Project AE2111-I System design

Design for Space Structure

Spacecraft Design

Work package 4:
A solar array or RTG attachment

Prepared: Christos Kassapoglou

Delft, November 2012, 1st issue

Delft University of Technology Page 1 of 14

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering
 Project AE2111-I System design

Version control
Issue Date Author(s) Pages Brief description of change
affected
1 November 2011 C. Kassapoglou All New document s.c. side
attachment
2 November 2012 C. Kassapoglou Most Focussed on solar panel
3 November 2013 W.A. Timmer 3 Changed deadline
4 November 2014 W.A. Timmer 3 Changed deadline
5 November 2015 W.A. Timmer 3 Changed deadline
6 November 2016 W.A. Timmer 3 Changed deadline
1-4 RTG added
7 November 2017 W.A. Timmer 3 Changed deadline

Table of Contents

1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 3
2 Deadline WP4 ............................................................................................................. 3
3 Work package 4 layout ................................................................................................ 3
4 A solar array or RTG attachment .................................................................................. 4
Appendix ...................................................................................................................... 11

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 2 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

1 Introduction
The second period of the AE2111-I-space project contains work packages 4 and 5.
They aim at going through a number of steps necessary to analyse elements of the spacecraft
structure. In work package 5 we will focus on the fuel tank. This document contains Work
Package 4. In this case we look at a solar panel or RTG attachment.

In case of questions beyond the knowledge of the teaching assistant contact Roeland de
Breuker:

R.debreuker@tudelft.nl

2 Deadline WP4
For this work package you have three weeks. So the deadline for this work package is

Monday December 4th 12.00 hours

3 Work package 4 layout

Below you can find the layout of the work package. To come to a satisfying solution for the
design some form of iteration may be required. It is advised to set up calculations in such a way
that this will be possible.

Determine Select & Fastener pattern

design lug
Failure checks
loads in backplate

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 3 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

4 A solar array or RTG attachment

A proper working and orientation of the solar array or RTG (both hereafter generally called
system) of the space craft is of paramount importance for the success of the mission. This not
in the least involves a good attachment of the system to the space craft.
In this work package you are to design these attachment(s) to the side of the space craft. This
will involve some form of fitting that connects the system to the vehicle and some fasteners (or
adhesive which is not discussed here). A typical situation is shown in figure 4.1.

vehicle
wall

D2
t1

w t3

D1
lug t2
attachment
Solar
array or
RTG

Figure 4.1: Typical attachment configuration

DELIVERABLES

You are to determine D1, D2, w, t1, t2, h (if appropriate) and the local thickness of the spacecraft
wall t3.

4.1.1 Determine the loads exerted by the system to the wall of the spacecraft. This should
include any dynamic loads. These loads should have the form of three forces in the
x,y,z directions and, if appropriate, bending moment(s). An example is shown in figure
4.2

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 4 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

Fz

Mz
Fx

Fy

Figure 4.2: Forces acting on a lug

4.1.2 Select an appropriate lug configuration: Single lug, double lug (which is the one shown
in figures 4.1 and 4.2 with two parallel lugs side by side). Show how the system is
attached to the lug(s) (for example with pins). Be careful, if the loading includes some
bending moment at the root of the system, to provide an attachment that allows for the
creation of at least a force couple to react the moment as shown in figure 4.3 below.

Mz

F1

F1

Figure 4.3: Bending moment resolved in a force couple

Also, for the double lug configuration, h (see figure 4.1) is determined by the
requirement to provide enough clearance so the edge of the system fits between the
two lugs. Determine h (if you are using a double lug configuration).

4.1.3 Design of lugs. Determine the net force P in the y-z plane of figure 4.2 and its
orientation relative to the y (or z) axis. In general this would combine, F1, Fy, Fz. Use
the analysis approach in section D1.13 from Bruhn ( see Appendix) to determine D1, w,
t1 and the material to be used. Use yielding as the failure condition. Note if you use a
double lug, P/2 is taken by each of the two lugs. If you use a single lug, the entire P
load is taken by the single lug. In addition, check your lug(s) for failure under bending

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 5 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

due to the load Fs. If Fs=0 in your design, assume Fx=10%P. This accounts for
misalignments.

