Multi-disciplinary design optimization of ocean satellites based on analytical target cascading strategy

On the overall design phase of an ocean satellite, a multi-disciplinary design optimization (MDO) technology is adopted to optimize its main parameters in order to improve the design performance and efficiency of the satellite system. The MDO model of the ocean satellite is set up by considering the constraints and the design variables of orbit, payload, structure and power disciplines with the minimum of the satellite mass as the optimization goal. Effective optimization plans are designed for each discipline according to their properties and a multi-level MDO strategy called analytical target cascading (ATC) is used to facilitate the MDO optimization process. The ocean satellite mass reduces by 17.6% after optimization compared with that of the HY-1 satellite. The computional time is by 85.7% less than that of using the all-at-once(AAO) strategy. On one hand, the effectiveness and the rationality of the MDO model built is proved; on the other hand, it shows effectiveness of the solving strategy of ATC strategy combining with special optimization plans for each discipline.