An annual variation analysis of the ionospheric spatial gradient over a regional area for GNSS applications

An ionospheric spatial gradient represents the ionosphere delay difference between different locations, and its variation over a specific area is important for implementing differential GNSS systems. An estimation method for the ionospheric spatial gradient over a small regional area is proposed. A plate map model is implemented for the direct estimation of the gradients. Nine years of GPS data were processed to figure out the annual variation of the mean gradient at the mid-geomagnetic latitude of 30° N. Gradients along the north–south direction have a mean of 0.65 mm/km and follow solar-cycle variations.     

空地量子密钥分发网络中数据协调方案

在空地量子密钥分发网络中，空中平台的硬件设备限制使得后处理阶段数据传输速度以及处理能力减弱。针对空中平台的特性，提出了一种适合空地量子密钥分发网络的数据协调方案。首先，采用量子纠错技术减少原始密钥的误码率；其次，设计了一种新方法用来制备低密度奇偶校验（LDPC）译码算法中的随机置换序列；最后，兼顾LDPC译码算法性能和算法硬件实现复杂度，选取了软判决中最小和译码算法。仿真分析表明:量子纠错处理后的原始密钥误码率明显减少，错误率由29.5%减少为4.4%；使用新方法生成随机置换序列，在保证序列随机性的前提下效率提升，生成长度为10 000的随机置换序列所用时间约为0.019 s；LDPC译码算法中最小和译码算法性能适中且硬件实现简单。      

Influences of characteristic parameters on starting-up process of an arcjet thruster

Arcjet thruster has been a widely used electrical propulsion technology on GEO satellites since 1993. In its long history of technical development and commercial application, lifetime verification of an arcjet thruster is always one of the most important and expensive tasks. Considering that the main life limitation of an arcjet thruster is electrode ablation and a significant share of the total ablation happens in its starting-up process, the starting-up process is studied with arc voltage signals. Through interpretation of arc voltage signals, the transfer process of the arc root on the anode surface is identified, and ΔT (the duration of the arc root transfer process) is suggested to be a characteristic parameter for fast evaluation of lifetime assessment and design optimization for an arcjet thruster. With this criterion, the influences of typical parameters on the starting-up process are established through comparison with a benchmark parameter. According to experimental results, an increase of the gas flow will obviously reduce ΔT, while a smaller swirl aperture and a longer throat channel do not have a remarkable correlation with ΔT. Moreover, with a sample of a smaller throat diameter to increase the flow velocity, a reduction of ΔT is achieved. Meanwhile, the modifications also affect the stability of arcjet thruster operation, which is also discussed.     

小型核反应堆自主控制及其深空探测应用设想

针对空间小型模块化核反应堆的自主控制问题，提出自主控制体系结构，降低反应堆控制对人的依赖程度，满足了深空探测任务对空间堆自主控制的需求。首先介绍了核反应堆自主控制技术和空间探测自主技术的发展现状，分析了空间小型堆的自主控制需求，然后阐释了自主控制及核反应堆近自主控制的内涵。最后基于空间堆的运行特点，给出小型堆近自主控制分层体系结构的组成元素，并进一步建立了融合决策层和功能层的小型堆多智能体自主控制体系结构。     

无拖曳卫星氮气微推进系统填充与开机工作特性的仿真研究

采用AMESim软件对氮气贮存压力为1.5×10 7 Pa、推力范围为mN级的压电驱动的氮气微推进系统进行建模。研究了氮气填充过程中氮气瓶、减压阀的压力和质量流量瞬态特性。分析了整合喷管的压电比例阀在开机过程中的瞬态工作特性。最后，研究了驱动电压对压电比例阀在开机过程中的阀芯位移和喷管推力瞬态值、阀芯运动和推力响应时间的影响规律。结果显示，当驱动电压为80 V时，阀芯的响应时间和稳定位移分别为 0.64 ms 和3.67 μm。开机后8 ms，喷管推力达到稳定值(0.588 mN)。压电比例阀阀芯的开启响应快速，且驱动电压与喷管推力之间存在良好的线性关系，说明推力可通过改变驱动电压进行mN级的线性调节。     

平面流动皂膜的表面张力系数及厚度测量

在流体力学实验中，平面流动皂膜得到大量应用（如用于模拟两维湍流流动或超声速流动），对皂膜的测量手段也得到了极大发展，但对流动皂膜特性参数的测量尚有可提高之处。本文给出了两根平行弹性线之间在重力驱动下稳定流动的皂膜的表面张力系数及厚度的非接触测量实例。对于表面张力系数测量，针对新近文献中提出的一种基于皂膜边缘的力平衡测量表面张力系数的半经验方法给出了严格推导，并采用两种方法验证了推导结论，证实了该半经验方法的正确性，同时还得出了一种新的、更简便的表面张力系数测量方法；对于皂膜厚度测量，结合传统的皂膜流动速度测量方法（如粒子图像测速法），提出了一种基于单色激光干涉的测量方法，可以通过普通单色相机摄像来获取稳定流动皂膜的厚度剖面。     

