Satellite primary structure integrated tank support system and method of manufacturing

Abstract

Satellite main structure integrated storage tank support system relates to the technical field of spaceflight auxiliary equipment, including main component, triangular truss component, flange ring component; the main component includes the bar and tee joint installed together, the triangular truss component is formed by multiple connecting rods installed together, and the triangular truss component and the main component and the flange ring component are fixedly installed together; the manufacturing method of satellite main structure integrated storage tank support system includes six processes. The new type realizes structure fusion, and the triangular truss component directly continues the load path of the main frame component; four sets of triangular truss components plus the flange ring component form the geometric configuration of the closed force ring, which can support the satellite storage tank well; between the upper part of the four sets of triangular truss components and the main frame component connection points, the main frame component connection points and the flange ring support points eliminate the support-main structure mechanical interface; the new type improves the structure stiffness mass ratio and realizes accurate positioning and installation of the storage tank.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace auxiliary equipment technology, and in particular to an integrated tank support system for the main structure of a satellite and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] Satellite propellant tanks are crucial components of a satellite's propulsion system, primarily used for storing propellant and facilitating fuel loading and unloading. As a vital part of the satellite's structure, they must meet requirements such as high-precision molding, leak-proof design, and strong fatigue resistance. They must withstand the extreme mechanical environments experienced during satellite launch and the thermal stresses encountered during on-orbit operation. To reduce weight, tanks are generally thin-walled structures. Due to the significant pressure generated by the internal fuel, the mechanical environment requirements are generally higher than for other equipment on the satellite to prevent deformation and rupture. Satellite propellant tanks are typically mounted at or near the satellite's center of mass using tank supports. This is primarily to minimize the impact of fuel consumption on the satellite's center of mass during on-orbit operation, thereby reducing the difficulty of attitude control.

[0003] Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the traditional tank support 5 is generally made of titanium alloy, high-strength aluminum / magnesium alloy or composite material. The tank support 5 is connected to the satellite base plate by bolts. Although it can achieve modular installation, there are problems such as stress concentration at the interface between the tank support 5 and the main satellite structure, additional mass of the connecting parts (accounting for about 15% of the total weight of the support), easy loosening of the bolt connection surface under vibration environment, and failure to achieve load path integration in the split design. The specific problems are as follows: (1): The separate design of the tank support and the main satellite structure will lead to mass redundancy. Specifically, the traditional tank support requires the base plate support frame, the base plate and the tank support to work together to support the tank. (2): The force transmission path is discontinuous, which will reduce the overall stiffness. Specifically, the force transmission path of the traditional tank support structure is first transmitted from the four bottom corners to the base plate through the base plate support frame, then from the base plate to the tank support, and then from the tank support to the tank. The entire force transmission path is more complicated and the structural stiffness is reduced compared to the direct transmission path. (3): Assembly errors affect the positioning accuracy of the tank. Since the main support structure of the tank is positioned relative to the four mounting bases of the satellite, the increased force transmission path will reduce the efficiency of structural accuracy transmission, thus affecting the installation accuracy of the tank. (4): It is impossible to support and install the dual-flange satellite tank. Traditional tanks are installed in the satellite mainly through tank supports. It is difficult to design a simple tank support as a double-layer structure. Even if it is designed as a double-layer structure, its weight will increase significantly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the drawbacks of existing satellite tank supports due to structural limitations, as described in the background section, this invention provides an integrated satellite main structure tank support system and its manufacturing method. This system utilizes triangular truss members to directly extend the load path of the main component, multiple sets of triangular truss members plus flange ring members to form a closed force ring, and the vertices of multiple sets of triangular truss members simultaneously serve as connection points between the main component and the flange ring members. This overcomes the force transmission bottleneck of traditional split tank supports and enables the installation of double-flange satellite tanks. It meets the stringent structural response requirements of mission scenarios such as installing tanks on small and medium-sized satellites as much as possible.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: The satellite main structure integrated tank support system includes a main component, a triangular truss component, and a flange ring component. The main component includes multiple rods and tee connectors, all of the same quantity. Among these multiple tee connectors, the structures of several tee connectors are different from those of other multiple tee connectors. Of the multiple rods, the two ends of several rods and the first and second ends of several tee connectors are horizontally fixed together. The upper ends of several other rods and the third ends of several tee connectors are vertically fixed together. The lower ends of several other rods and the first ends of several other tee structures are vertically fixed together. The components are installed together; there are at least two flange ring components and multiple sets of triangular truss components. Each set of triangular truss components consists of multiple connecting rods. The outer sides of two connecting rods of the multiple sets of triangular truss components and the second and third ends of multiple other tee joints are fixedly installed together. The inner sides of two connecting rods of the multiple sets of triangular truss components are fixedly installed together with the outer sides of two flange ring components at equal intervals. The upper and lower ends of the third connecting rod of the multiple sets of triangular truss components are fixedly installed between the upper and lower inner sides of two flange ring components at equal intervals. The lower ends of multiple other tee joints are fixedly installed at the center of mass of the satellite.