4.1.4 Select fastener pattern for the back-up plate. This includes the number of fasteners to
be used, and their spacing. See figure 4.4.

e1

Back-up plate. In this

case, there is a total of 4
fasteners on the back-up
plate.(two on each side)

e2

Figure 4.4: Fasteners in back-up plate

Note that if the back-up late is metal, the fastener spacing, center to center, should be
2-3 times D2. If it is composite it should be 4-5 D2. Also, the edge distance, (distance
between edge of the plate and nearest fastener should be minimum 1.5 D2 (both metal
and composite).. There are two edge distances in Figure 4.4: e1 and e2. The value of w
determined in 4.1.3 and these guidelines for fastener spacing and edge distance should
allow you to pick the number of fasteners and D2. Note that, depending on the results
of 4.1.5 you may have to update w (for example if you need more fasteners in the back-
up plate than the w selected in 4.1.3 allows you to use).

4.1.5 Bearing check for fasteners in back-up plate. Determine the cg of the fasteners in the
back-up plate: Define an arbitrary coordinate system x-z. Obtain the coordinates xi, zi of
the center of each fastener. Select a fastener diameter (not necessary at this point if all
fasteners have the same diameter and the dependence on D2 in eq 4.1 cancels out).
Determine xcg and zcg using:

xcg =
Axi i

A i (4.1a,b)

zcg =
Azi i

A i

where Ai is the area of the ith fastener hole and, analogous to neutral axis calculations,
xi, zi can be negative if the ith fastener is located at negative x or z location with respect
to the coordinate system chosen.

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 6 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

4.1.6 (Bearing check continued). Determine the net force Fcg in the x-z plane of figure 4.2 as a
result of Fx and Fz. This force acts at the cg of the fasteners from step 4.1.5. Resolve
this force into two components parallel to the x and z axes: Fcgx and Fcgz (for the present
problem Fcgx and Fx must coincide in orientation and magnitude and Fcgz and Fz must
also coincide). If Fx and Fz do not act through the cg of the fasteners, then there is an
additional net moment Mcgy about the fastener cg (and about the y axis) that these
forces create. Determine the value and direction of Mcgy. Now determine the in plane
forces on each fastener due to Fcgx, Fcgz, and Mcgy as follows:

Fcgx
Fin plane x =
nf
Fcgz (4.2-4.4)
Fin plane z =
nf
M y Ai ri
Fin plane M y =
Ar
2
i i

where nf is the total number of fasteners, Ai is the cross-sectional area of the ith
fastener, and ri is the radial distance of the center of the ith fastener from the fastener
cg. A notional sketch of the situation is shown in figure 4.5.

Ftot Original location

of FTOT before it
was moved to
Ftot the fastener cg
My =Ftotd d
Ftot/nf

Fin-plane-My ri

fastener i

fastener
cg

Figure 4.5: Fastener pattern and in-plane fastener load resulting from FTOT

4.1.7 (Bearing check continued). Determine the total in-plane force Pi in each fastener as the
resultant of the three forces from the previous step. Bearing failure is caused when the
total in-plane load at each fastener causes a bearing stress that exceeds the bearing
allowable of the material. The bearing stress is the contact stress between fastener and
attached parts. The bearing stress is calculated using:

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 7 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

Pi (4.5)
br =
D2t2

The bearing stress br is compared to the material allowable (bearing strength of the
material). Bearing allowables are tabulated for different materials. Note that eq. (4.5)
will be used to (a) verify that the current values of D2 and t2 are sufficient since there is
no failure and will then give an opportunity to reduce weight by reducing t2 or removing
fasteners, (b) show that there is bearing failure and therefore, more fasteners and/or
higher t2 values must be used; if more fasteners are used, the fastener spacing and
edge distance requirements must still be satisfied which means the current value of w
may need to be updated. So iterations may be required at this step to finalize
geometry. This bearing check should be done for both the lug back-up wall and the
spacecraft wall. There is no point in designing a strong lug if the wall of the vehicle to
which it will be attached will fail in bearing. For the vehicle wall you need only
determine what the thickness would be such that for the material selected for the
vehicle wall and the current value of D2 the wall does not fail in bearing. Also note that
this is a local thickness that is not necessary at the rest of the wall where this bearing
requirement is not present.

