How T4i Accelerated Their Engineering Workflow 10x For An Optimized Pressurized Tank
The Part
A pressurized propulsion tank for a 1U CubeSat platform, designed by T4i (Technology for Propulsion and Innovation) to withstand internal pressures up to 40 bar within a 10x10x10 cm envelope. The component integrates structural load-bearing geometry, internal lattice structures for mass efficiency, and threaded interface connections, all within a single additive manufactured part compatible with Scalmalloy (Y = 480 MPa). External surfaces are fixed to existing subsystem interfaces, constraining the available design space from the outset.
The Challenge
New Space propulsion components operate at the intersection of two extreme constraints: the structural demands of high-pressure containment and the volumetric limits of CubeSat packaging. Meeting both with a single part requires geometry that conventional CAD cannot generate, and validating that geometry requires simulation capabilities that traditional tools take days to run at this complexity level.
T4i also needed to evaluate multiple lattice types, cell sizes, and wall thickness parameters in parallel across multiple objective functions (weight, internal volume, displacement, and Von Mises stress), generating a structured design space rather than iterating manually toward a single solution.
The Approach
The engineering team used a three-stage workflow: initial shell topology optimization under operating pressure loads, variable wall thickness generation based on stress distribution results, and a multi-objective lattice Design of Experiments evaluating five lattice types across cell size and thickness parameters. The lattice-shell combination that emerged from the DoE was then validated under loads up to 50 bar before AM manufacturability was confirmed. The DoE result identified a geometry that T4i had not considered as a leading candidate before the exploration began.
The case study documents the full three-stage workflow, the lattice DoE configuration across five structure types, and the manufacturability verification steps that confirmed the design was print-ready without manual adjustments.
Key Results
- 85% Von Mises stress reduction versus the initial shell design
- 92% engineering lead time reduction, 7 days cut to 4.5 hours for the full lattice exploration
- Print-ready geometry validated directly for Scalmalloy AM production without manual cleanup
The case study includes the full lattice DoE results table, the three-stage workflow breakdown, and T4i's validation data under operational loads up to 50 bar.
Why It Matters
Lattice structure optimization for high-pressure containment is one of the design challenges that most directly illustrates the gap between what additive manufacturing can produce and what conventional engineering workflows can explore in reasonable time. T4i's project quantifies both sides of that gap simultaneously.
Download the case study to see the full lattice DoE methodology, the three-stage workflow, and T4i's performance validation data under mission loads.
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T4i leveraged Cognitive Design's AI-driven generative workflow to compress the development cycle of a pressurized aluminum tank for a 1U CubeSat envelope by a factor of 10, saving 7 days of engineering time (a 92% reduction). The platform enabled rapid exploration and optimization of complex internal lattice-shell geometries while integrating additive manufacturing constraints from the first iteration.
Compared to the initial design, T4i achieved an 85% reduction in Von Mises stress using the most optimized lattice-shell combination identified through multi-objective exploration in Cognitive Design. The resulting design was structurally robust, lightweight, and print-ready, meeting demanding internal pressure requirements within the strict 1U CubeSat envelope constraints.
Cognitive Design's generative workflow includes multi-objective exploration for lattice and TPMS (Triply Periodic Minimal Surface) geometries, enabling engineers to evaluate combinations of shell and infill structures against pressure resistance, mass, and printability simultaneously. For T4i's pressurized tank, this identified the optimal lattice-shell configuration without requiring manual iteration between separate CAD and FEA tools.
New Space programs demand compact, high-performance components delivered within aggressive development timelines and tight mass and volume budgets. Cognitive Design's integrated AI-driven exploration, real-time FEA validation, and additive manufacturing constraint embedding allow engineers to evaluate dozens of configurations within a single session, directly addressing the optimization density and speed required by CubeSat and small satellite propulsion programs.
Nicolas Bellomo, CTO at T4i, stated that Cognitive Design enabled the team to rapidly design and validate a structurally optimized tank fitting within CubeSat constraints, integrating all required functions and meeting demanding pressure requirements. He described the platform as a game-changer for enabling component design exploration for high-performance propulsion in small satellite platforms.
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