[0006] Furthermore, the main component is a rectangular structure, and multiple connecting rods of multiple sets of triangular truss components form a triangular structure.

[0007] Furthermore, the flange ring component has multiple mounting holes on its inner side, and among the two flange ring components, the inner diameter of the upper flange ring component is larger than the inner diameter of the lower flange ring component.

[0008] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the upper flange ring component is larger than the outer diameter of the lower outer flange of the satellite tank, the inner diameter of the lower flange ring component is smaller than the outer diameter of the lower outer flange of the satellite tank, and the inner diameter of the upper flange ring component is smaller than the outer diameter of the upper outer flange of the satellite tank.

[0009] Furthermore, in the flange ring component, when used for single-flange satellite tank support installation, the upper outer flange of the satellite tank and the upper flange ring component are fixedly installed together, and the lower end of the satellite tank and the upper end of the lower flange ring component are spaced apart; when used for double-flange satellite tank support installation, the upper and lower outer flanges of the satellite tank are fixedly installed together with the upper flange ring component and the lower flange ring component, respectively, and the lower end of the satellite tank is higher than the lower end of the other multiple tee joints, and a buffer pad is installed between the lower end of the upper outer flange of the satellite tank and the upper side of the upper flange ring component.

[0010] Furthermore, the tee connector is made of carbon fiber T800 material with a wall thickness of 2mm-3mm; the rod is made of carbon fiber M40J material and is a hollow rod with a wall thickness of 2mm-3mm.

[0011] The manufacturing method of the integrated storage tank support system for the satellite main structure includes six steps: S1: Mold design and processing, designing and processing aluminum alloy or steel molds according to the structural dimensions, including molds for the main components, triangular truss components, and flange ring components. The mold for the flange ring components includes the cavities of the upper and lower flange ring components; S2: Lay-up and prepreg cutting, the tee joints are made of T800 carbon fiber prepreg epoxy resin, and cut according to the designed lay-up angle; S3: Autoclave curing, placing the prefabricated body after lay-up into the mold and curing it in an autoclave, with the temperature stepped up to 180℃. -190℃, heat preservation for 120-130 minutes, flange ring components and triangular truss components are cured separately and then assembled, or a co-curing process is used for one-time molding; S4: Joint and rod assembly, all tee joints and rods are glued to form a tank support system; S5: Post-processing and inspection, aluminum alloy gaskets are pasted on the tank mounting surface of the two flange ring components, and CNC precision machining is used to ensure that the flatness of the tank mounting surface is <0.1mm; S6: Ultrasonic C-scan or X-ray inspection is used to detect defects such as delamination and porosity to ensure that there are no defects in the key areas.

