grasping the guide roller 33. be able to. As described above, the service unit 141 is moved to the lower surface side of the shipping power panel 10 because the panel body 32 is removed from below the unit panel 14.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 35A, the panel main body 32 is held on one base 111 and moved to the vicinity of the panel main body 32 to be replaced.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 35B, of the two base portions 111, the base portion 111 that does not hold the replacement panel main body 32 is placed on the lower surface side of the panel main body 32 to be replaced. Deploy. Then, the panel main body 32 to be replaced is detached from the single panel 14 using the panel attaching / detaching portion 118 of the base 111 arranged on the lower surface side of the panel main body 32 to be replaced. The method of removing the panel main body 32 is as described in FIG.

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 35C, the service unit 141 is moved to another adjacent location while the removed panel body 32 is held by the base 111.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 35D, the base 111 for holding the replacement panel main body 32 is disposed on the lower surface of the single panel 14 from which the panel main body 32 is removed, and the replacement panel main body 32 for holding. Is attached to the unit panel 14. The panel main body 32 can be attached by going through the reverse procedure of the panel main body 32 removal. Thereby, the replacement of the panel body 32 is completed.

  As shown in FIG. 34B, after the panel main body 32 is replaced, the replaced panel main body 32 is transported to the storage unit 131 and collected in the storage unit 131 from the upper surface side.

  As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there is a design change or the like without departing from the gist of the present invention. It is included in the present invention.

  According to the deployment device according to the present invention, the panel including the panel corresponding to the first row can be deployed in outer space. Therefore, it is useful in the technical field of constructing structures in outer space.

14 Single panel 75 Unfolding device 76 Arm unit 77 Drive unit 81 Unfolding unit 96 Holding unit 97 Pushing roller

Claims (5)

A deployment device for deploying a folded panel in outer space,
An arm portion extending in a deployment direction of the panel and guiding the panel in the deployment direction;
A deploying portion that is movable along the arm portion and has a holding portion that can hold the tip of the panel;
A deployment device configured to deploy the bi-folded panel by moving the deployment part in the deployment direction while holding the front end of the panel. The development part has a pressing roller located on the upper surface side of the panel,
When the unfolded part moves in a direction opposite to the direction in which the panel is unfolded, when the adjacent front and rear panels are not parallel to each other and the boundary portion is raised, the pushing roller contacts the boundary portion. The deployment device according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent panels are configured to be parallel to each other.   The deployment device according to claim 1, further comprising a drive unit for moving along the row of deployed panels.   The deployment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holding portion is formed in a plate shape.   The deployment device according to claim 4, wherein the holding unit is configured to be displaceable between a position where the front end of the panel can be held and a position where the tip cannot be held.

Images