Abstract
A Mechanical connecting unit (MCU) used in ground facilities for a Liquid propellant rocket (LPR) acts as a bridge between the onboard system and the ground oxidizer filling system. It should be resistant to structural deformations in order to guarantee successful supply of a cryogenic oxidizer and high pressure gases without reduction of sealing capability. The MCU consists of many components and linkages and operates under harsh conditions induced by a cryogenic oxidizer, high pressure gases and other mechanical forces. Thus, the evaluation of structural deformation of the MCU considering complex conditions is expensive and time consuming. The present study efficiently evaluates the structural deformations of the key components of the MCU by Thermo-mechanical simulation (TMS) based on the superposition principle. Deformations due to the mechanical loadings including weights, pressures, and spring forces are firstly evaluated by using a non-linear flexible body simulation module (FFlex) of Multi-body dynamics (MBD) software, RecurDyn. Then, thermal deformations for the deformed geometries obtained by RecurDyn were subsequently calculated. It was conducted by using a Finite element (FE) analysis software, ANSYS. The total deformations for the onboard plate and multi-channel plate in the connecting section due to the mechanical and thermal loadings were successfully evaluated. Moreover, the outer gaps at six points between two plates were calculated and verified by comparison to the measured data. Their values and tendencies showed a good agreement. The author concluded that the TMS using MBD software considering flexible bodies and an FE simulator can efficiently evaluate structural deformations of the MCU operating under the complex load and boundary conditions.
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Recommended by Associate Editor Jeong Sam Han
Sang-Woo Kim obtained the Ph.D. degree in Aerospace Engineering from KAIST in 2014. He was a Senior Researcher working in KARI from 2013 to 2015. He is currently an Assistant Professor in department of mechanical engineering, Hankyong National University. His interests span from the structural health monitoring (SHM) for composite structures using optical fiber sensors to the mechanical design for ground facilities of space launch vehicles.
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Kim, SW. Evaluation of structural deformations of a mechanical connecting unit for oxidizer supplies by thermo-mechanical simulation. J Mech Sci Technol 30, 4669–4677 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-016-0937-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-016-0937-4