[0012] Furthermore, in step S1, it is necessary to ensure the coaxiality and fitting accuracy of the two flange ring components when they are stacked on top of each other; in S2, the circumferential ply needs to be added to the joint area of ​​the tee joint and the flange ring component to improve the radial stiffness, and cross ply is used to optimize the axial bearing capacity in the triangular truss component area.

[0013] Furthermore, in step S3 of the assembly, it is necessary to ensure the axiality of the two flange ring components of the tank support system and the flatness of the upper surface.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: This invention achieves structural integration, with the triangular truss components directly continuing the load path of the main frame components; the four sets of triangular truss components plus the flange ring components form a closed force ring geometry, which can provide good support for the satellite tank; the connection points between the upper parts of the four sets of triangular truss components and the main frame components serve as the connection points between the main frame components and the flange ring support points, eliminating the mechanical interface between the support and the main structure; this invention optimizes the force / heat transfer path of the propellant tank, improves the structural stiffness-to-mass ratio (>100%), and achieves precise positioning of the tank at the 0.2mm level, thus meeting the stringent structural response requirements of mission scenarios such as installing tanks on small and medium-sized satellites as much as possible, and therefore has good application prospects. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the existing tank support without the tank installed.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the existing tank support with the tank installed.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the integrated storage tank support system for the main satellite structure of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the integrated satellite main structure tank support system of the present invention, with the two flange ring components of the tank support in the state of installing the satellite tank.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the integrated satellite main structure tank support system of the present invention, with one flange ring component installed in the satellite tank. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Figure 3 , 4As shown in Figure 5, the integrated storage tank support system of the satellite main structure includes a main component 1, a triangular truss component 2, and a flange ring component 3. The main component includes rods 101 and tee joints 102, with eight rods 101 and eight tee joints 102 of the same quantity. Among the eight tee joints 102, the structures of four tee joints 102 are different from those of the other four. Among the eight rods 101, the two ends of four rods 101 and the first and second ends of four tee joints 102 are fixed together horizontally, while the upper ends of the other four rods 101 and the third ends of four tee joints 102 are fixed together vertically. The lower ends of the other four rods 101 and the first ends of the other four tee joints 102 are fixed together vertically. The ends are fixed together vertically; there are two flange ring components 3 and four sets of triangular truss components 2. Each set of triangular truss components 2 consists of three connecting rods. The outer sides of two connecting rods 21 of the four sets of triangular truss components and the second and third ends of the other four tee joints 102 are fixed together. The inner sides of two connecting rods 21 of the four sets of triangular truss components are fixed together at equal intervals with the outer sides of the two flange ring components 3. The upper and lower ends of the third connecting rod 22 of the four sets of triangular truss components are fixed between the upper and lower inner sides of the two flange ring components 3 at equal intervals. The lower ends of the other four tee joints 22 are fixed at or near the center of mass of the satellite (not shown in the figure) by bolts and nuts.

[0022] Figure 3 , 4As shown in Figure 5, the main component 1 is a rectangular structure, and the three connecting rods 21 and 22 of the four sets of triangular truss components form a triangular structure. The inner side of the flange ring component 3 has multiple mounting holes spaced at intervals in a ring. Of the two flange ring components 3, the inner diameter of the upper flange ring component 3 is larger than that of the lower flange ring component 3. The inner diameter of the upper flange ring component 3 is larger than the outer diameter of the lower outer flange 41 of the satellite tank 4, the inner diameter of the lower flange ring component 3 is smaller than the outer diameter of the lower outer flange 41 of the satellite tank, and the inner diameter of the upper flange ring component 3 is smaller than the outer diameter of the upper outer flange of the satellite tank 4. In the flange ring component 3, when used for supporting the installation of a single-flange satellite tank 4, the upper outer flange 41 of the satellite tank 4 and multiple mounting holes of the upper flange ring component 3 are fixed together with bolts and nuts, and the lower end of the satellite tank 4 and the upper end of the lower flange ring component 3 are spaced apart; when used for supporting the installation of a double-flange satellite tank 4, the upper and lower outer flanges of the satellite tank 4 and multiple mounting holes of the upper and lower flange ring components 3 are fixed together with bolts and nuts respectively, and the lower end of the satellite tank 4 is higher than the lower end of the other four tee joints 102. A buffer gasket is installed between the lower end of the upper outer flange of the satellite tank 4 and the upper side of the upper flange ring component 3 (the upper flange ring component 3 is flexibly connected, thereby achieving the effect of upper flexibility and lower rigidity in the installation position of the two flange ring components 3 and the satellite tank 4, avoiding the increase of structural stress caused by deformation due to changes in the internal pressure of the tank, which could cause deformation and damage to the satellite structure). The tee connector 102 is made of carbon fiber T800 material with a wall thickness of 2mm; the rod 101 is made of carbon fiber M40J material, and is a hollow rod with a cross-section of 50mm×50mm, and the wall thickness of the rod is 2mm.

