ANDES, the high-resolution spectrometer for the ELT: IFU mechanical design and FE analysis

Le résumé fourni par la source

ANDES, the high-resolution spectrograph for the ESO Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), is advancing toward the system-level Preliminary Design Review (PDR), following the successful PDR of its Integral Field Unit (IFU). This paper presents the preliminary mechanical design activities carried out for the IFU module and the setup of the Finite Element (FE) model adopted for the first structural assessments of the system. Starting from the optical layout, an initial preliminary mechanical design was developed to define the opto-mechanical interfaces, support structures, and overall structural architecture of the IFU. Dedicated optical mounts and supporting elements were designed in parallel with the definition of the main structural components, including the optical bench, interface structures, and external enclosure. Particular attention was devoted to compliance with the geometrical and mechanical constraints imposed by the ANDES Front-End interfaces and integration requirements. The IFU assembly was decomposed into its main mechanical subsystems and optical supports in order to estimate mass distribution, stiffness contribution, interface loads, and alignment-critical regions. Simplified but representative FE models were developed to investigate the structural behavior of the module under operational conditions. The analyses focused on the evaluation of static deformations, modal response, global stiffness, and preliminary seismic behavior, while also providing a first estimation of thermo-mechanical effects potentially affecting optical stability. The results obtained in this preliminary mechanical design phase did not reveal major structural criticalities and confirmed the overall validity of the adopted structural concept. The performed analyses provide important inputs for the following design iterations, supporting material selection, mounting strategies, interface optimization, and stability budgeting activities in preparation for the detailed design phase and future system-level integration.

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