On the dynamics of a novel manipulator with slewing and deployable links

Using a novel space platform-based manipulator with slewing and deployable links, the paper addresses two issues of considerable importance: (a) How important is it to model flexibility of the system? (b) How many modes are needed to adequately represent the elastic character? Results suggest that the fundamental mode is able to capture physics of the response quite accurately. Due to its massive character, the platform dynamics is virtually unaffected, even by severe maneuvers of the manipulator. Hence, treating the platform as rigid would save the computational cost without affecting the accuracy. Although the link flexibility does affect the manipulator's tip vibration, the joint and platform vibrations remain negligible. The revolute joint flexibility appears to be an important parameter affecting both the joint as well as tip responses. The information should prove useful in the design of this new class of manipulators.     

Optimum low-thrust limited power transfers between neighbouring elliptic non-equatorial orbits in a non-central gravity field

A complete first-order analytical solution is developed for the problem of optimum low-thrust limited power transfers between neighbouring elliptic non-equatorial orbits in a non-central gravity field. The optimization problem is formulated as a Mayer problem of optimal control with Cartesian elements as state variables. After applying the Pontryagin maximum principle and determining the optimal thrust acceleration, an intrinsic canonical transformation is performed: the Cartesian elements are changed by suitable orbital elements. Hori's method is applied in determining a first-order analytical solution. Simple analytical solutions are obtained explicitly for long-time transfers.     

Brazilian participation in the International Space Station (ISS) program: commitment or bargain struck?

The invitation to Brazil to join the International Space Station (ISS) program illustrates the way that foreign-policy makers in the USA favor short-term decisions over long-term commitments, while, in accepting the invitation, Brazil was also promoting other objectives. In taking the initiative to invite Brazil, President Clinton provided a unique opportunity to a middle-to-low-ranking spacefaring developing country to join the program as part of NASA's quota for the ISS. However, this action was the result of exchanges and bargains between the two countries, involving domestic and international interests on both sides—not all directly related to ISS activities—targeted at security and industrialization issues. These included the international non-proliferation regime, the commercialization of space systems and facilities (particularly Brazil's Alcantara Launch Center) and intellectual property.     

Stochastic modelling considering ionospheric scintillation effects on GNSS relative and point positioning

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), in particular the Global Positioning System (GPS), have been widely used for high accuracy geodetic positioning. The Least Squares functional models related to the GNSS observables have been more extensively studied than the corresponding stochastic models, given that the development of the latter is significantly more complex. As a result, a simplified stochastic model is often used in GNSS positioning, which assumes that all the GNSS observables are statistically independent and of the same quality, i.e. a similar variance is assigned indiscriminately to all of the measurements. However, the definition of the stochastic model may be approached from a more detailed perspective, considering specific effects affecting each observable individually, as for example the effects of ionospheric scintillation. These effects relate to phase and amplitude fluctuations in the satellites signals that occur due to diffraction on electron density irregularities in the ionosphere and are particularly relevant at equatorial and high latitude regions, especially during periods of high solar activity. As a consequence, degraded measurement quality and poorer positioning accuracy may result.     

Countermeasure Against Regenerative and Forced Chatter of Flexible Workpieces in Milling Processs Using Bi-directional Excitation

A novel extended methodology for chatter suppression in milling process by applying external forced vibrations to the workpiece in two orthogonal directions which are the feed and cross-feed directions.Both the regenerative and forced chatter suppression during the milling process of flexible workpieces are investigated.Here,the workpiece is subject to a sinusoidal periodic force in the feed direction to disrupt the regenerative effect.Additionally,to minimize the forced chatter,the workpiece is subject to the periodic excitation force in cross-feed direction.This force is proportional to the magnitude of the estimated cutting force in cross-feed direction and has a phase opposite to the cutting force to minimize the vibration amplitudes.The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated numerically and experimentally,for the spindle speed located in both the local minima and local maxima of the stability lobe diagram.The numerical simulations indicate significant suppression effect in terms of vibration amplitudes,resulting in suppression of both the regenerative chatter and the forced chatter.Experiments were conducted by using a workpiece-mounted active stage composed of flexure hinges and driven by piezoelectric actuators.The experimental results agree qualitatively with the numerical simulations.The proposed method indicates a remarkable vibration reduction effect for both regenerative and forced chatters.     

