Study of mass reduction possibility of a cubic microsatellite by replacing isogrid structure with sandwich panel structure using finite element analysis

In this research the possibility of mass reduction in a two-module cubic microsatellite with skin – frame structure is studied. Natural frequencies and effective mass distribution change by replacing isogrid structure with sandwich panel (honeycomb). Modal effective mass is a dynamic characteristic of structure and depends on natural frequencies, mode shapes, general masses and eigenvectors. Modal effective mass is a quantity that shows the importance of a mode when satellite is under acceleration loads through the baseplate. High modal effective mass shows high reaction loads on baseplate in corresponding frequency. Also acting dynamic loads are affected by distribution of modes in frequency range. The sum of effects of different modes creates significant reaction loads. Hence, study of frequency and effective mass changes by converting the structure design from isogrid to sandwich structure is necessary. In this paper, first two isogrid and sandwich structures with equal masses are compared. Then mass of sandwich structure is decreased such a way that natural frequencies of light sandwich structure approach natural frequencies of isogrid structure. In equal masses case, natural frequencies of sandwich structure are twice the natural frequencies of isogrid structure but effective mass distribution of isogrid structure is better along the launch direction. By changing the isogrid structure design to sandwich panel structure and optimization of the new structure characteristics a noticeable reduction in mass and improvement in modal behavior could be obtained.