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ANSYS Model of the Proba 2 Microsatellite |
Scientific, observation and reconnaissance missions are often performed by low orbiting micro satellites. These systems are much smaller and more compact than larger telecommunications satellites, so space is severely limited and heat is more difficult to dissipate from closely packed electronic components.
Traditionally, satellite electronics housings are made of aluminum. This material is lightweight, has adequate heat dissipation, and provides good protection against ambient spatial radiation. In one recent study, the European Space Agency (ESA) investigated the feasibility of fabricating these housings of composites to determine if this type of material system could provide the same heat dissipation as aluminum but with less mass.
Designing composite structures with sandwich type elements or layered solid laminates is very challenging due to the anisotropic behavior of the material. Moreover, the design depends on multiple variables such as material selection, numbers of layers, layer orientations and stacking sequence. In the composite housing under investigation, highly conductive K1100 fibers exhibit very low failure strain and break easily when bent on a small radius. Also, mismatches in coefficients of thermal expansion between the composite housing and aluminum wedge locks and support structures cause deformations when the structure is subjected to temperature change. Because of these complexities, determining structural integrity and thermal balance using conventional analysis methods can be an extremely cumbersome task.
“The ability of ANSYS to work well with ESAComp, to provide a robust parametric model representing all the different components and to reliably perform both structural and thermal analyses was key to the speed and accuracy in successfully completing the ESA study. With the help of this level of advanced analysis, the behavior of the structure could be properly understood, the design of the composite housing was optimized to provide a mass saving of 29 percent over a comparable aluminum housing, and the project was completed in only 18 months from the kick-off meeting to the final presentation of results.” - R&D Engineer, Componeering
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