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Large deployable mesh reflectors play a critical role in satellite communications, Earth observation, and deep-space exploration, offering high-gain antenna performance through precisely shaped reflective surfaces. Traditional dynamic modeling approaches—such as wave-based and finite element methods—often struggle to accurately capture the complex behavior of three-dimensional reflectors due to oversimplifications of cable members. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel spatial discretization framework that systematically decomposes cable member displacements into boundary-induced and internal components in a global Cartesian coordinate system. The framework derives a system of ordinary differential equations for each cable member by enforcing the Lagrange’s equations, capturing both longitudinal and transverse internal displacement of the cable member. Numerical simulations of a two-dimensional cable-network structure and a center-feed parabolic deployable mesh reflector with 101 nodes illustrate the improved accuracy of the proposed method in predicting vibration characteristics across a broad frequency range. Compared to standard finite element analysis, the proposed method more effectively identifies both low- and high-frequency modes and offers robust convergence and accurate prediction for both frequency and transient responses of the structure. This enhanced predictive capability underscores the significance of incorporating internal cable member displacements for reliable dynamic modeling of large deployable mesh reflectors, ultimately informing better design, control, and on-orbit performance of future space-based reflector systems. 

Polymers are thermally insulating due to randomly oriented molecular chains, limiting their effectiveness in thermal management. However, when processed into nanofibers, polymers can exhibit significantly higher thermal conductivity, primarily due to enhanced internal structures such as crystallinity and molecular alignment. Characterizing these structural parameters at the single nanofiber level remains a challenge, limiting understanding of thermal transport mechanisms. Here, we investigate the relationship between internal structure and thermal conductivity of single polyethylene oxide (PEO) nanofibers fabricated from near-field electrospinning (NFES). By varying molecular weight and concentration of PEO, their impact on thermal conductivity and internal structure are examined. Crystallinity is examined using conventional Raman spectroscopy, while molecular orientation is assessed through polarized Raman and polarized FTIR spectroscopy. Results reveal that enhanced thermal conductivity in PEO nanofibers is primarily attributed to increased molecular orientation. A maximum thermal conductivity of 2.7 W/m·K is achieved in PEO nanofibers, representing a notable improvement over bulk PEO (0.2 W/m·K). These findings demonstrate the potential of structurally engineered PEO nanofibers for thermal applications including electronic packaging and thermal interface materials. Further, the approach presented in this work can provide a framework for exploring thermal transport mechanisms in other polymer systems.