Mirror Analysis - 1

XLT Large Telescope
Design Development of a
20-Metre Segmented Mirror with
Lightweighted Silicon
Carbide Segments
w Revision 0 w
Prepared for the
Herzberg Institute for Astrophysics
By
AMEC Dynamic Structures Ltd.
PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

TITLE LIGHTWEIGHT SILICON CARBIDE SEGMENT REV. 0
DOC. NAME XLT-MIRSIC DATE/TIME 30-Oct-02 9:28 AM
FILE NAME xltmirsic0.doc CHECKED SHEET 1
February 2002

Contents
Contents........................................................................................................................................... 3
Figures ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Tables .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 5
1. Silicon Carbide ........................................................................................................................... 6
2. Mechanical Behavior ................................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Theory of Couder .................................................................................................................. 9
2.2 Finite Element Analysis ...................................................................................................... 10
2.3 Validation Models............................................................................................................... 12
2.3.1 Description.................................................................................................................. 12
2.3.2 Results....................................................................................................................... 13
2.4 Model SIC-1: Radial Rib Pattern........................................................................................... 14
2.4.1 Description.................................................................................................................. 14
2.4.2 Results....................................................................................................................... 16
2.5 Model SIC-2: Hexagonal Rib Pattern .................................................................................... 16
2.5.1 Description.................................................................................................................. 16
2.5.2 Results....................................................................................................................... 16
2.6 Model SIC-3: Triangular Rib Pattern...................................................................................... 17
2.6.1 Description.................................................................................................................. 17
2.6.2 Results....................................................................................................................... 18
2.7 Thermal Analysis................................................................................................................ 19
2.7.1 Description.................................................................................................................. 19
2.7.2 Results....................................................................................................................... 20
2.8 Model SIC-4: 2-Metre Triangular Rib Pattern.......................................................................... 20
2.8.1 Description.................................................................................................................. 20
2.8.2 Results....................................................................................................................... 20
2.9 Results Summary............................................................................................................... 22
3. Active Support System.............................................................................................................. 24
4. Mirror Cell System .................................................................................................................... 25
5. Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 26
References...................................................................................................................................... 28

Figures
Figure 1: IABG C/SiC Mirror for ATLID ................................................................................................. 7
Figure 2: Astrium Sintered SiC Mirror Segment .................................................................................... 8
Figure 3: Ultramet Lightweight 100mm Foamed SiC Mirrors ................................................................... 8
Figure 4: Circular Plate Supported on Annular Ring............................................................................... 9
Figure 5: Couder Verification Model ................................................................................................... 12
Figure 6: 20-Metre Mirror of Hexagonal Segments............................................................................... 12
Figure 7: Hexagonal Plate Model with 3-Point Support ........................................................................ 13
Figure 8: Couder Verification Result................................................................................................... 13
Figure 9: Hexagonal Plate Model Result ............................................................................................ 14
Figure 10: Radial Rib Model SIC-1..................................................................................................... 15
Figure 11: Radial Rib Model SIC-1 Results......................................................................................... 15
Figure 12: Hexagonal Cell Model SIC-2.............................................................................................. 16
Figure 13: Hexagonal Cell Model SIC-2 Results.................................................................................. 17
Figure 14: Triangular Rib Model SIC-3................................................................................................ 17
Figure 15: Triangular Rib Model SIC-3 Results.................................................................................... 18
Figure 16: Axial Deflection vs. Tilt for SIC-3 ........................................................................................ 19
Figure 17: Thermal Analysis Model.................................................................................................... 20
Figure 18: SIC-3 Model with 0.1C Temperature Gradient ...................................................................... 20
Figure 19: Triangular Rib Model SIC-4............................................................................................... 21
Figure 20: Triangular Rib Model SIC-4 Results.................................................................................... 22
Figure 21: Mirror Segment Support Concept ....................................................................................... 24
Figure 22: Primary Mirror and Mirror Cell............................................................................................ 26
Tables
Table 1: Properties of SiC................................................................................................................... 6
Table 2: Calculation using Couder Theory........................................................................................... 10
Table 3: Properties of SiC used in FE Analysis................................................................................... 11
Table 4: Results Summary ............................................................................................................... 23
Table 5: Actuator Performance......................................................................................................... 25

