Deorbiter CubeSat mission design

This paper presents the mission design for a CubeSat-based active debris removal approach intended for transferring sizable debris objects from low-Earth orbit to a deorbit altitude of 100 km. The mission consists of a mothership spacecraft that carries and deploys several debris-removing nanosatellites, called Deorbiter CubeSats. Each Deorbiter is designed based on the utilization of an eight-unit CubeSat form factor and commercially-available components with significant flight heritage. The mothership spacecraft delivers Deorbiter CubeSats to the vicinity of a predetermined target debris, through performing a long-range rendezvous maneuver. Through a formation flying maneuver, the mothership then performs in-situ measurements of debris shape and orbital state. Upon release from the mothership, each Deorbiter CubeSat proceeds to performing a rendezvous and attachment maneuver with a debris object. Once attached to the debris, the CubeSat performs a detumbling maneuver, by which the residual angular momentum of the CubeSat-debris system is dumped using Deorbiter’s onboard reaction wheels. After stabilizing the attitude motion of the combined Deorbiter-debris system, the CubeSat proceeds to performing a deorbiting maneuver, i.e., reducing system’s altitude so much so that the bodies disintegrate and burn up due to atmospheric drag, typically at around 100 km above the Earth surface. The attitude and orbital maneuvers that are planned for the mission are described, both for the mothership and Deorbiter CubeSat. The performance of each spacecraft during their operations is investigated, using the actual performance specifications of the onboard components. The viability of the proposed debris removal approach is discussed in light of the results.     

Obscured Activity: AGN, Quasars, Starbursts and ULIGs Observed by the Infrared Space Observatory

Some of the most ‘active’ galaxies in the Universe are obscured by large quantities of dust and emit a substantial fraction of their bolometric luminosity in the infrared. Observations of these infrared luminous galaxies with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) have provided a relatively unabsorbed view to the sources fuelling this active emission. The improved sensitivity, spatial resolution and spectroscopic capability of ISO over its predecessor Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) of enabled significant advances in the understanding of the infrared properties of active galaxies. ISO surveyed a wide range of active galaxies which, in the context of this review, includes those powered by intense bursts of star formation as well as those containing a dominant active galactic nucleus (AGN). Mid-infrared imaging resolved for the first time the dust enshrouded nuclei in many nearby galaxies, while a new era in infrared spectroscopy was opened by probing a wealth of atomic, ionic and molecular lines as well as broad band features in the mid- and far-infrared. This was particularly useful, since it resulted in the understanding of the power production, excitation and fuelling mechanisms in the nuclei of active galaxies including the intriguing but so far elusive ultraluminous infrared galaxies. Detailed studies of various classes of AGN and quasars greatly improved our understanding of the unification scenario. Far-infrared imaging and photometry revealed the presence of a new very cold dust component in galaxies and furthered our knowledge of the far-infrared properties of faint starbursts, ULIGs and quasars. We summarise almost nine years of key results based on ISO data spanning the full range of luminosity and type of active galaxies.     

Astrophysics in 2006

The fastest pulsar and the slowest nova; the oldest galaxies and the youngest stars; the weirdest life forms and the commonest dwarfs; the highest energy particles and the lowest energy photons. These were some of the extremes of Astrophysics 2006. We attempt also to bring you updates on things of which there is currently only one (habitable planets, the Sun, and the Universe) and others of which there are always many, like meteors and molecules, black holes and binaries.     

基于特征模型的挠性悬臂板控制

针对航天器上太阳帆板这种悬臂外伸薄板结构的挠性附件 ,存在环境扰动下所引起的振动 ,本文采用压电智能结构作为执行器对悬臂板进行主动振动控制。基于板系统的特征建模 ,并结合自适应控制对挠性板的主动控制进行了研究。通过仿真研究结果与应变律反馈控制比较 ,表明该方法的有效性     

Study of the variability of blazars gamma-ray emission

The γ-ray emission of blazar jets shows a pronounced variability and this feature provides limits to the size and to the speed of the emitting region. We study the γ-ray variability of bright blazars using data from the first 18 months of activity of the Large Area Telescope on the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. From the daily light-curves of the blazars characterized by a remarkable activity, we firstly determine the minimum variability time-scale, giving an upper limit for the size of the emitting region of the sources, assumed to be spheroidal blobs in relativistic motion. These regions must be smaller than ∼10⁻³ parsec. Another interesting time-scale is the duration of the outbursts. We conclude that they cannot correspond to radiation produced by a single blob moving relativistically along the jet, but they are either the signature of emission from a standing shock extracting energy from a modulated jet, or the superposition of a number of flares occurring on a shorter time-scale. We also derive lower limits on the bulk Lorentz factor needed to make the emitting region transparent for gamma-rays interacting through photon–photon collisions.     