Observer-based control for the platform of a tethered space robot

This paper addresses the attitude control problem of a space tethered robot platform in the presence of unknown external disturbance caused by a connecting elastic tether. The tether-generated unknown disturbance leads to tremendous challenges for attitude control of the platform. In this work, the perturbed attitude dynamics of the platform are derived with a consideration of the libration of the elastic tether, and then with the purpose of compensating the unknown disturbance, major attention is dedicated to develop a nonlinear disturbance observer based on gyros measurements, after which, an adaptive attitude scheme is proposed by combining the disturbance observer with a sliding mode controller. Finally, benefits from the observer based on an adaptive controller are validated by series of numerical simulations.     

Error constrained control of a pseudo-satellite with disturbance

This paper presents the control scheme of a pseudo-satellite in situations where error constraints, uncertainties, and external disturbances occur. The control scheme of a pseudo-satellite includes planar path following control scheme and altitude control scheme. In order to control the altitude of a pseudo-satellite, the backstepping technique is used to control the quality of air in the air balloon. To deal with the error constrained requirements of a pseudo-satellite’s position, a tan-type barrier Lyapunov function (TBLF) is proposed and incorporated with the guidance control schemes. Adaptive fuzzy disturbance observers are presented to estimate uncertainties and external disturbances. Rigorous stability analysis proves that the altitude error of the pseudo-satellite can be uniformly bounded, and the position error of which can be maintained within the range of constrained requirements, while all closed-loop signals are uniformly bounded regardless of uncertainties and disturbances.     

Variable structure control and active vibration suppression of flexible spacecraft during attitude maneuver

This paper presents a new approach to vibration reduction of flexible spacecraft during attitude maneuver by using the theory of variable structure control (VSC) to design switching logic for thruster firing and lead zirconate titanate (PZT) as sensor and actuator for active vibration suppression. The spacecraft to be investigated is a hub with a cantilever flexible beam appendage, which can undergo a single axis rotation. The proposed control system includes the attitude controller acting on the rigid hub, designed by variable structure control technique, and the surface-bonded PZT patches for active vibration suppression of flexible appendages, designed by the positive position feedback (PPF) control technique. To avoid chattering, pulse-width pulse-frequency (PWPF) modulation is adopted for the thruster control, which makes the thrusters to be operated in a close to linear manner and also can suppress the relatively large amplitude vibrations excited by, for example, rapid maneuver. However, some residual micro-vibrations still exist due to the switching actions. Upon that, the technique of active vibration control using PZT is turned on to provide further vibration suppression of the residual micro-vibrations and fine tuning of the system performance. By combining the advantages of both these control strategies, an improved performance for vibration control in both the macro-and micro-senses can result. Both analytical and numerical results are presented to show the theoretical and practical merit of this approach.     

Experimental study on combustion characteristics of Chinese RP-3 kerosene

In order to illustrate the combustion characteristics of RP-3 kerosene which is widely used in Chinese aero-engines, the combustion characteristics of RP-3 kerosene were experimentally investigated in a constant volume combustion chamber. The experiments were performed at four different pressures of 0.1 MPa, 0.3 MPa, 0.5 MPa and 0.7 MPa, and three different temperatures of 390 K,420 K and 450 K, and over the equivalence ratio range of 0.6–1.6. Furthermore, the laminar combustion speeds of a surrogate fuel for RP-3 kerosene were simulated under certain conditions. The results show that increasing the initial temperature or decreasing the initial pressure causes an increase in the laminar combustion speed of RP-3 kerosene. With the equivalence ratio increasing from 0.6 to 1.6, the laminar combustion speed increases initially and then decreases gradually.The highest laminar combustion speed is measured under fuel rich condition(the equivalence ratio is 1.2). At the same time, the Markstein length shows the same changing trend as the laminar combustion speed with modification of the initial pressure. Increasing the initial pressure will increase the instability of the flame front, which is established by decreased Markstein length. However, different from the effects of the initial temperature and equivalence ratio on the laminar combustion speed,increasing the equivalence ratio will lead to a decrease in the Markstein length and the stability of the flame front, and the effect of the initial temperature on the Markstein length is unclear. Furthermore, the simulated laminar combustion speeds of the surrogate fuel agree with the corresponding experimental datas of RP-3 kerosene within 10% deviation under certain conditions.