PAGE CONTENTS
Objectives
The project objectives are to replace metallic telecom satellite secondary structure parts with conductive thermoplastic ones. Mass saving of at least 50% and lead time reductions are aimed for. The parts need to withstand the GEO space environment, with launch loads and vibrations, outgassing and UV resilience being important requirements.
Two part families are considered in detail: 1. enclosures and 2. support structure and brackets. Real metallic parts used in spacecraft were selected as baselines which to replicate into a thermoplastic versions.
The parts should also have conductive properties. Two approaches are used: material conductance and as well as atomic layer deposition (ALD). The first enables lower-level conductance through the material itself, enabling application such as electrostatic discharge. For this the consortium developed its own conductive PEEK material with optimal properties for the task at hand.
The latter is a method developed by the consortium, wherein nanoscale coatings are very conformally coated over a thermoplastic part. The coating can be very conductive, opening up low – resistance applications, and can be selectively coated with the selective use of thermoplastics.
Example application 1: Microwave power metallic relay (left) and equivalent re-designed, significantly lighter thermoplastic version (right)
Example application 2: On-Board Computer metallic housing (left) and re-designed equivalent thermoplastic version (right)
Example application 3: conformally coated conductive 3D-printed part (left) and a 3D-printed UV-sensor cirtcuit next to its original (right)
Challenges
Main challenges include verifying that the part can withstand long time periods in a GEO space environment, particularly regarding UV. Additively manufactured parts need to also be checked regarding the isotropy of their mechanical properties.
System Architecture
N/A
Plan
The project has three main phases – secondary structure family review and part selection, first test part and conductive thermoplastic manufacture and test, and then based on the results, optimization and verification tests on the optimized parts.
Current Status
The project selected the part families and parts themselves (almost all are from existing space missions or other ARTES projects) and thermoplastic versions have been manufactured. Two iterations of the selected parts were printed and extensively tested.
The consortium produced its own conductive PEEK compound with improved thermal and outgassing properties.
Selective coating using ALD has been shown to work and selectively coated test pieces have been successfully produced. Two circuit demos were built, of which one operated a reprogrammable microcontroller and a LED while the second a UV-sensor.
