Integrated modeling structural tools for the Giant Magellan Telescope design effort

The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) is an advanced Extremely Large Telescope and is being designed for broad wavelength coverage and maximum sensitivity in pursuit of several high priority cosmology science objectives. The GMT will use large primary mirror segments to provide well corrected wavefronts and a very fast optical system with a 20-arcminute diameter field of view. It will have a direct Gregorian optical prescription and deformable secondary mirrors to implement adaptive optics. The project timeline leads to initial commissioning with early instruments by 2023. The Systems Engineering group, along with the chief engineer, is developing and flowing down science and operational requirements and is the guardian of the performance budget. An integrated performance model of the telescope is being developed to support requirements derivation, performance assessment and trade studies that drive telescope architecture decisions. This model has four key elements; a structural plant model which exhibits the complex dynamics of the telescope; a controls model that models both controller dynamics and noise; an optics model to accurately demonstrate performance and optical feedback; and loads models to characterize various environmental loads. This paper will introduce the GMT integrated modeling architecture, but will focus on the specific tools and process developed to build the critical structural model. An efficient process was required to support the variety of required analyses, update frequency of underlying finite element models, and various project critical trade studies. The end-to-end process, from subsystem finite element models to a system level plant and Simulink block diagram has been achieved through development of a new MATLAB class with many useful functions. Functions are covered that combine the subsystem models, manipulate those models, and help them run efficiently in discrete and continuous time. Verification and version control are also discussed. Case study of wind is presented with preliminary performance results.