Sizing Structures and Predicting Weight of a Spacecraft

EZDESIT is a computer program for choosing the sizes of structural components and predicting the weight of a spacecraft, aircraft, or other vehicle. In designing a vehicle, EZDESIT is used in conjunction with a finite-element structural- analysis program: Each structural component is sized within EZDESIT to withstand the loads expected to be encountered during operation, then the weights of all the structural finite elements are added to obtain the structural weight of the vehicle. The sizing of the structural components elements also alters the stiffness properties of the finite-element model. The finite-element analysis and structural component sizing are iterated until the weight of the vehicle converges to a prescribed iterative difference. The results of the sizing can be reviewed in two ways:
1. An interactive session of the EZDESIT program enables review of the results in a table that shows component types, component weights, and failure modes; and
2. The results are read into a finite-element preprocessing-and-postprocessing program and displayed on a graphical representation of the model.

This program was written by Jeffrey Cerro and C. P. Shore of Langley Research Center. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free online at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Software category. LAR-16878-1