4.1.8 Pull-through (or push-through) check. Pull-through or push-through failure occurs when
the out-of-plane fastener load (along the axis of the fastener) is so high that it drives
the collar or the fastener head through the part. (Figure 4.6).

fastener
shank fastener
head
attached
parts

fastener
collar or
nut
pull-through
load

Figure 4.6: Axial load on fastener pulls fastener through the attached parts

Determine the out-of-plane load in each fastener using:

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 8 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

Fy
Fpi =
nf
M z Ai ri (4.6-4.7)
Fp M z =
Ar
2
i i

These are exactly analogous to equations (4.2)-(4.4) with appropriate changes in

variables. Watch out for the sign of FpMz. Mz causes compression in portion of the
fastener pattern (above the cg) and FpMz is thus negative, and tension in portion of the
fastener pattern resulting in positive FpMz there. For each fastener, determine now the
total out-of-plane force Fyi by algebraically adding the forces from eqs. (4.6) and (4.7).
Determine the fastener(s) with the highest out-of-plane load.

4.1.9 (Pull-through failure continued). To check for pull-through failure, the shear stress
caused by the pull-through load inside each attached part is calculated and compared to
the shear yield stress of the material. To calculate the shear stress, determine the
normal stress acting on the outer surface of the attached part and assume it is reacted
by shear stress on a cylindrical surface inside the part at the inboard edge of the
fastener head or nut, whichever is causing the pull-through load on the attached part.
Note that in general, the calculation is done for each of the attached parts separately
(see figure 4.7). This would mean a check on the lug back-up wall of thickness t2 and a
check on the vehicle wall thickness and material.

Dfo
fastener
head

Dfi
attached
parts

inboard t2
edge

pull-through each of attached

load Fyi parts must not yield
when this shear
stress acts

Figure 4.7 Free body diagram of a section of one of the attached parts

It should be noted that if the yield stress in shear for the material(s) selected is not
available, it can be calculated using the von Mises stress and the value for tension yield
stress. The condition for yielding is:

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 9 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

1
( x y ) + ( y z ) + ( z x ) + 3 xy 2 + 3 yz 2 + 3 xz 2
2 2
Y=
2 (4.8)

2

where Y is the tension yield stress.

Calculate the shear stress i inside each attached part and compare to the corresponding
yield stress. Note that in order to do that you will need to know the outer and inner
diameters of the fastener head (or collar depending on which part is being driven into
the back up wall of the lug or the vehicle wall) Dfo and Dfi. If there is no failure consider
decreasing t2 (and t3) if the bearing requirement in 4.1.7 is not violated. If there is
failure, increase the thicknesses accordingly.

4.1.10 Repeat steps 4.1.3, 4.1.7 and 4.19 if any portion of your design is failing in the lug, the
back-up structure (bearing and pull-through) or the vehicle wall (bearing and pull-
through) until no part is failing. Provide a table with the final values of w, D1, D2, t1, t2
and t3. Provide a list of margins of safety (MS) for
- lug,
- back-up wall bearing,
- back-up wall pull-through,
- vehicle wall bearing and
- vehicle wall pull-through.

The MS values in this list should all be positive and as close to zero as possible. If any
MS is negative, your design is failing in that failure mode. If it is positive and high, you
are carrying too much extra material and you could save weight by removing material
and bringing the MS down (still keeping it positive though). Note that the MS is defined
as:

Allowable
MS = 1 (4.9)
Applied

where allowable is the allowable load or stress and is, usually, the material strength in
the corresponding loading case (bearing, shear, etc). Applied is the applied load or
stress (make sure you use the same units for allowable and applied in eq. 4.9)

4.1.11 A detailed measured CATIA drawing of the attachment and its location on the spacecraft

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 10 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

Appendix

Lug analysis
(from Bruhn, Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures, Tri-state offet Co, 1973, section
D1.)

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 11 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 12 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 13 of 14

 Project AE2111-I System design

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering Page 14 of 14