Design Development of a 20-Metre Segmented Mirror with
Lightweighted Silicon Carbide Segments
Michael Gedig
AMEC Dynamic Structures, Ltd.
Port Coquitlam, B.C. Canada
Introduction
Astronomers around the world are now considering next generation large optical-infrared telescopes in the
15 to 30-Meter range that will follow the current generation of 8 to 10-Meter telescopes. Mirror design and
fabrication is one important issue in scaling the dimensions of existing telescopes. Monolithic primary
mirrors made of a single piece of glass have many advantages. The surfaces of such mirrors can be made
smooth and continuous and can be polished using a procedure which takes advantage of the axisymmetric
properties of the mirror. Scaling the size of a monolithic primary mirror becomes extremely costly, and at
some point, virtually impossible. An important consideration in the scaling of telescope dimensions is that
the optical goals are set by the wavelength of light, therefore larger mirrors must have similar surface
accuracy to smaller ones. A consequence of this required surface accuracy is that problems of mirror
support become increasingly difficult [4].
The concept of constructing a large mirror from segments rather than a single monolithic blank has been
used for many years in the fabrication of large radio and millimeter wave telescopes. There have been
considerably fewer segmented optical telescopes, primarily because of the more stringent tolerances
required in the optical regime. The 10 metre telescopes of the Keck Observatory are an example of large,
segmented mirror optical telescopes. Each 10 metre telescope has a primary mirror with 36 hexagonal
segments. For a segmented 20-Metre primary mirror, approximately 350 segments of diameter 1 metre
would be required. This number of segments represents a large increase in complexity considering existing
segmented-mirror telescopes. By sheer virtue of the multiplicity involved, a 20-Metre segmented telescope is
expected to cost much more than existing telescopes.
It is recognized that a significant portion of the cost of the Keck telescopes lay in the mirror support system.
Each Keck segment is supported by a complex whiffle tree arrangement fabricated to precise tolerances. A
simpler mirror support arrangement will lead to significant potential cost savings in a next generation
telescope. This report summarizes research by AMEC Dynamic Structures into different mirror segment
support configurations and mirror materials.
It is well known that the deformation patterns of mirrors subject to gravity loads can be improved by the
process of lightweighting, where material is removed from parts of the mirror. This process has been used for
Zerodur mirrors, where material is removed by machining. Due to the hardness of Zerodur, the machining
process is relatively expensive. Using lightweighted Zerodur for a 20-Metre class primary would lead to large
mirror segment costs. Silicon carbide (SiC), is a potential mirror segment material that offers some promise
in the fabrication of lightweight mirror segments for large segmented telescopes.
SiC is significantly stiffer than mirror materials such as Zerodur. The high stiffness of SiC may allow for a
simpler passive support system than would be needed for more classical materials as Zerodur. SiC also has
favourable thermal properties which should allow for better thermal control of the primary mirror while using a
simpler active temperature control system.
This report summarizes research and development work that will lead to design options for a 20-Metre
segmented mirror using lightweighted hexagonal SiC segments. The work covers the following areas of
design:
• a passive support system
• an active support system (6-degrees of freedom)
• mirror thermal behaviour
• mirror cell design
A primary goal of this work is to develop preliminary SiC mirror segment designs compatible with a simple
three-point support system. In addition, the work addresses the relationship between mirror segment size
and mirror support requirements. Several different mirror configurations are investigated and compared, and
preliminary designs are proposed for both a primary mirror cell configuration, as well as for the active and
passive supporting elements that connect the mirror segments to the cell.
1. Silicon Carbide
Silicon Carbide has several advantages as a primary mirror substrate material. SiC is isotropic,
homogeneous, and tests indicate that it is dimensionally stable when subjected to repeated temperature
variations. SiC has a relatively high strength to weight ratio compared to other viable mirror materials (see
Table 1). A major advantage of SiC is that it can be formed into complex shapes, allowing for optimal
material usage. SiC is also useful as a mirror substrate because some forms of SiC can be polished to a
high quality mirror finish using diamond grit.
There are several different manufacturing processes for producing SiC. The processes include CVD
(Chemical Vapour Deposition), Reaction Bonded SiC, Sintered SiC, Hot Pressed SiC, Foamed SiC, and
C/SiC.
Property Units C/SiC CVD SiC Sintered BSC Zerodur

IABG[5] [7] SiC [8] Glass [7]
(Pyrex)
[7]
Density ρ kg/m3 2700 3210 3160 2230 2520
Young’s Modulus E GPa 270 466 420 63 91
Poisson’s Ratio ν - 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.2 0.24
CTE @ Room Temp. α 10-6/K 2.0 2.1 2.0 3.3 0.05
Thermal Conductivity k W/(m·K) 125 193 190 1.17 1.63
Specific Heat c J/(kg·K) 700 712 700 830 821
Table 1: Properties of SiC

Figure 1: IABG C/SiC Mirror for ATLID
IABG, a German company, has manufactured mirrors using the C/SiC process. The raw material for the
process is a standard porous C/C rigid felt, which is made from short, randomly-oriented carbon fibres [5].
This green body can be milled with a standard CNC milling machine to form complex shapes to 0.1mm
precision. The green body is then placed in a furnace, and heated under vacuum until molten silicon
infiltrates the structure. The result is the original carbon felt structure is then surrounded by SiC. A
polishable SiC layer may then be added to the mirror surface using the Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD)
process. Several green bodies can be joined to produce mirrors of up to 3 metres in diameter. Joining
multiple green bodies allows structurally-efficient closed-back mirrors to be fabricated using the C/SiC
process.
Figure 1 shows a 630mm diameter parabolic lightweight mirror for a non-astronomical application, the ATLID
atmospheric lidar. This mirror is coated with a 150 micron SiC CVD layer, and polished to a surface
roughness of less than 20nm peak to valley. The mass of the finished mirror is approximately 6kg.
Astrium SAS, Toulouse France, has been contracted by the European Space Agency (ESA) to
manufacture a 3.5 metre SiC primary mirror for the Herschel Space Telescope, to be launched in 2007 [1].
As part of the development of the Herschel telescope, a 1.35 metre prototype mirror was fabricated using
the Sintered SiC process. In this process, Silicon Carbide powder is subjected to a very high pressure and
temperature. To make the 1.35 metre prototype, nine petals were made separately and joined using a
brazing process to form a monolithic mirror (Figure 2). The mirror was then machined, ground and polished,
then coated with a thin layer of metal to create the reflective surface. The 3.5 metre mirror is expected to
weigh about 240kg, and will have a thickness of 200mm. Similar to the prototype, the 3.5 metre mirror will
consist of 12 petals that have been joined by brazing. The petals each measure roughly 900 by 1600mm.

