Product category:
Simulation, modelling and validation software
News Release from: LMS International
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 05 May 2004
Space agency chooses simulation solution
The European Space Agency Technical Centre ESTEC has selected LMS Virtual.Lab Motion as the preferred solution for dynamic multibody simulation.
The European Space Agency Technical Centre ESTEC has selected LMS Virtual.Lab Motion as the preferred solution for dynamic multibody simulation ESA engineers will use LMS Virtual.Lab Motion to quickly generate virtual prototypes of launcher and satellite assemblies, and to accurately simulate their dynamic performance under real-life loading conditions
LMS Virtual.Lab Motion helps recognise potential problems quickly, and performs fast iterative simulations to assess the behaviour of many alternative design variants.
By enabling systematic improvements in performance, safety and reliability, the use of LMS Virtual.Lab Motion significantly contributes to the overall quality of ESA space systems.
Together with European subcontractors, the Mechanical Division of ESA's Technical Centre ESTEC in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, participates in the design and development of a wide range of space systems, including launcher, satellite and lander assemblies.
ESA's Technical Centre ESTEC will use LMS Virtual.Lab Motion to predict the performance of critical in-orbit sequences, such as the separation of satellites, the deployment of solar arrays and safeguarding payload instrumentation.
Other applications cover on-ground launcher and unmanned landing events.
During the conceptual design stage, ESA engineers will use LMS Virtual.Lab Motion to evaluate various promising design concepts and try out a number of launch or separation scenarios, without the need to build physical prototypes.
The insights gained from these early simulations help identify candidate designs that are able to meet overall system targets.
At later stages, during development and qualification, LMS Virtual.Lab Motion will enable engineers to accurately simulate the operation of different design variants.
These detailed dynamic simulations allow to efficiently identify those design aspects that may put the mission at risk, such as release springs with insufficient strength, excessive forces and stresses, residual spacecraft spin, colliding parts, insufficient damper characteristics, etc.
The resulting in-depth understanding of system performance and sensitivities leads to increased operation reliability and improved ability to withstand any possible combination of potentially disturbing factors.
Patrice Kerhousse, Head of Mechanism Section at ESA's Technical Centre ESTEC, sees the selection of LMS Virtual.Lab Motion by ESA as a logic step forward: "We successfully used LMS DADS, the predecessor of LMS Virtual.Lab Motion, in many international space projects.
With LMS Virtual.Lab Motion, we are looking forward to further optimise the way we analyse the dynamic performance of space systems.
Its integrated modelling and simulation approach and its capability to quickly include finite-element (FE) models will enable us to accurately and efficiently investigate many design variants.
In addition, LMS Virtual.Lab Motion's powerful and dedicated animations and result displays improve the speed of retrieving insights and taking well-informed decisions".
Werner Pohl, LMS Corporate Vice-President and General Manager CAE Division, concluded: "We welcome ESA to the growing circle of LMS Virtual.Lab Motion users.
This perfectly illustrates LMS Virtual.Lab Motion's fit for mission-critical engineering activities and capability to efficiently and accurately simulate the dynamic behaviour of complex mechanical systems.
Moreover, LMS Virtual.Lab Motion's ability to integrate test data, reuse CAD and FE models and operate from within Dassault's V5 framework enables engineering teams to accomplish more in less time". Request free introductory details about products from LMS International ...
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