EA034422B1 - Spacecraft assembly method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to aerospace engineering and may be used in designing spacecrafts of middle class for various purposes. The proposed method allows unifying the payload module at the lowest cost, along with simplifying the design of the module. The invention provides optimal mass and weight characteristics, as well as high assemblability. The objective is to create a new assembly unit that has less weight, high accuracy, along with increased reliability and maximum simplification of the assembling process. The technical result of the invention is in determining the sequence of installation of elements of the load-bearing structure of payload module, with combined use of composite materials and metals, ease of installation and assembly of the structure, which allows optimizing the phasing, assembly time, and also increasing reliability of the created spacecrafts.

Description

The invention relates to space technology and can be used to create spacecraft (SC) for various purposes of the middle class. The proposed method allows to unify the module payload (MPN) at the lowest cost, along with simplifying the design

MPN. The invention provides optimal mass and weight characteristics, as well as high collectability.

Description of the invention

A modern leaky spacecraft consists of two modules: a service system module and a payload module. Modularity is a promising direction in the development of spacecraft in terms of separate manufacture, testing, installation of devices and antennas.

The payload module, like the service systems module (MSS), is made of the required number of three-layer cellular panels. The MSS is designed to support the life of the spacecraft - it contains all the necessary equipment. MPN carries the target function of the spacecraft: it contains all the target equipment. To ensure maximum filling of MPN with target equipment, it is necessary to comply with the condition under which the areas under the equipment will be maximum, and the mass of the structure will be minimal.

There is a known method of assembling a spacecraft, protected by patent EP 0849166 A1, in which all structural elements, including devices and antennas, are mounted directly on the power structure of the hull, the disadvantages of which are the installed equipment's insecurity from the space environment, as well as the complexity of the layout. There is also a known method of assembling a spacecraft, protected by patent RU 2369537 C2, in which the design is made in the form of two modules: MSS and MPN on the power structure of the hull with disclosed radiator panels, the disadvantage of which is the complexity of the spacecraft design, which requires additional elements to disclose these panels. A common disadvantage of the considered methods is the lack of a unified assembly sequence diagram that provides an accurate procedure at the stage of manufacture of the spacecraft.

Closest to the claimed technical solution according to the technical nature and the technical result achieved is the patent RU 2541598 C2. The method of layout of the spacecraft. The described method is adopted as a prototype of the invention. The disadvantages of this method are the presence of disclosed radiator panels, which complicates and aggravates the mass of the spacecraft and the absence of a unified assembly sequence diagram that provides an accurate procedure at the stage of manufacturing the spacecraft.

The present invention is based on the task of creating a new method for assembling a spacecraft with less weight, high accuracy, along with increased reliability and maximum simplification of the assembly process.

The problem is solved by the method of assembly of the spacecraft, which consists in the fact that the assembly of the module of the payload of the spacecraft is carried out separately from the service systems module on technological equipment located vertically, the equipment is closed with panels attached to it. According to the invention, snap-on panels arranged in XOY planes are mounted on the tooling in the form of a pipe; install dashboards on the support panels, fix them on the support panels; mount the stiffness support panels lying in the XOZ plane to the dashboards; mount the astroplate panel lying in the ZOY plane for equipment, dashboards and stiffness support panels; then they install access panels, fix them to the astro-board and dashboards; during installation operations of the assembly of the structure, panels and technological equipment are fastened together using corners and brackets.

Thus, the solution to the problem is to develop an optimized, unified sequence of assembly, installation work, as well as machining at each stage of assembly.

The claimed invention is illustrated by drawings, which depict:

in FIG. 1 - the location of the design panels MPN;

in FIG. 2 - general view of the design of MPN;

in FIG. 3 - fixing the honeycomb panels to each other with brackets;

in FIG. 4 - fasteners;

in FIG. 5, 6 - fastening of support panels to technological equipment;

in FIG. 7 - fastening of access panels by means of corners.

The power structure of the MPN (Fig. 2) is a spatial structure of honeycomb panels and is mounted on tooling using brackets and corners. Cellular panels are made in the form of sandwiches, consisting of aluminum or coal cladding, honeycomb and structural, instrument mortgages.

Assembly MPN is carried out sequentially. Initially, the supporting panels 2, 3 are made (Fig. 1). They consist of one vertical and three horizontal web panels. Then they are fixed on the tooling 1 with the help of brackets (Fig. 5, 6) located on the supporting panels 2, 3. Next, the mechanical processing of these panels is carried out on a snap in order to obtain the required accuracy of their relative position.

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After that, two dashboards 4, 5 located in the XOY plane are installed on the support panels 2, 3 with the help of fasteners (Fig. 4).

The next step is the installation of the support panels 7, 8 located in the XOY plane, to the dashboards 4, 5, the functional purpose of which is to ensure the rigidity of the panel 6. Installation of the support panels 7, 8 is carried out using brackets.

Next, the mechanical processing of the upper plane (dashboards 4, 5 and supporting panels 7, 8) is performed. The installation of the panel-astroplate 6, located in the YOZ plane, is carried out and fixed by means of fasteners through brackets (Fig. 3), which were processed at the previous stage of assembly.

At the final stage, access panels 9, 10, 11, 12 (Fig. 1) are installed, located in the XOZ plane, using composite corners (Fig. 7). The functional purpose of these panels is to provide access to equipment installed on dashboards, as well as additional rigidity of the product.

The final result of the assembly is the design of the MPN (Fig. 2).

For mutual fastening of the panels to each other, metal brackets are used, for example, of aluminum alloy (Fig. 3,5,6) and composite corners, for example, based on carbon fiber (Fig. 7).

The mounting step of the panels is selected based on the analysis of the previous modeling of the finite element model for strength.

For an unambiguous position of the panels relative to each other, at the assembly stage, cool-hole connections are used - a cool groove, as well as bolts with a cool part.

The technical result is to determine the sequence of installation of structural elements of the MPN, with the joint use of composite materials and metals, ease of installation and assembly of the structure, which allows to optimize the phasing, assembly time, as well as increase the reliability of the created spacecraft.

Thus, the proposed method for assembling the module of the payload of the spacecraft allows to unify the sequence of work on installation, processing and assembly, which allows to reduce the time to create the module using the principle of the maximum amount of assembly and mechanical work on individual nodes and the minimum when integrated into superior assembly units.

Claims (1)

The method of assembly of the spacecraft, which consists in the fact that the assembly of the module of the payload of the spacecraft is carried out separately from the service systems module on technological equipment located vertically, the equipment is closed with panels attached to it, characterized in that the equipment made in the form of a pipe is installed support panels located in XOY planes; install dashboards on the support panels, fix them on the support panels; mount the stiffness support panels lying in the XOZ plane to the dashboards; mount the astroplate panel lying in the ZOY plane for equipment, dashboards and stiffness support panels; then they install access panels, fix them to the astro-board and dashboards; during installation operations of the assembly of the structure, panels and technological equipment are fastened together using corners and brackets.