Figure 2: Astrium Sintered SiC Mirror Segment
As part of the development of the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), several different mirror
substrate options were considered. NASA contracted Ultramet to do research into an open cell Silicon
Carbide foam [9]. The foam is a cellular material that can be simultaneously optimized for parameters such
as stiffness, strength and thermal conductivity. Ultramet fabricated all-ceramic composite mirrors composed
of an open-cell SiC foam substrate onto which a SiC mirror surface was deposited by CVD (Figure 3).
Three different sizes of composite mirrors were made: 100mm (4”), 250mm (10”), and 450mm (18”).
According to Ultramet,
“Based on current results further scale up to 1-m (39.37-in) diameter is expected to be reasonably
straightforward in commercial application. The process allows extremely stiff, lightweight, and
directly contoured optical structures to be fabricated quickly and efficiently from abundant,
inexpensive, and non-strategic raw materials.”
Figure 3: Ultramet Lightweight 100mm Foamed SiC Mirrors

2. Mechanical Behavior
2.1 Theory of Couder

The basic laws concerning the deflection of mirror blanks under their own weight was given in 1931 by
Couder. The Couder Law gives the form of the equation for a thin cylindrical plate held in equilibrium in the
gravity field by one thin support ring of any radius b = a, where a is the mirror radius (Figure 4).
SUPPORT a
RING
b
ISOMETRIC VIEW BOTTOM VIEW
Figure 4: Circular Plate Supported on Annular Ring
The deformation w due to the weight of the plate is given by [7]:

3 gρ 1 a
4
w= (1 − ν 2 ) V − U o,i  2
4 E 4 t
with
 6 + 2ν  2  5 + ν 
V = ξ E4 −  ξ E +  
 1+ ν   1+ν 
1−ν 
U o = 2(1 − ξ E2 ) +  (1 − ξ E2 )(1 − ζ E2 ) + 2(ξ E2 + ζ E2 ) log e ξ E (for r > b)
 1 + ν 
1−ν 
U i = 2(1 − ζ E2 ) +  (1 − ξ E2 )(1 − ζ E2 ) + 2(ξ E2 + ζ E2 ) log e ζ E (for r = b)
1+ν 
ξE = r / a ζE = b/a
where g is the acceleration due to gravity, ρ is the density, E is Young’s modulus, ν is Poisson’s ratio, and
t is the plate thickness.
The Couder Law equations were programmed using a spreadsheet (see Table 2). The variation of deflection
w with support radius b was calculated for a number of different discrete radii b. It was found that deflection
was minimized with b = 0.678a. Using material properties ρ = 3140kg/m3, E = 420GPa and ν = 0.25, a
cylindrical SiC blank of radius a = 500mm is found to have minimum deflection with b = 0.578a = 339mm.
For this mirror and support arrangement, it can be shown that a mirror thickness t = 78mm is required to
achieve peak-to-valley deflections of 20nm (see Table 2). A mirror with the dimensions given in Table 2
weighs about 192kg.
DESCRIPTION
-Determine the deflections of a circular mirror supported on a ring
-Material assumed to be Silicon Carbide
-reference Reflecting Telescope Optics II, Wilson, pp.242-247
INPUT
MATERIAL
-density rho = 3140 [kg/m^3]
-Poisson's ratio nu = 0.25 []
-Young's modulus E = 4.20E+11 [Pa]
GEOMETRY
-mirror radius a = 0.500 [m]
-support ring radius b = 0.339 [m]
-mirror thickness t = 0.078 [m]
CONSTANTS
-acceleration due to gravity g = 9.81 [m/s^2]
EVALUATION POINT
-radius to evaluation point r = 0.300 [m]
CALCULATIONS
-dimensionless zonal radius rze = r/a = 0.600 []
-dimensionless annular rae = b/a = 0.678 []
radius
-Couder parameters V = rze^4-(6+2*nu)/(1+nu)*rze^2+(5+nu)/(1+nu) = 2.45760 []
Uo = 2*(1-rze^2)+(1-nu)/(1+nu)*(1-rze^2)*(1- = 0.65005 []
rae^2)+2*(rze^2+rae^2)*ln(rze)
Ui = 2*(1-rae^2)+(1-nu)/(1+nu)*(1-rze^2)*(1- = 0.65104 []
rae^2)+2*(rze^2+rae^2)*ln(rae)
-deflection at r w = -3*g*rho/(4*E)*(1-nu^2)*(V/4- = 1.94E-08 [m]
if(r<=b,Ui,Uo))*a^4/t^2
wm = w*1000000 = 0.02 [µm]
wn = wm*1000 = 19 [nm]
-Couder parameters (r=0) Vo = (5+nu)/(1+nu) = 4.20000 []
-deflection at centre (r=0) Uio = 2*(1-rae^2)+(1-nu)/(1+nu)*(1- = 1.04755 []
rae^2)+2*rae^2*ln(rae)
-deflection at centre (r=0) wo = -3*g*rho/(4*E)*(1-nu^2)*(Vo/4-Uio)*a^4/t^2 = -1.30E-09 [m]
wmo = wo*1000000 = 0.00 [µm]
wno = wmo*1000 = -1 [nm]
-Couder parameters (r=b) Vb = rae^4-(6+2*nu)/(1+nu)*rae^2+(5+nu)/(1+nu) = 2.02095 []
-deflection at support (r=b) Uib = 2*(1-rae^2)+(1-nu)/(1+nu)*(1-rae^2)*(1- = 0.54125 []
rae^2)+2*(rae^2+rae^2)*ln(rae)
-deflection at support (r=b) wb = -3*g*rho/(4*E)*(1-nu^2)*(Vb/4-Uib)*a^4/t^2 = 1.91E-08 [m]
wmb = wb*1000000 = 0.02 [µm]
wnb = wmb*1000 = 19 [nm]
-Couder parameters (r=a) Va = 1-(6+2*nu)/(1+nu)+(5+nu)/(1+nu) = 0.00000 []
-deflection at edge (r=a) wa = -3*g*rho/(4*E)*(1-nu^2)*(Va/4)*a^4/t^2 = 0.00E+00 [m]
wma = wa*1000000 = 0.00 [µm]
wna = wma*1000 = 0 [nm]
-deflection range wr = max(wno,wnb,wna)-min(wno,wnb,wna) = 20 [nm]
Table 2: Calculation using Couder Theory
2.2 Finite Element Analysis

