Blue Origin

Orbital Tube Welding EMI Simulation

Orbital Tube Welding (OTW) is a key operation in the assembly of space vehicles. OTW is an automated welding process in which the weld arc is rotated 360 degrees around the tubes that are to be joined, resulting in consistent and reliable welds. Performing welds on an integrated vehicle is avoided because the electromagnetic interference caused by the OTW equipment is a significant risk to avionics components on the vehicle. However, occasional welding near avionics components is necessary to accommodate late component arrivals or to replace a faulty line. This student team worked to simulate the electromagnetic interface caused by orbital tube welding to roughly gauge the risk of welding near avionics components. This student team worked to design, model, and build a demonstrator that includes a weld location, common avionics components, and locations for EMI sensors. This demonstrator is intended be used to analyze and validate a model of EMI at specific locations on a space vehicle as a result of orbital tube welding.