Investigation into Thermoelastic Issues Arising from Temperature Shock in Spacecraft Solar Panels

This paper investigates the thermal shock response of a spacecraft solar panel. The panel is represented as a thin homogeneous plate. The governing equations are derived from the coupled thermoelasticity theory for a homogeneous medium, combining the heat equation with compressibility effects and the Lamé equations for the displacement vector. The aim of the paper is to analyze new properties of a specific formulation of the coupled thermoelasticity problem and to establish a justified simplification. New properties follow from a specific formulation of the thermoelasticity problem for a real physical object (a solar panel). They are subjective properties of this formulation and allow, in particular, to reduce the coupled thermoelasticity problem to a simpler, uncoupled problem, with certain limitations. This simplification is driven by the physics of the thermal shock process and the resulting plate deformation, which allows the thermal problem to be reduced to a one-dimensional formulation. The main result is a simplified thermoelasticity model that reveals several new properties. Notably, in the region where longitudinal displacements are negligible, the coupled problem generates into an uncoupled one. This result can be applied to model disturbances caused by thermal shock on spacecraft.