Session: 01-01-01: General Topics of Aerospace Structures

Paper Number: 132959

132959 - Rapid Design and Analysis of a Payload Mass Simulator Using Digital Twin Modeling Instructions 

Small satellites can be deployed to an orbit by acting as a rideshare payload for a larger payload. This small spacecraft in a multi-manifest mission configuration may not be ready or assessed unsafe to be integrated with the launch vehicle. While not desired, these decisions can occur late in the launch vehicle processing, which could potentially cause delays. Coupled loads analysis are performed to characterize the interaction between the launch vehicle and both the main and rideshare payloads, but if the rideshare payload needs to be swapped with a mass simulator, then mass simulators need to be designed and manufactured so that it fits in the launch vehicle timeline and can closely replicate primary dynamic characteristics of the spacecraft such as primary bending modes, axial mode, total weight, and center of gravity. The mass simulator must not fail when subjected to the maximum expected acceleration environments during launch. The following approach was used to shorten the time product life cycle of the mass simulator: (1) The mass simulator is parametrically represented as a beam with an end mass, (2) Approximate solutions for the primary dynamic characteristics of the beam and generalized reduced gradient (GRG) nonlinear algorithm are used to size the mass simulator, and (3) The Digital Twin Modeling Instructions (DTMI) construct is adopted to further reduce the product design life cycle.

The novel DTMI allows developing a common syntax for all the models and for the manufacturing (i.e., digital twins). An application of DTMI to shorten the product life cycle is illustrated. Once the mass simulator is sized using GRG and closed form solutions, DTMI produces a set of common modeling instructions that automatically produces the Computer Aided Design model, the Finite Element Dynamic Model, the Process Simulation Model, and the instructions to additively manufacture the part. The DTMI includes information about geometry, material, mass, and analysis inputs from each of the four disciplines (designers, dynamics, structural, and manufacturer). All models are derived from DTMI, easing information sharing and expediting the parametric design process by enabling rapid evaluation of changes to design or environment. The fully rendered DTMI serves as the authoritative source of truth (ASOT) for the design. DTMI and the mass simulator design tool in a common containerized framework are shown to significantly reduce the timelines from design to manufacture.

Presenting Author: Vinay Goyal The Aerospace Corporation

Presenting Author Biography: Technical Fellow at The Aerospace Corporation, Deputy Tech Fellow at NASA, Joint Professor at UCLA/USC MAE Depts.