Multi-mode optimal fuzzy active vibration control of composite beams laminated with photostrictive actuators

Firstly, a multi-field coupling finite element formulation of composited beam laminated with the photostrictive actuators is developed in this paper. Moreover, an optimal fuzzy active control algorithm is also proposed on the basis of the combination of optimal control and fuzzy one.This method opens a new avenue to resolve the contradiction between the linear system control method and nonlinear actuating characteristics of photostrictive actuators. The desired control for suppressing multi-modal vibration of photoelectric laminated beam is firstly obtained through optimal control and then the fuzzy control is used to approach the desired mechanical strain induced by photostrictive actuators. Thus, the multi-mode vibration control of beam is realized.In the design process of optimal fuzzy controller, the design of fuzzy control is independent of optimal control. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed control method can effectively realize multi-modal vibration control of photoelectric laminated beams, and the control effect of optimal fuzzy control is better than that of optimal state feedback control.     

Application of improved active disturbance rejection control algorithm in tilt quad rotor

The Tilt Quad Rotor (TQR) has complex dynamics characteristics, especially in conversion mode. It is difficult to build the dynamic model of the TQR and the environmental factors have a great influence on it. To solve the problem of control in conversion mode of TQR, this paper carries out the design of the controller based on improved Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC). According to the characteristics of flight in conversion mode, Tracking Differentiator (TD) with explicit model is used to solve the problem of multiple integrals when the system is high-order system. Extended State Observer (ESO) with Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network is used to estimate and compensate for internal and external uncertainties, and the adaptive sliding mode control in Nonlinear State Error Feedback (NLSEF) is used to improve the response speed of the controller and reduce the parameters which should be tuned. Through the flight control simulation of the TQR, the validity and rationality of the control system are verified.     

Relativistic MHD Simulations of Jets with Toroidal Magnetic Fields

This paper presents an application of the recent relativistic HLLC approximate Riemann solver by Mignone & Bodo to magnetized flows with vanishing normal component of the magnetic field. The numerical scheme is validated in two dimensions by investigating the propagation of axisymmetric jets with toroidal magnetic fields. The selected jet models show that the HLLC solver yields sharper resolution of contact and shear waves and better convergence properties over the traditional HLL approach.     

主动冷却燃烧室燃烧与传热耦合过程迭代分析设计方法

为了对主动冷却超燃冲压发动机进行研究与设计,采用实验与计算相结合的方法,对主动冷却超燃冲压发动机燃烧室内传热与燃烧的耦合过程进行了分析。该方法采用燃烧室静压分布的测量值作为输入条件,开展燃气-结构-燃料耦合传热分析,获得经过冷却系统后燃料的状态参数;将燃料的状态参数作为实验参数,开展直联式超声速燃烧实验,得到新的静压分布,如此反复迭代,直至燃料状态不再变化,最终确定主动冷却燃烧室的各种传热与燃烧特性参数。利用该分析方法,初步开展了不同飞行马赫数条件下主动冷却燃烧室闭环运行状态研究,得到了冷却煤油温度与燃烧室壁温同飞行马赫数的关系。     

Numerical analysis and optimization of boundary layer suction on airfoils

Numerical approach of hybrid laminar flow control(HLFC) is investigated for the suction hole with a width between 0.5 mm and 7 mm. The accuracy of Menter and Langtry’s transition model applied for simulating the flow with boundary layer suction is validated. The experiment data are compared with the computational results. The solutions show that this transition model can predict the transition position with suction control accurately. A well designed laminar airfoil is selected in the present research. For suction control with a single hole, the physical mechanism of suction control, including the impact of suction coefficient and the width and position of the suction hole on control results, is analyzed. The single hole simulation results indicate that it is favorable for transition delay and drag reduction to increase the suction coefficient and set the hole position closer to the trailing edge properly. The modified radial basis function(RBF) neural network and the modified differential evolution algorithm are used to optimize the design for suction control with three holes. The design variables are suction coefficient, hole width, hole position and hole spacing. The optimization target is to obtain the minimum drag coefficient. After optimization,the transition delay can be up to 17% and the aerodynamic drag coefficient can decrease by 12.1%.