Management and Engineering

Technology Research for ESA

Since its foundation in the year 2000, HPS GmbH is participating in the  European Space Agency’s (ESA) different technology research and development programmes. This is surely one of the most exciting R&D activities in space business as it targets space application horizons 5 to 10 years and spans many different technical disciplines. Between 2002 and 2009 HPS won and managed around 30 of such multi-disciplinary projects that require highly skilled key personnel, a huge existing network of specialised companies and institutes, and extremely efficient management capacities. Participating in that ESA-R&D-programmes is HPS’ way of being in the forefront of technology in the areas of carbon composite materials, smart structures and thermal protection systems.

Product Development, Manufacturing & Test

As a result of our participation in ESA’s technology development studies, HPS is able to perform hardware development activities for very specific high performance aerospace applications. Our development cycle includes such tasks as:

1. Requirements- and Product Specification-Engineering
2. Mechanical Design
3. Structural Analysis
4. Thermal Analysis
5. Composite Damage Tolerance Assessment
6. Vibro-acoustic Analysis (together with a partner)
7. Re-entry Analysis
8. Radio Frequency (RF) Design and Analysis (together with a partner).

Manufacturing of prototypes, flight hardware or small to large series is subcontracted to our mother company INVENT for the CFRP-parts and assemblies, or by a company within our European network of partners. Important is that the manufacturing-/subcontractor-control is performed in house by respectively experienced personnel.

All necessary verification/qualification/acceptance tests are subcontracted and guided by us. Also here we profit from our international partner test houses in Europe. Main examples are:

1. Material Mechanical and Physical Characterisation Testing (all kinds!)
2. Mechanical Vibration Testing
3. Vibro-acoustic Testing
4. Thermal Cycling
5. Thermo-elastic Distortion Testing
6. Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Testing
7. RF-Testing.

For these complete development cycles as well as for guiding the large international project teams we are using our sophisticated, highly efficient management skills, tools and processes and tailor them to the specific kind and dimension of the respective project. Due to that, it can be claimed that HPS is a “system-house on component level”, very unique in the respective market.

Technology Transfer to Earth

HPS provides engineering services and product development also for aeronautical and terrestrial applications, but here, only in the technological high end area by using the know-how gained in all its space projects. With respect to the aeronautics we are working together very closely with our mother company in Braunschweig and our daughter company in Portugal.

 

Lightweight Structures

Here, our market niche are the highly stable CFRP structures, which means minimal thermo-elastic deformation in the µm range, extreme accuracy, high stiffness and low mass, being in parallel comparably very cost effective. The developments and products range from material level up to complete subsystems.

In the following examples of our capacities are listed:

Antenna Reflectors up to Complete Antennas:

• Ku/Ka/Q/V-Band
• 0,5 to 1,8m and up to 3,0 m diameter
• single- or dual-reflector antennas
• dual gridded reflectors
• high thermo-elastic and mechanical stability
• high accuracy
• extreme lightweight
• cost effective.

Other Carbon Fibre Reinforced Composite Structures:

• Secondary satellite structures
• Satellite panels with advanced grounding rail concepts
• Trusswoks
• Optical structures
• Other payload elements
• Electronic Housings
• Baffles for optical instruments
• Deployable / unfurlable / inflatable CFRP structures
• Smart structures with embeddes sensors and actuators (optical fibres, piezo, EAP)
• Etc.

Materials and Process Assessments:

• New materials/configurations (high performance, high conductivity, high temperature range, electro-magnetic shielding, etc)
• High modulus pitch fibre structures and processes
• Tri-axial oriented carbon fibre composites
• Composite materials for electronic boards
• Manufacturing processes
• Customized metallization of CFRP structures
• Carbon Nanotube based/reinforced CFRP (CNT-composites)
• Carbon honeycombs
• Carbon foams
• Hybrid materials (CFRP/Titan) for high bolted joint performance
• Material characterisation test programs
• Non-destructive inspection technologies
• Etc.

A detailed description of project examples on lightweight structures can be found here.

 

Thermal Control

Engineering, Dimensioning and Development of:

• Ablators e.g. for Interplanetary Sample Return Missions
• Insulations for High Temperatures (1000°C-1600°C) for Re-usable Vehicles
• Insulations for other temperatures (100°C-1000°C) for Re-usable Vehicles
• Mult-layer insulations design and manufacturing (MLI)
• Adaptive/Smart Thermal Protections including fail safe protections
• Health Monitoring and Sensor Systems
• Functional Materials
• Damage Tolerant Materials
• Carbon Nanotube based Ceramics
• CMC Failure Criteria
• Material/Sample Test Programs

A detailed description of project examples on thermal control can be found here.

 

Smart Structures

Target Functions:

• High and low frequency active damping
• Static deformation control
• Active pointing
• Shape control
• Health monitoring (inflight and postflight)
• performancemonitoring
• RF-invisible struts

Technologies:

• Embedded optical fibre sensors(together with Kayser-Threde)
• Embedded piezo actuators (together with DLR and INVENT)
• Implemented electro-active polymer actuators and sensors
• RFID (contactless data transmission)
• WSN (wireless sensor networks)

A detailed description of project examples on smart structures can be found here.