Tractable closed-form mathematical equations giving the deflections of mirrors are available for relatively
simple mirror and support configurations. For the more complicated mirror shapes typical of lightweighted
mirrors, finite element analysis is an effective tool for determining deflections, stresses and natural
frequencies. In finite element analysis the mirror is discretized into a number of finite volumes or areas. This
discretization results in an approximation of the exact solution. The accuracy of the solution depends on the
size of the resulting discretized elements as well as on the assumptions used in formulating the element
stress and strain equations.
Geometrically, the face of the mirror is assumed to be planar. The face of the actual mirror segments is
expected to form part of the surface of a hyperboloid. This assumption is warranted because axial
deformations of the mirror are assumed to be the most critical deflection component.
Three dimensional elastic shell elements with both bending and membrane capabilities are used to model
the mirror segment. The element has either three or four nodes with six degrees of freedom at each node.
The element is classified as a thin shell element, which means that the shell thickness is assumed to be
zero in constructing the model geometry. Shell thickness is only considered insofar as it affects shell mass
and stiffness. Shear deflection is not included in the particular element formulation used for the analysis
described in this report.
The material properties assumed in the finite element analysis are detailed in Table 3. Further assumptions
regarding the finite element model boundary conditions are given in the sections describing each particular
model.
Property Units Value [2]

Density ρ kg/m3 3140
Young’s Modulus E GPa 420
Poisson’s Ratio ν - 0.25
CTE α 10-6/K 2.2
Table 3: Properties of SiC used in FE Analysis
Design optimization was performed on the finite element models described in this report. The finite element
program ANSYS V5.7 was used for the analysis. This program has built in first-order optimization
procedures. The general approach was to define the mirror model in terms of parameters. Typical
parameters are mirror size, support location and mirror thickness. The optimization procedure performs
repeated finite element analysis runs, automatically modifying the model parameters based on the results of
each run until some predefined criterion is satisfied. The approach for mirror analysis generally was to
attempt to minimize the weight of the mirror while satisfying some goal for the amount of mirror deflection
permitted.
SUPPORT Ø1000
RING
rs

Figure 5: Couder Verification Model
2.3 Validation Models
2.3.1 Description
In order to verify the operation of the finite element solution procedure, the circular plate mirror used in the
Couder Law calculations was modeled (Figure 5).
There are many different segmentation patterns that may be considered for a large mirror. In the past,
hexagonal arrays and annular rings of wedges have been the most common. Figure 6 shows a proposed
hexagonal array of 1-metre hexagonal segments for a 20-metre mirror.
11547
Ø20000
19998
Figure 6: 20-Metre Mirror of Hexagonal Segments
A simple hexagonal mirror segment of uniform thickness supported at 3 discrete points is shown in Figure
7. This model was created in order to set an upper bound for the weight of any lightweighted hexagonal
mirror segment of a given size. The boundary conditions at the support points have the effect of supporting
the mirror in the axial direction only. The centre point of the mirror was further constrained against radial
translation and rotation about the mirror axis in order to prevent rigid body translation.

SUPPORT
3 LOC. TYP. Ø1000
rs
Figure 7: Hexagonal Plate Model with 3-Point Support
2.3.2 Results
The Couder model of Figure 5 was subjected to a gravity load in the axial direction. The resulting peak-to-
valley (p-v) deflection was 19nm (Figure 8), found at an optimal support ring radius of 339mm (b = 0.678a).
The peak-to-valley deflection was used to evaluate the model during each optimization iteration.
Figure 8: Couder Verification Result

The mirror thickness required to achieve this level of deflection was 81mm. This result agrees well with the
Couder calculation in Table 2 (20nm p-v at b = 339mm, t = 78mm). The finite element optimization
procedure located the correct support ring dimension. The difference in mirror thickness is due to the
calculation step size used in the optimization routine.

