A lighter enclosure for electronics for space applications

In this paper, the conventional design of an enclosure for electronic equipment for space application is reviewed and an alternative type of construction is proposed. The alternative design is based on the use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) sandwich panels for the construction of the enclosure, and the substitution of the printed circuit board (PCB) antivibration frames (AVFs) with antivibration rods (AVRs). To put this work into context, the requirements applicable to the structural design of this type of unit are briefly reviewed. Standard structural analyses have been performed on the conventional enclosure and then repeated for the proposed configuration, in order to demonstrate its compliance with the fundamental mechanical requirements. The issues concerning the radiation protection offered by the enclosure are discussed, and some solutions to this potential problem are briefly presented. The work demonstrates the possibility of achieving a saving of about 20 per cent on the overall mass of the unit. Finally, the cost of the proposed enclosure is assessed and compared with the conventional design for various missions.