Design and optimization of a multifunctional 3D-Printed structure for an inspector Cubesat

Abstract

A design has been developed for a 3D-printed aluminum Cubesat structure that incorporates a cold-gas ACS propulsion system into hollow spaces within the structure. The propellant tanks, feed pipes, and thruster nozzles are all incorporated into a single piece of printed aluminum that also contains PPOD-compatible rails and connection points for avionics, solar panels, and a payload. This multifunctional structure, called the Structural Propulsion Unit Demonstrator (SPUD), makes efficient use of its available volume, and delivers superior impulse per unit volume compared to existing commercial cold gas thrusters. Since many Cubesat missions are more limited by volume allocation than by mass allocation, volumetric efficiency of a propulsion system is crucial. In addition, the flexibility of additive manufacturing allows the exact location and angles of the nozzles to be tailored to a specific trajectory or set of trajectories. The SPUD nozzles were optimized for an inspector satellite role, although the optimization methods could be used for any mission profile.