[0023] Figure 3 , 4As shown in Figure 5, the manufacturing process of the integrated storage tank support system of the satellite main structure is as follows: (1) Mold design and processing: Design aluminum alloy or steel molds according to the structural dimensions, including molds for the main component 1, triangular truss component 2, and flange ring component 3; the mold for flange ring component 3 must include the cavity of the upper and lower flange ring components to ensure the coaxiality and fitting accuracy of the two flange ring components 3 when stacked. (2) Lay-up and prepreg cutting: T800 carbon fiber prepreg (epoxy resin base) is used for the tee joint 102. It is cut according to the designed lay-up angle (0°, ±45°, 90°). The joint area of ​​the tee joint and the flange ring component needs to add circumferential lay-up to improve radial stiffness, and cross lay-up is used in the triangular truss component area to optimize axial bearing capacity. (3) Autoclave curing: Place the precast body after layering into the mold and cure it in the autoclave. The temperature is gradually increased to 180℃ and kept warm for 2 hours. The flange ring component 3 and the triangular truss component 2 are cured separately and then assembled, or a co-curing process is used to form them in one step. (4) Assembly of joints and rods: All tee joints and rods are glued together to form a tank support system. During assembly, it is necessary to ensure the axiality of the two flange ring components 3 and the flatness of the upper surface (tolerance ±0.1mm). (5) Post-processing and inspection: Aluminum alloy gaskets are pasted on the tank mounting surface of the two flange ring components 3 and CNC precision machining is used to ensure that the flatness of the tank mounting surface is <0.1mm. (6) Use ultrasonic C-scan or X-ray to detect defects such as delamination and porosity to ensure that there are no defects in key areas (such as the truss-flange connection).

[0024] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, combined with Table 1, this invention provides an integrated tank support system with topology optimization for the satellite main structure. This system consists of four sets of triangular truss components and two flange ring structures, reducing the need for a base plate support frame, base plate, and tank support required in traditional tank support systems. This reduces the structural weight of the tank support structure by at least 50%, while also reducing cumulative errors during assembly. The triangular truss directly extends the load path of the main structure, connecting with the double flange structure to form a sealed force ring geometry, achieving structural integration and avoiding complex force transmission paths. This significantly improves the overall structural stiffness and eliminates the mechanical interface between the support and the main structure, providing excellent support for the satellite tank. The double flange structure, by adjusting the size and spacing of the two flange rings, can better adapt to different tank interfaces and sizes without increasing the structural weight. The following table shows the data and mechanical test results of a certain model using this invention compared to a traditional structure with a base plate support frame, base plate, and tank support. This invention is particularly suitable for mission scenarios with demanding structural response requirements, such as using large tanks on small and medium-sized satellites.