Figure 9: Hexagonal Plate Model Result
The hexagonal plate mirror model with 1m inscribed diameter (Figure 7) was subjected to gravity load in the
axial direction. ). Again, the peak-to-valley deflection was used to evaluate the model during each
optimization iteration. The resulting peak-to-valley (p-v) deflection was 20nm (Figure 9), found at an optimal
support ring radius of 331mm (b = 0.662a The mirror thickness required to achieve this level of deflection
was 283mm. The weight of this mirror would be 770kg, thus setting an upper bound for the weight of 1-metre
hexagonal SiC segments supported on 3 points. This weight leads to an areal density of 889kg/m2
(770kg/0.87).
2.4 Model SIC-1: Radial Rib Pattern
2.4.1 Description
The lightweighted hexagonal mirror with radial and straight circumferential ribs shown in Figure 10 was
modeled using finite elements. The geometric parameters controlling the model were the support radius
along with the overall segment depth at the centre (1 parameter), edges (3 parameters), support points (1
parameter) and at intermediate points (2 parameters). In addition, the face sheet thickness was specified as
a separate parameter. The thickness of each rib was specified as a dependent function of the overall mirror
depth at the midpoint of the rib. The rib thickness was set to 1/10th of the overall mirror depth based on
several trials using different rib aspect ratios.
The root mean square (RMS) deflection was used to evaluate the model during each optimization iteration.
The procedure used to calculate RMS deflection used a command in ANSYS which allows an arbitrary path
to be specified on a model. In this case, the face of the mirror was selected, and a series of rectangular
paths was superimposed on the face based on a predefined grid spacing. At mirror edges the rectangular
paths were adjusted as required to follow the edge. As a result, the mirror face was fully covered with a
pattern of touching tiled areas. The finite element program calculates the average deflection along the path,
which is used in the RMS calculation along with a weighting factor based on the area enclosed by the path.

Figure 10: Radial Rib Model SIC-1
The boundary conditions applied at the support points have the effect of supporting the mirror in the axial
direction only. The centre point of the mirror was further constrained against radial translation and rotation
about the mirror axis in order to prevent rigid body translation.
Figure 11: Radial Rib Model SIC-1 Results

2.4.2 Results
Figure 10 shows the shape resulting from optimization of the SIC-1 parametric model subject to gravity load
in the axial direction. The mirror segment shown in Figure 10 weighs 145kg, resulting in an areal density of
223kg/m2 (145/0.65). The RMS deflection was found to be 15nm, and the peak-to-valley deflection 66nm
(Figure 11).
2.5 Model SIC-2: Hexagonal Rib Pattern
2.5.1 Description
The lightweighted mirror with hexagonal cells shown in Figure 12 was modeled using finite elements. The
geometric parameters controlling the model were the support radius along with the overall segment depth at
the centre (1 parameter), edges (3 parameters), support points (1 parameter) and at intermediate points (2
parameters). In addition, the face sheet thickness and rib aspect ratio (depth : width) were specified as
separate parameters. Optimization was conducted using RMS deflection as an evaluation function.
about the mirror axis in order to prevent rigid body translation. This model was subjected only to gravity load
in the axial direction.
2.5.2 Results
in the axial direction. The mirror segment shown in Figure 12 weighs 118kg, resulting in an areal density of
182kg/m2 (118/0.65). The RMS deflection was found to be 11nm, and the peak-to-valley deflection 68nm
(Figure 13). Rib aspect ratio was optimized during the analysis process, which led to a ribs with a depth to
thickness ratio of about 8.9.
Figure 12: Hexagonal Cell Model SIC-2

Figure 13: Hexagonal Cell Model SIC-2 Results
2.6 Model SIC-3: Triangular Rib Pattern
2.6.1 Description
The lightweighted mirror with diagonal ribs intersecting support points (Figure 14) was modeled using finite
elements. The geometric parameters controlling the model were the support radius along with the overall
segment depth at the edges (2 parameters) and support points (1 parameter). In addition, the face sheet
thickness and rib aspect ratio were specified as separate parameters. Optimization was conducted using
RMS deflection as an evaluation function.
Figure 14: Triangular Rib Model SIC-3

Figure 15: Triangular Rib Model SIC-3 Results
about the mirror axis in order to prevent rigid body translation. This model includes tilt angle as a separate
parameter so that gravity load can be applied as a vector with arbitrary direction with respect to the mirror
axis.
2.6.2 Results
in the axial direction. The RMS deflection was found to be 14nm, and the peak-to-valley deflection 78nm
(Figure 15). The mirror segment shown in Figure 14 weighs 68kg, resulting in an areal density of 105kg/m2
(68kg/0.65m2). In comparison, the Keck mirror segments (900mm edge length) have areal density 190kg/m2
(400kg/2.1m2). The weight of SIC-3 is similar to the proposed 1-metre mirror segments for the GSMT 30-
metre telescope [10], which have weigh 74kg and have areal density 114kg/m2.
The SIC-3 model was analyzed for varying degrees of tilt, where the mirror axial ranged from 0 to 90 degrees
above horizon. Several different sets of boundary conditions were tried during the tilted mirror analysis. The
behaviour of the mirror was found to be very sensitive to the types of boundary conditions applied at the
support points.
An alternative set of boundary conditions used with the SIC-3 model restrained only three points on the
mirror; lateral forces were taken out through the 3 axial support points. This set of boundary conditions
resulted in relatively large deflections in the tilted mirror analysis. A common feature of the lightweighting
patterns studied here is that the overall mirror segment depth is large compared to customary glass mirrors.
In addition, the lightweight mirrors have open backs which cause the centre of gravity to be located close to
the face of the mirror. As a result of the eccentricity between the gravity vector applied at the centre of
gravity and the reaction vectors at the support points, considerable deflections were generated.

