TopOpt CubeSat

Key design features: - Frame designed using topology optimization for mission-specific conditions (acceleration loads along the z-axis) - Open design, which facilitates unobstructed heat transfer between the internal components and the skin - Elegant and simple solution with 7 parts (not including 4 screws) - Material - AlSi10Mg (density = 2.67 g/cm3, Yield stress = 270+-10MPa in XY plane of the printer and 240+-10MPa in the vertical Z direction). - Total material volume = 27.16 cm3. Total mass = 72.53 g (with rails but without screws). The solar panels and internal shelves for equipment were created for visualization purposes only and their mass wasn’t included. - Internal unobstructed volume of 903.1 cm3, which facilitates easier wire routing and equipment installation. - Max deflection under 69G – 0.098 mm - Max stress under 69G – 7.99 MPa - No patent applications have been filed TopOpt CubeSat Design Details: Introduction: 3D printing allows the design of nearly free-form structures, which is ideal in combination with Topology Optimization (TopOpt), a mathematical algorithm, which aims to obtain an optimal structure given loading and boundary conditions. The core of my CubeSat design was obtained using a TopOpt algorithm, which in this case aims to maximize stiffness under the volume and equilibrium constraints. Please refer to the following sources for the optimizer as well as further details. Optimizer: http://www.topopt.dtu.dk/?q=node/863 Details on the algorithm’s formulation, finite element and optimization solvers: http://www.topopt.dtu.dk/sites/default/files/main_topoptapp.pdf Thorough literature search has been done in order to clearly outline the loading conditions on the structure as well as determine the optimal material. Master’s Thesis by Daniel Fluitt from the California Polytechnic State University provided very valuable information on typical loading conditions imposed on the CubeSat structure as well as gave an insight into using various plastic