夜气辉对天基光学碎片探测的影响分析

设计并完成了夜气辉背景下的天基碎片观测试验，获取了综合谱段的观测数据。基于观测数据进行夜气辉的辐射特性及其对天基碎片探测的影响分析。结果表明，夜气辉辐射随纬度和高度呈现一定的分布特点，这些特点均符合夜气辉的理论分布规律。在约90 km处辐射最强，亮度可达到单位积分时间每平方角秒近15星等，这对恒星及碎片提取概率影响较大，其中，13等星的提取概率仅为40.5%。     

天基强银河背景下的空间碎片探测试验及分析

本文设计并完成了银河背景下碎片探测试验，数据分析表明，强的银河背景会降低探测器对暗弱碎片的探测能力，但对碎片的天文定位精度影响不大。本文验证了采用基于探测概率的极限探测星等方法表征探测器极限探测能力的合理性，以及基于仿真的方法增加数据完备度的可行性。本文的工作将为后续天基探测器的设计及探测试验的开展提供依据。     

高速旋转状态下高压涡轮叶盘振动试验研究

在高速旋转状态下,开展对高压涡轮转子叶片的振动特性和缘板阻尼装置减振效果的试验研究,有利于后期的设计迭代,获得真实的叶片振动情况。以高压涡轮转子模拟件为对象,采用雾化油滴非接触式激励方式模拟涡轮叶片周期性气动激励,建立高速旋转状态下高压涡轮转子叶片振动特性试验系统,并进行介于静止状态夹具固定式测试和整机直接测试之间的组件级试验,在高速旋转状态下实现叶片非接触式高频激振,获取叶片的振动特性和缘板阻尼装置对转子叶片的减振效果。结果表明:在常温 10000~19000r / min 运行转速下,缘板阻尼装置对转子叶片减振约 40% ,阻尼质量较大的叶片频率较高。     

From TOPEX/Poseidon to Jason-2/OSTM in the Amazon basin

A major interest of radar altimetry over rivers is to monitor water resources and associated risk in basins where there is little or no conventional in situ data. The objective of the present study is to calibrate altimetry data in a place where conventional data are available, and use the results to estimate the potential error committed in the estimation of water levels in an ungauged or poorly gauged basin. The virtual stations extracted with Jason-2 in this study concern a very broad sample of river channel width and complexity. Minimum channel width has been estimated at 400 m. Unlike TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P), Jason-2 seems to have the capability to distinguish the river bed from its floodplain. The quality of the results obtained with Jason-2 is incomparably better than that obtained with T/P. Despite the fact that no absolute calibration has been assessed for river in this study, the bias calculated converge around 0, 35 m, which could be then the error estimated on the water stage derived from Jason-2 ranges, when no other validation is available. ICE3 algorithm seems to be performing as well as ICE1, and further research is needed to design retracking algorithm specifically for continental water.     

CME-geometry and cosmic-ray anisotropy observed by a prototype muon detector network

We analyze the cosmic-ray anisotropy observed by a prototype network of muon detectors during geomagnetic storms associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The network currently consists of multidirectional surface muon detectors at Nagoya (Japan) and Hobart (Australia), together with a prototype detector at São Martinho (Brazil) which has been in operation since March, 2001. In this report, we analyze the anisotropy recorded in both the muon detector and neutron monitor (the Spaceship Earth) networks and find significant enhancements of cosmic-ray anisotropy during geomagnetic storms. Following the analysis by Bieber and Evenson [Bieber, J.W., Evenson, P. CME geometry in relation to cosmic ray anisotropy. Geophys. Res. Lett. 25 (1998) 2955–2958] for the neutron monitor data at 10 GeV, we also derive cosmic-ray density gradients from muon data at higher-energy (50 GeV), possibly reflecting the larger-scale geometry of CMEs causing geomagnetic storms. We particularly find in some events the anisotropy enhancement clearly starting prior to the storm onset in both the muon and neutron data. This is the first result of the CME-geometry derived from simultaneous observations of the anisotropy with networks of multidirectional muon detectors and neutron monitors.