Thermal distortion analysis is becoming more and more important since instrument and S/C pointing requirements are growing. In order to match this increasing need, an interface software tool has been developed to support data transfer between structural and thermal software, to be used preferably for thermal distortion analysis.
Model properties, like geometry, can be transferred from structural software (Patran/Nastran) to thermal software (Esarad/Esatan). After thermal analysis, the transfer of temperatures back to structural software is supported in order to enable thermal temperature mapping on the structural mesh for final distortion analysis.
The aim of the presented activities is to provide a direct interface between neighbored disciplines as well as to improve the overall process of thermal distortion analysis by the provision of semi-automated calculation routines to replace time consuming hand calculations.
The software has been used for several early design studies and has been extended and improved to match the requirements of project needs.