Lightweight Design of Shell Based on Finite Element Method

Abstract The shell structure design of modern spacecraft internal devices is developing towards lightweight, high-performance, and low-cost. In order to achieve a lightweight construction of the shell structure, this work takes the spacecraft shell as an optimization object. Under the premise of ensuring that the stiffness of the box meets the design requirements, the lightweight construction of the box adopts a post-design optimization method. First, the preliminary design of the model was conducted using SolidWorks, and then the transient dynamic analysis of the model was conducted. The results met the design requirements. Then, the topology of the model is optimized using ANSYS Workbench software, and the optimization results are improved based on assembly conditions. Finally, a transient dynamic analysis of the topology optimized model was performed and compared with previous results. It was found that the design requirements were still met, while the weight was reduced by about 36.8%. This achieved lightweight design of the shell, improved performance, and reduced costs.