[0025]

[0026] Table 1 Those skilled in the art should understand that although this specification describes embodiments, the embodiments do not necessarily contain only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in the embodiments can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a satellite main structure integrated tank support system including a main body member, a triangular truss member, and a flange ring member, characterized by, The main components include rods and tee connectors, with multiple rods and tee connectors of the same quantity. Among the multiple tee connectors, some have structures different from others. Of the multiple rods, some rods are horizontally fixed at both ends and the first and second ends of some of the multiple tee connectors; others are vertically fixed at their upper ends and the third ends of the corresponding multiple tee connectors; still others are vertically fixed at their lower ends and the first ends of other multiple tee connectors. There are at least two flange ring components and multiple sets of triangular truss components, each set consisting of multiple connecting rods. Two connecting rods of multiple sets of triangular truss components are fixedly installed together on their outer sides and the second and third ends of multiple tee joints. Two connecting rods of the multiple sets of triangular truss components are fixedly installed together on their inner sides at equal intervals and on the outer sides of two flange ring components. The upper and lower ends of the third connecting rod of the multiple sets of triangular truss components are fixedly installed between the upper and lower inner sides of two flange ring components at equal intervals. The lower ends of multiple tee joints are fixedly installed at the center of mass of the satellite. In the flange ring components, when used for single-flange satellite tank support installation, the upper outer flange of the satellite tank and one upper flange ring component are fixedly installed together. The lower end of the satellite tank and the upper end of one lower flange ring component are spaced apart... When used for supporting the installation of a double-flange satellite tank, the upper and lower outer flanges of the satellite tank are fixedly installed together with one upper flange ring component and one lower flange ring component, respectively. The lower end of the satellite tank is higher than the lower end of the other multiple tee joints. A buffer pad is installed between the lower end of the upper outer flange of the satellite tank and the upper side of the upper flange ring component. The manufacturing method includes the following steps: S1: Mold design and processing. According to the structural dimensions, aluminum alloy or steel molds are designed and processed, including molds for the main components, triangular truss components, and flange ring components. The mold for the flange ring components includes the cavities of the upper and lower flange ring components; S2: Lay-up and prepreg cutting. The tee joints use carbon fiber T800 prepreg material. Epoxy resin base, cut according to the designed layup angle; S3: Autoclave curing, place the precast body after layup into the mold, cure in the autoclave, step temperature rise to 180℃-190℃, hold for 120-130 minutes, flange ring components and triangular truss components are cured separately and then assembled, or a co-curing process is used to form one piece; S4: Joint and rod assembly, all tee joints and rods are glued to form the tank support system; S5: Post-processing and inspection, aluminum alloy gaskets are pasted on the tank mounting surface of the two flange ring components, and CNC precision machining is used to ensure that the flatness of the tank mounting surface is <0.1mm; S6: Ultrasonic C-scan or X-ray inspection is used to detect delamination and porosity to ensure that there are no defects in the key areas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: The main component is a rectangular structure, and multiple connecting rods of multiple sets of triangular truss components form a triangular structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein: The flange ring component has multiple mounting holes on its inner side. Among the two flange ring components, the inner diameter of the upper flange ring component is larger than the inner diameter of the lower flange ring component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein: The inner diameter of the upper flange ring component is larger than the outer diameter of the lower outer flange of the satellite tank, the inner diameter of the lower flange ring component is smaller than the outer diameter of the lower outer flange of the satellite tank, and the inner diameter of the upper flange ring component is smaller than the outer diameter of the upper outer flange of the satellite tank.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein: The tee connector is made of carbon fiber T800 material with a wall thickness of 2mm-3mm; the rod is made of carbon fiber M40J material and is a hollow rod with a wall thickness of 2mm-3mm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein: In step S1, it is necessary to ensure the coaxiality and fitting accuracy of the two flange ring components when they are stacked on top of each other; in step S2, the joint area between the tee joint and the flange ring component needs to be padded with circumferential layers to improve radial stiffness, and the triangular truss component area needs to be padded with cross layers to optimize axial bearing capacity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein: In step S3 of the assembly, it is necessary to ensure the axiality of the two flange ring components of the tank support system and the flatness of the upper surface.

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