Attitude Stabilization and Control of Dual-Spin Spacecraft

This invention relates to an attitude stabilizing system for adrodshaped satellite in which stabilization is achieved by use of a spinning ing energy dissipator. The system can operate by being mounted on the rotor of a dual spin satellite of by being connected to the main body of the satellite through a motor and bearing assembly. In the latter situation, the stabilizer acts both as a nutation damper and a momentum source and thereby eliminates the need for an additional rotor element to provide the spacecraft momentum. The spinning energy dissipator may be designed to use four identical al wheels mounted coaxially with and at the ends of the arms of a cruciform structure. The structure may then be spun about the axis perpendicular to the arms, to provide angular momentum along the spacecraft spin axis. In the event of any spacecraft nutation, n, the wheels experience the torques produced by inertial forces. The necessary damping and restoring (spring) torques are provided by means of a torsional arrangement built around the center of each wheel. In order to provide damping at lower threshold of spacecraft nutations, the dissipator wheels may also include viscous ring dampers mounted on or around each wheel.     

The Use of a Spinning Dissipator for Attitude Stabilization of Earth-Orbiting Satellites

This paper considers a novel attitude stabilizing system which acts both as a passive nutation damper and a momentum source for an Earth-orbiting satellite. The system may be designed to use four identical wheels mounted coaxially with and at the ends of the arms of a cruciform structure. The structure may then be spun about the axis perpendicular to the arms to provide angular momentum along the spacecraft spin axis. The wheels experience torques produced by inertial forces. The necessary damping and restoring (spring) torques are provided by means of a torsional arrangement built around the center of each wheel. The performance characteristics of the proposed stabilizing unit are evaluated by considering spacecraft parameters used in one phase of development of the Communications Technology Satellite (CTS). The results obtained for a specific design of the stabilizer indicate that global stability of the desired attitude motion of the spacecraft can be guaranteed with associated damping time constant as low as one second.     

Dual-Spin Spacecraft Nutation Control Using Articulated Payloads

A technique is presented for achieving active control of nutation on a dual-spin spacecraft with an articulated payload through use of the payload's control system. Using the Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO)-8 as an illustration, the closed-form solution to the nutation/control system dynamic interaction is presented. Control system design criteria are developed which establish the basic stability of the interaction. Design procedures are described to achieve the most effective nutation damping. Limitations on the amount of damping which can be achieved are characterized as functions of spacecraft and payload mass properties and servodesign parameters. The design techniques presented are verified through a series of on-orbit tests recently conducted on the OSO-8 spacecraft.     

A Nutation Damper for a Dual-Spin Spacecraft

This paper is concerned with a high-performance nutation damper for use in dual-spin spacecraft. The damper described here makes use of a wheel of uniform mass distribution. The wheel experiences torques which are produced by inertial forces. Damping and restoring (spring) torques are provided by means of a torsional arrangement built around the center of the wheel. The performance characteristics of the above nutation damper are evaluated by considering the small astronomy satellite (SAS-A) spacecraft parameters, and the results for an optimum design of the damper are presented. Finally, the result for the optimum performance is checked with the help of an approximate analysis.     

克服旋转飞行器螺旋运动的方法研究

旋转飞行器虽然具有内在稳定性，但在飞行过程中一些不确定因素会导致飞行器产生螺旋运动，而非理想的关于角动量矢量纯粹的旋转运动。结合旋转飞行器自身的特点，借鉴自旋卫生的被动章动阻尼的方法，提出了一种通过主动控制飞行器内部质量块的运动使得飞行器碑的惯量主轴发生偏移，惯量矩阵由原来的对称阵变为含有非零非对角元素的矩阵，从而改变飞行器的姿态角运动来克服螺旋运动的方法，这将有助于提高旋转飞行器的资态控制精度。以某型旋转飞行器为背景进行仿真研究，计算结果证实了该方法的有效性和可行性。     

Nutation instability of spinning solid rocket motor spacecraft

The variation of mass,and moment of inertia of a spin-stabilized spacecraft leads to concern about the nutation instability.Here a careful analysis on the nutation instability is performed on a spacecraft propelled by solid rocket booster (SRB).The influences of specific solid propellant designs on transversal angular velocity are discussed.The results show that the typical SRB of End Burn suppresses the non-principal axial angular velocity.On the contrary,the frequently used SRB of Radial Burn could amplify the transversal angular velocity.The nutation instability caused by a design of Radial Burn could be remedied by the addition of End Burn at the same time based on the study of the combination design of both End Burn and Radial Burn.The analysis of the results proposes the design conception of how to control the nutation motion.The method is suitable to resolve the nutation instability of solid rocket motor with complex propellant patterns.     

