Modular Multifunctional Composite Structure for CubeSat Applications: Embedded Battery Prototype Modal Analysis

Abstract

Current CubeSats usually exhibit a low structural mass efficiency and a low internal volume for their payloads. The present work aims to propose an advanced structural architecture for CubeSats that addresses the issues of low structural mass efficiency and payload volume. The starting concept is the smart tiles architecture for satellites developed for the ARAMIS (an Italian acronym for a highly modular architecture for satellite infrastructures) CubeSat project. By introducing multifunctional structures and lightweight, composite materials in the design of smart tiles, the volumetric and structural mass efficiency of the entire CubeSat are enhanced. The advantages of the chosen approach are preliminarily analyzed in terms of the volumetric efficiency and amplitude of the payload design space. A 1U battery tile design is then selected to investigate the multifunctional structures design aspects in the project of space structures. A battery tile prototype is designed, produced, and tested. The CubeSat volumetric increment and the payload volume gain with respect to the traditional architecture is shown to reach a maximum of 37%. The CubeSat structural mass ratio can be reduced to 16.7%.