Application of Thermal Software CORATHERM to Provide Thermo-Elastic Inputs

We have use CORATHERM (Aérospatiale Cannes thermal software) capabilities to build a Thermal -> Mechanical interface and then to provide thermo-elastic inputs. Spacecraft thermal control CORATHERM model and spacecraft mechanical finite element mesh are the inputs of the interface. Temperature distribution calculation for finite element thermal loading does not come from a simple conductive interpolation but is the result of a method (“Equivale method”) which complies with thermal equations (radiative and conductive coupling).

We have used this interface for a whole spacecraft (ARABSAT III) and we get temperature distribution for all panels and webs, on both sides, for various orbital positions.