Momentum wheel start-up method for HAUSAT-2 ultra-small satellite

This paper addresses a newly proposed start-up method of the HAUSAT-2 satellite momentum wheel. The HAUSAT-2 is a 25 kg class nanosatellite which is stabilized to an earth pointing attitude by 3-axis active control method. A momentum wheel performs two functions. It provides a pitch-axis momentum bias while measuring satellite pitch and roll attitude. Pitch control is accomplished in a conventional way by driving a momentum wheel in response to pitch attitude errors. Precession control and nutation damping are provided by operating the pitch-axis magnetic torquer. A momentum wheel is nominally spinning at a particular rate, and speed changes are made as needed. Spinning the momentum wheel redistributes the angular momentum to the spacecraft body. If the wheel is suddenly spun up to its nominal speed, the large momentum produced together with the existing momentum due to the nominal rotational motions will result in a high disturbance and unstable motion. This simulation study investigates the feasibility and performance of a proposed strategy for starting-up the wheel. A proposed strategy to start-up the wheel shows that its pitch momentum wheel can start-up successfully to its nominal speed from rest, and can be stabilized to nadir pointing within about three orbits.     

航天器贮箱变质量流固耦合系统的动力学响应

研究了航天器贮箱变质量流固耦合系统的动力学特性.根据虚拟质量法(VMM),结合边界元法和有限元法构建了系统的动力学模型,建模过程中着重考虑了质量变化对系统的动态影响.通过Newmark直接积分法计算出贮箱变质量系统的振动响应.结果表明:由于系统质量减少,引起了系统振动频率的增大,并产生一个附加负阻尼.系统的振动频率的范围可以通过系统质量的范围确定.变质量引起的附加负阻尼的大小与系统的质量变化率成正比.对于系统的横向振动,质量减少引起的附加负阻尼在整个过程对系统振动的影响比较稳定,对于系统的纵向振动,质量减少引起的附加负阻尼对系统振动的影响随时间的增加而增大.      

Spacecraft attitude maneuver control using two parallel mounted 3-DOF spherical actuators

A parallel configuration using two 3-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) spherical electromag-netic momentum exchange actuators is investigated for large angle spacecraft attitude maneuvers. First, the full dynamic equations of motion for the spacecraft system are derived by the Newton-Euler method. To facilitate computation, virtual gimbal coordinate frames are established. Second, a nonlinear control law in terms of quaternions is developed via backstepping method. The pro-posed control law compensates the coupling torques arising from the spacecraft rotation, and is robust against the external disturbances. Then, the singularity problem is analyzed. To avoid sin-gularities, a modified weighed Moore-Pseudo inverse velocity steering law based on null motion is proposed. The weighted matrices are carefully designed to switch the actuators and redistribute the control torques. The null motion is used to reorient the rotor away from the tilt angle saturation state. Finally, numerical simulations of rest-to-rest maneuvers are performed to validate the effec-tiveness of the proposed method.     

霍尔推进系统扭矩特性分析及应用设计

为降低霍尔推进系统产生的扭矩长期作用于航天器对姿态控制造成的干扰,对其扭矩特性进行分析和优化设计,通过对扭矩的产生机理进行模型化分析,得到了放电参数对扭矩大小及方向的影响关系。分析表明,1kW～5kW功率级霍尔推力器工作时,会产生量级为10-4N?m的扭矩,通过控制励磁电流方向可改变扭矩方向。针对典型的全电推进飞行任务,通过提出霍尔推进系统扭矩主动控制设计,实现了对系统产生的扭矩进行相互抵消或者叠加利用,降低了系统的应用风险。     