Figure 16: Axial Deflection vs. Tilt for SIC-3
The tilted mirror studies demonstrate that the segment is best supported by three equally-spaced axial
supports in conjunction with a central spindle that resists in-plane rotation and displacement. The central
spindle should restrain the mirror at a point as practically close to the mirror centre of gravity as possible.
As shown in Figure 16, the axial deformations increase as the mirror rotates from zenith to the horizon,
roughly doubling from 14 to 28nm.
2.7 Thermal Analysis

Thermal issues are expected to govern many aspects of the design of a large segmented telescope. Three
thermal issues in particular are of concern [3]:
1. inhomogeneities of the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) between segments, leading to variable
focus errors from segment to segment;
2. CTE inhomogeneities within individual segments, leading to higher spatial frequency errors than for a
large, monolithic mirror; and
3. thermal gradients in the segments, which require the material to have a low ratio of CTE to thermal
conductivity.
Nelson [4] reported about CTE homogeneity requirements in the 3×10-9 /ºK range for the Keck segments.
Partly as a result of this requirement, the use of Pyrex was ruled out as a mirror material for Keck.
2.7.1 Description
The impact of thermal gradients on the geometry of the individual mirror segments was studied using finite
element analysis. The 1-metre triangular rib segment (SIC-3) was used in the analysis. A linear temperature
gradient from the front face to the back surface of the mirror was imposed on the model. As shown in Figure
17, the mirror segment temperature was assumed to be zero degrees Celsius at the back (t back= 0.0) face
and 0.1 degrees at the front face (t front= 0.1).

Figure 17: Thermal Analysis Model
Figure 18: SIC-3 Model with 0.1C Temperature Gradient
2.7.2 Results
Figure 18 shows the shape resulting from optimization of the SIC-3 parametric model subject to a 0.1ºC
temperature gradient load. The RMS deflection was found to be 31nm, and the peak-to-valley deflection
121nm. This result shows that the mirror segment is extremely sensitive to temperature gradients. A 0.1ºC
gradient causes axial deformations in the same order of magnitude as gravity. Further thermal studies are
required to understand how well the temperature of the mirror segments can be controlled. Silicon Carbide
has relatively high thermal conductivity compared to other mirror materials, and the lightweighting process
creates a large surface to volume ratio for the mirror segment. These two factors help to decrease the
magnitude of potential thermal gradients.
2.8 Model SIC-4: 2-Metre Triangular Rib Pattern
A 2-metre version of the triangular rib model SIC-3 was created in order to study the relationship between
mirror size, mirror weight, and deflections.
2.8.1 Description
The lightweighted mirror with diagonal ribs intersecting support points (Figure 19) was modeled using finite
elements. The geometric parameters controlling the model were the support radius along with the overall
segment depth at the edges (2 parameters) and support points (1 parameter). In addition, the face sheet
thickness and rib aspect ratio were specified as separate parameters. Optimization was conducted using
RMS deflection as an evaluation function.
2.8.2 Results

in the axial direction. The RMS deflection was found to be 21nm, and the peak-to-valley deflection 108nm.
The mirror segment shown in Figure 20 weighs 1040kg, resulting in an areal density of 400kg/m2
(1040kg/2.6m2). The areal density of the 2-metre segment is roughly 4 times that of the 1-metre segment
(SIC-3, 105kg/m2). A 0.1ºC thermal gradient was also applied to the 2-metre model. This gradient resulted in
RMS deflection 83nm, and peak-to-valley deflection 136nm. The thermal deflections of the 2-metre model
are over twice the magnitude of the deflections for the 1-metre model. Because of the increased size and
mass of the larger mirror, temperature control is expected to be even more stringent than for the 1-metre
model.
Figure 19: Triangular Rib Model SIC-4

Figure 20: Triangular Rib Model SIC-4 Results
Although comparisons between the 1-metre SIC-3 model and the 2-metre SIC-4 mirror do not precisely
define the relationship between mirror size and performance, they offer some input into the complex and
diverse factors which determine the optimal mirror segment size.
The advantages of smaller mirror segments are:

• decreased areal density leading to lower mirror material cost;
• decreased mirror weight leading to decreased telescope weight and overall telescope cost;
• individual segments more closely approach the required geometry, and will be easier to manufacture
and polish; and
• better thermal control due to less mass.
Conversely, larger mirrors have the following advantages:

• number of units to be fabricated, handled and shipped is decreased
• number of active control components is decreased, leading to less cost and greater reliability
• the computational power required for active control is reduced
The studies presented here suggest that smaller mirrors in the range of 1-metre size are preferable to larger
mirrors because of lower weight and better thermal performance. Of course, the costs of fabrication,
handling and shipping are also important factors in the choice of mirror segment size, and must be
considered in any decision.
2.9 Results Summary

A tabulated summary of the finite element analysis results is presented in Table 2.
Weight Axial Deflection

No. Description Model Load [kg] RMS [nm] P-V [nm]

