Computer-aided optimal design for flexible cable in aerospace products based on dynamic analogy modeling

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Accurate design of flexible cables is challenging in aerospace manufacturing due to large, complex deformations.
• Current methods result in oversized products, uncertain centroids, and reduced reliability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a computer-aided optimal design method for flexible cables based on dynamic analogy modeling.
• To address issues of large product size, uncertain centroids, and poor reliability in aerospace cable design.

Main Methods:

• Established a nonlinear optimization model using Cosserat theory and the minimum potential energy principle.
• Utilized Euler parameters as control variables and considered total deformation energy as the optimization objective.
• Employed finite element discretization and the primitive dual interior point method for efficient problem-solving.

Main Results:

• Developed a digital wiring module and a cable geometry test bench for verification.
• Successfully implemented a satellite wiring simulation, validating the proposed model.
• Achieved optimal design for cable length and geometric shape, demonstrating the method's effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method provides a theoretical and technical foundation for solving large cable manufacturing errors.
• Enables lightweight design of aerospace products by optimizing cable geometry and length.
• Enhances reliability and accuracy in aerospace cable manufacturing processes.