Parameter analysis of PAF for whole-spacecraft vibration isolation

Whole-spacecraft vibration isolation, which is implemented by modification of the existing PAF (payload attach fitting), is a direct and effective approach toward improving the dynamic environment that a spacecraft experiences during its journey to the orbit. In this paper, based on Craig–Bampton component modal synthesis and theory about modal effective mass, both the condensed model and the simplified model of the whole-spacecraft vibration isolation system are obtained. By these models, effects of the PAF's parameters, i.e. stiffness and damping, on the transmissibility from the bottom of the PAF to the bottom of the spacecraft and acceleration response of the bottom of the spacecraft are analyzed. Results show that merely increasing the damping of the PAF can effectively attenuate the peak transmissibility, decreasing the stiffness of the PAF can further improve the vibration isolation performance, and can avoid resonance with the launch vehicle by adding enough damping in the PAF. Furthermore, the natural frequency of first lateral or longitudinal mode and their peak transmissibility of the spacecraft-PAF structure can only be estimated by the modal effective mass and the residual mass rather than the rigid body mass of the spacecraft.     

支架的主动约束层阻尼处理

利用主动控制和约束层阻尼处理优势互补,构成既有主动控制高效智能、又有约束层阻尼处理稳定可靠特点的主动约束层阻尼振动控制系统。采用一阶剪切理论,利用有限元方法,研究了航天结构中常用构件支架的振动控制,为改进支架的动态特性提供可靠的理论指导。     

The IMAGE Observatory

The Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) mission will be the first of the new Medium-class Explorer (MIDEX) missions to fly. IMAGE will utilize a combination of ultraviolet and neutral atom imaging instruments plus an RF sounder to map and image the temporal and spatial features of the magnetosphere. The eight science sensors are mounted to a single deckplate. The deckplate is enveloped in an eight-sided spacecraft bus, 225 cm across the flats, developed by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Corporation. Constructed of laminated aluminum honeycomb panels, covered extensively by Gallium Arsenide solar cells, the spacecraft structure is designed to withstand the launch loads of a Delta 7326-9.5 ELV. Attitude control is via a single magnetic torque rod and passive nutation damper with aspect information provided by a star camera, sun sensor, and three-axis magnetometer. A single S-band transponder provides telemetry and command functionality. Interfaces between the self-contained payload and the spacecraft are limited to MIL-STD-1553 and power. This paper lists the requirements that drove the design of the IMAGE Observatory and the implementation that met the requirements.     

Toward Accurate On-Ground Attitude Determination for the Gaia Spacecraft

The work presented in this paper concerns the accurate On-Ground Attitude (OGA) reconstruction for the astrometry spacecraft Gaia in the presence of disturbance and of control torques acting on the spacecraft. The reconstruction of the expected environmental torques which influence the spacecraft dynamics will be also investigated. The telemetry data from the spacecraft will include the on-board real-time attitude, which is of order of several arcsec. This raw attitude is the starting point for the further attitude reconstruction. The OGA will use the inputs from the field coordinates of known stars (attitude stars) and also the field coordinate differences of objects on the Sky Mapper (SM) and Astrometric Field (AF) payload instruments to improve this raw attitude. The on-board attitude determination uses a Kalman Filter (KF) to minimize the attitude errors and produce a more accurate attitude estimation than the pure star tracker measurement. Therefore the first approach for the OGA will be an adapted version of KF. Furthermore, we will design a batch least squares algorithm to investigate how to obtain a more accurate OGA estimation. Finally, a comparison between these different attitude determination techniques in terms of accuracy, robustness, speed and memory required will be evaluated in order to choose the best attitude algorithm for the OGA. The expected resulting accuracy for the OGA determination will be on the order of milli-arcsec.     

Statistical analysis for rotational motion of a light descent capsule under deployment of a space cable system

The results of the statistical analysis for the rotational motion of a light descent capsule under deployment of the orbital cable system are presented. At mathematical simulation a cable is considered to be a weightless inextensible mechanical linkage. The cable is deployed according to the predetermined law. The basic spacecraft is oriented along the local geovertical by means of its own stabilization system. The simulation is carried out by the statistical testing method. The motion characteristics being studied include: modulus of the capsule angular velocity and the nutation angle at the final point of the cable deployment.     

Modelling the Attitude Noise of the Gaia Spacecraft. A Simplified Approach

A high-precision attitude determination and control of the forthcoming European Gaia satellite is an essential task for the success of the whole mission. The requirements for the spacecraft’s attitude require exceptional efforts in the simulation of the rotations of the satellite under the influence of continuous and randomly arising effects. This paper describes the structure of a physically-motivated noise model for simulating the attitude in a closed loop configuration. It deals with the analysis of the most important disturbing forces and torques acting on the Gaia spacecraft.     