1 Radial Rib 1m SIC-1 1g 145 15 66
2 Hexagonal Rib 1m SIC-2 1g 118 11 68
3 Triangular Rib 1m SIC-3 1g 68 14 78
4 Triangular Rib 2m SIC-4 1g 1040 21 108
5 Triangular Rib 1m SIC-3 0.1ºC 68 31 121
6 Triangular Rib 2m SIC-4 0.1ºC 1040 83 136
Table 4: Results Summary

3. Active Support System
Figure 21 illustrates a rough concept for the interface between the mirror cell and SiC mirror segment. The
mirror is supported in the axial direction at three points equally spaced on a circle. The centre of the mirror
is restrained against movement in the lateral direction. The three axial support points should have relatively
small resistance against lateral movement. Conversely, the centre support should freely allow 2 rotational
degrees of freedom as well as a translational degree in the axial direction. The centre support should only
provide restraint in the lateral direction, and in a rotational sense about the mirror axis.
Three active supports are provided, one at each axial support point. These three supports allow for active
control of mirror segment tip, tilt, and piston degrees of freedom. A small actuator may be required to
actively control rotation about the mirror axis. This system does not allow for in-plane active control of the
mirror segments. The mirror segments would be expected to be accurately located on the mirror cell using a
rigid, adjustable base frame structure. The mirror cell is envisioned to be a relatively rigid steel monocoque
structure with predictable thermal behaviour. It is believed that active control of the tip, tilt and piston
degrees of freedom should be able to compensate for in-plane positional variations of the segments, but
further optical and structural studies are required before this can be proven.
Coupling between the active and passive support elements and the mirror segment is of critical importance
in the design of optical telescopes. The efforts described in this report have been concentrated on the design
of a SiC mirror segment; the detail design of the support elements and their connection to the mirror has not
been studied in detail. Some innovative work in mirror support details has been done by Jerry Nelson and
the people responsible for the design of the existing Keck telescopes. Recent efforts by Nelson in the
design of a mirror support system for the 30-metre California Extremely Large Telescope (CELT) [10].
Although the concepts proposed for the CELT mirror segment supports use more conventional whiffle tree
supports, several design details are compatible with the 3-point supported SiC segments proposed in this
report. For example, piano wire flexures are suggested for axial supports, resulting in large axial stiffness
with small lateral stiffness. In addition, a central support is suggested for the lateral support system.
centre spindle
base frame actuator mirror segment
mirror cell
Figure 21: Mirror Segment Support Concept

MOOG has produced linear actuators with position resolution 9nm for space-based applications
commissioned by NASA. MOOG has indicated that the performance measures given in Table 5 can be
achieved with reasonable cost for a ground-based astronomy application. The expected size of the actuator
is roughly 300 x 75 x 75 mm.
Description Performance
Axial Stiffness 12N/µm or higher
Lateral Stiffness 1.2N/µm or higher
Total Stroke Range 10mm
Position Resolution 5nm or better
Response Time 0.2 sec at a 50 nm step increment or faster
Total Mass 5 kg or less
Table 5: Actuator Performance
4. Mirror Cell System

The mirror cell is envisioned to be a relatively rigid steel monocoque structure. Figure 22 shows a section of
the proposed mirror cell. The mirror segment support bases are mounted on the top surface of the mirror
cell. The mirror cell structure has two top flange plates which provide high in-plane rigidity to the mirror cell.
The depth of the mirror cell provides clear access for maintenance personnel, and provides sufficient bending
stiffness to the cell overall to minimize gravity deflections.
The weight of the mirror cell is strongly influenced by the weight of the mirror and mirror support systems.
One goal of the research described here is to compare the weight of a SiC mirror system with a conventional
Zerodur mirror system. The Keck mirror segments have an edge length of 900mm, resulting in a segment
area of 2.1m2. The Keck mirrors weigh about 400kg; the associated whiffle trees and sensors weigh an
additional 50kg. The areal density of the Keck mirror system is therefore 450kg/2.1m2 = 214kg/m2. In
comparison the 1-metre SiC segment SIC-3 has area 0.650m2 and weighs 68kg, leading to an areal density
of 105kg/m2. The 2-metre SiC segment SIC-4 is considerably heavier, weighing 400kg/m2. The 1-metre
segments proposed for CELT weigh 74kg, and the axial support system weighs an additional 9kg (for
comparison purposes, the weight of the lateral support system is excluded), giving a total of 83kg for an
area of 0.650m2. This works out to an areal density of 128kg/m2. These rough comparisons indicate that
there is no significant weight saving in using SiC mirrors as opposed to conventional Zerodur.

