Fleet Space Technologies Uses Finite Element Analysis and Electromagnetic Simulation Software to Design and Test Antennas in Their Operational Environment

The nature of developing satellites for space is that everything must be done correctly to avoid failure. Once an antenna and payload are launched into space, it is too late to correct any engineering mistakes. That’s why there is so much investment in building resilience into the design—so they have the long-term durability needed to deliver a meaningful return on investment (ROI). Antennas are an important component of Fleet Space’s satellites, but as a startup, Fleet Space doesn’t have an infinite budget or development time.

Challenges

It is difficult — sometimes impossible — to create physical tests that perfectly mimic the environment in space. Fleet needed to ensure their 3D printed antennas were designed for the right performance and printed with the right geometries. Still, there’s no real way to know how they will behave once they enter space. Historically, to build and test a satellite, hundreds of people are needed. But because these antennas are so unique, Fleet had to build a specialized team with high-level capabilities in antenna design.

Engineering Solutions

Fleet used Ansys HFSS electromagnetic simulation software to design antennas for space and ground segments. The features and capabilities they found most useful involved HFSS software's ability to facilitate parametric optimization, which enabled Fleet to systematically vary design parameters for optimal performance. This is crucial for refining antenna designs to meet specific requirements. Depending on the complexity of the antenna designs, having access to various solvers in HFSS software, such as the finite element method (FEM) or FEM-method of moments (FEM-MoM) solvers, provided flexibility in analyzing different aspects of the antennas. Accurate meshing is paramount for simulation precision, and HFSS software offers robust meshing tools that permit control over mesh density to optimize simulation efficiency.

Fleet also used Ansys Mechanical finite element analysis software for static, modal, and random vibration analysis on almost all their projects, including satellites, geodes, and more. Mechanical software’s steady-state and transient thermal analyses were used for lunar environmental scenarios. Fleet also used APDL scripts for dynamic loads and initial conditions.