Solar Pressure Attitude Stabilization of Earth-Pointing Spacecraft

The development of a solar pressure control system for three-axis attitude control of Earth-oriented spacecraft is presented. A controller configuration consisting of two rotatable mirrorlike surfaces, representing the minimum hardware implementation, is considered. Optimal control theory is applied to synthesize a feedback control law directly governing the differential rotation of the control surfaces. The system performance is evaluated through the response analysis of a satellite subject to destabilizing gravity gradient torques as well as external disturbances. Even under such adverse conditions, the results indicate a moderately sized controller to be quite effective in maintaining the desired Earth-pointing spacecraft orientation. The validity of the optimal control law is established for all times of the year, and the feasibility of implementing suboptimal control policies is also examined.     

基于正负刚度并联的低频隔振器研究

为了能够抑制微振动对在轨运行航天器造成的不利影响,提出了一种由螺旋柔性弹簧（SFS）与磁性弹簧并联构成的低频隔振器;其中,螺旋柔性弹簧作为正刚度元件为系统提供承载能力,并通过有限元建模对其轴向刚度特性进行了数值分析;由两两相吸、同轴配置的3块环形永磁体构成的磁性弹簧为该隔振系统沿轴向提供负刚度以降低系统的固有频率;基于等效电流模型分析讨论了该磁性弹簧的磁刚度特性,并在平衡位置附近对磁刚度作了线性近似。通过分析所设计的低频隔振器与其相应线性隔振系统的位移传递率,比较了2种隔振器的隔振性能。研究结果表明：所提出的低频隔振系统能够有效地隔离低频微幅振动,降低系统的固有频率,进而拓宽了隔振频带;同时,进一步改善了隔振系统在共振区域附近的阻尼特性,有效地降低了共振峰值。     

电磁轴承支承的柔性转子在轴承失效后坠落过程中的瞬态响应

研究了主动电磁轴承支承的单盘柔性转子系统在磁轴承失效后转子坠落在带有固定间隙的滚动型备用轴承上的瞬态响应,分析了备用轴承的各种参数对瞬态响应的影响。结果发现系统出现了以自由落体-碰撞弹起-自由落体为特征的在间隙圆底部的摆动运动、以碰撞弹起-加速落体-碰撞弹起为特征的在整个间隙圆范围的碰撞型回转运动以及轴颈与备用轴承始终接触在一起的摩擦型回转运动等3种运动形式。碰撞型回转运动实际上是由碰撞过程中部分周向的摩碰引起,而摩擦型回转运动是由轴颈与备用轴承之间的全周干摩擦所致。碰撞型回转运动和反向摩擦型回转运动对备用轴承的影响最为严重。     

基于多边形膜片弹簧与压电致动器复合的一体化主被动Stewart减振系统

随着遥感卫星光学成像设备等精度的不断提升,其对振动环境的要求也在不断提高,简单的线性被动Stewart平台已经无法满足苛刻使用要求。提出了一种新型基于多边形膜片弹簧与压电致动器复合的一体化主被动Stewart减振平台,其单自由度元件主要由多边形膜片弹簧、压电致动器、力传感器以及柔性铰链组成。相较于传统线性隔振器存在的高静刚度和低动刚度之间的固有结构矛盾,所提出的多边形膜片弹簧作为隔振器的关键原件,兼具高静-低动（HSLD）特性,能够使隔振系统同时具备较高的静态刚度进行静态承载以及较低的动刚度进行动态减振。为了降低被动隔振系统中存在的共振峰幅值,本文在被动膜片弹簧元件的基础上串联一个压电致动器与力传感器组成的主动控制元件进行主动振动控制。仿真结果表明,采用比例积分力（PIF）反馈控制算法的主动控制系统,在频域上不仅可以通过积分力环节搭建出天棚阻尼的效果来降低共振峰峰值（11.19 dB）,而且其比例-力环节可等效为增大了质量矩阵项,能够有效降低减振系统的固有频率（20.9 Hz）,拓宽其减振带宽,并同时能维持高频段的高衰减性,在时域上也能够将系统的加速度振动幅值从±0.6g降低至±0.07g,振动衰减达88%。