Figure 22: Primary Mirror and Mirror Cell
5. Conclusions
Silicon Carbide has several advantages as a primary mirror substrate material. Silicon Carbide is isotropic,
homogeneous, dimensionally stable, has a high strength to weight ratio and good thermal properties
compared to other mirror materials. Silicon Carbide can be formed into complex shapes, allowing for optimal
material usage. Of further benefit is that Silicon Carbide can be polished to a high quality mirror finish.
Existing Silicon Carbide fabrication processes are capable of producing lightweight mirrors as large as 3m in
diameter. Silicon Carbide is now not widely used as a mirror material for ground-based large optical
telescopes. The optical figuring of steep aspheric Silicon Carbide mirrors is a non-trivial problem that needs
to be investigated further.
The work described here indicates that Silicon Carbide mirror segments of reasonable weight and rigidity
can be constructed so as to eliminate the need for conventional whiffle tree support mechanisms. Hexagonal
mirror segments of 1m and 2m size were studied; this work indicates that mirror segments closer to 1m in
size represent more practical solutions than larger segments. The larger mirror is has roughly four times the
areal density of the smaller mirror and is much more sensitive to thermal gradients in the segment.
The effect of thermal gradients on the behaviour of the proposed Silicon Carbide mirror segment designs was
studied. The results of these studies indicate that thermal control will be an important design consideration
for such segments. A temperature gradient of 0.1ºC along the mirror segment axis was found to cause
mirror deformations comparable to those cause by gravity.
The weight of a Silicon Carbide primary mirror system was estimated and compared to existing, more
conventional Zerodur mirror systems. At this point there, Silicon Carbide segments offer no clear weight
saving compared to more conventional designs.
Several areas of further study have been made apparent by the work described here. Some of these areas
are listed here:
• Mirror segments are non-axisymmetric optical components. The deviations between the required surface
and a spherical surface may be considerable, especially for small -fnumbers. The fabrication and
polishing of SiC mirrors to the required surface profile should be investigated.
• Further work is required to look at the mechanical design of mirror support components, especially at
the support to SiC mirror interface. Performance requirements should be established for the mirror
actuators.

• Thermal studies are required to investigate the thermal behaviour of the entire mirror support structure
and to estimate the expected thermal gradients in the mirror segments
• Thermal studies are required to look at the significance of local seeing on the behaviour of large
segmented SiC primary mirrors.
• The cost of production of SiC mirrors should be estimated.

References
[1] European Space Agency Website, http://spdext.estec.esa.nl/content/news/
[2] Roberts S. (2001). Primary Mirror Substrate Materials for the XLT Telescope: A comparison of various
options including Silicon Carbide. Report for the Herzberg Institute for Astrophysics.
[3] Gilmozzi R., Delabre B., Dierickx P., Hubin N., Koch F., Monnet G., Quattri M., Rigaut F., Wilson R.N.
(1998). The Future of Filled Aperture Telescopes: Is 100m Feasible? Advanced Technology Optical/IR
Telescopes, V1, SPIE 3352.
[4] Nelson J.E., Mast T.S., Faber S.M. (1985). Keck Observatory Report No. 90. The Design of the Keck
Observatory and Telescope. The University of California, California Institute of Technology.
[5] Harnisch B., Kunkel B., Deyerler M., Bauereisen S., Papenburg U. (1998). Ultra-lightweight C/SiC
Mirrors and Structures. ESA Bulletin 95.
[6] Papenburg U., Dyerler M., Pfrang W., Kutter G.S. (2001). Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Silicon Carbide
(C/SiC) Technology (PowerPoint presentation).
[7] Wilson R.N. (1999) Reflecting Telescope Optics Vol. I & II. ISBN 3-540-60356-5 Springer-Verlag New
York.
[8] Safa F., Levallois F., Bougoin M., Castel D. (1997). Silicon Carbide Technology for Submillimetre Space
Based Telescopes. 48th International Astronautical Congress, Turin, October 1997.
[9] Lightweight Composite Reflectors for Space Optics, http://www.ultramet.com
[10] Gunnels S. (2001). Concept Design Report, Mirror Segment Supporting System, California Extremely
Large Telescope, CELT Report #16. http://celt.ucolick.org/reports_notes.html.


Mirror Analysis - 1

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Mirror Analysis - 1

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XLT Large Telescope

Prepared for the

Herzberg Institute for Astrophysics

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

Property Units C/SiC CVD SiC Sintered BSC Zerodur

Table 1: Properties of SiC

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

Figure 3: Ultramet Lightweight 100mm Foamed SiC Mirrors

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

2.1 Theory of Couder

ISOMETRIC VIEW BOTTOM VIEW

Figure 4: Circular Plate Supported on Annular Ring

The deformation w due to the weight of the plate is given by [7]:

Table 2: Calculation using Couder Theory

2.2 Finite Element Analysis

Property Units Value [2]

Table 3: Properties of SiC used in FE Analysis

ISOMETRIC VIEW BOTTOM VIEW

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

2.3 Validation Models

Figure 6: 20-Metre Mirror of Hexagonal Segments

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

ISOMETRIC VIEW BOTTOM VIEW

Figure 7: Hexagonal Plate Model with 3-Point Support

Figure 8: Couder Verification Result

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

2.4 Model SIC-1: Radial Rib Pattern

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

Figure 11: Radial Rib Model SIC-1 Results

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

2.5 Model SIC-2: Hexagonal Rib Pattern

Figure 12: Hexagonal Cell Model SIC-2

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

2.6 Model SIC-3: Triangular Rib Pattern

Figure 14: Triangular Rib Model SIC-3

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

2.7 Thermal Analysis

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

Figure 18: SIC-3 Model with 0.1C Temperature Gradient

2.8 Model SIC-4: 2-Metre Triangular Rib Pattern

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

Figure 19: Triangular Rib Model SIC-4

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

The advantages of smaller mirror segments are:

Conversely, larger mirrors have the following advantages:

2.9 Results Summary

Weight Axial Deflection

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

Table 4: Results Summary

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

Figure 21: Mirror Segment Support Concept

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

Table 5: Actuator Performance

4. Mirror Cell System

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE

PROJECT XLT LARGE TELESCOPE