A self-locking tether-based deorbit ball and method of deployment thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical fields of space debris deorbiting, and more particularly to a self-locking tether structure-based deorbiting ball and its deployment method. The self-locking tether structure-based deorbiting ball comprises a polyimide film, which is spliced into a spherical shape by multiple pieces and placed at the outermost layer of the deorbiting ball. An inflatable latex elastic ball film is located at the inner side of the polyimide film. Two oppositely arranged connecting blocks are bonded to the inner side of the inflatable latex elastic ball film. A plurality of support tether structures are arranged between the two connecting blocks. The deployment method comprises the following steps: S1: folding the deorbiting ball and placing it at the rear end of the spacecraft in the direction of motion; S2: when the spacecraft completes the intended task and needs to reenter the atmosphere, the deorbiting ball is deployed by electrifying the bottom lead wire, and under the tension of the inflatable latex elastic ball film, the internal support structure forms a stable state, the deorbiting ball maintains a spherical shape, and the drag deorbiting effect is achieved. The beneficial effect is that the deorbiting ball can be controlled to expand and achieve the air resistance deorbiting effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of space debris deorbiting technology, and more specifically to a deorbiting sphere based on a self-locking tether structure and its deployment method. Background Technology

[0002] Space debris primarily includes the spacecraft itself after completing its mission, spacecraft ejecta, waste products generated during on-orbit missions, and debris from collisions between space objects. Space debris is a major pollutant of the space environment, posing a serious threat to the safety and reliability of spacecraft in orbit. Therefore, removing space debris and deorbiting it is of paramount importance for protecting the space environment.

[0003] Currently, active deorbiting devices for space debris mainly include: attitude and orbit control system-controlled deorbiting, aerodynamic drag deorbiting, and electro-hydrodynamic tether deorbiting. Aerodynamic drag deorbiting primarily utilizes an on-orbit deployment of a thin-film structure to increase the aerodynamic drag cross-section, thereby leveraging atmospheric drag to achieve active deorbiting. Aerodynamic drag deorbiting devices are mainly classified into two types based on sail shape: planar sails and spherical sails. A deorbit sphere is a spherical thin-film device mounted on a satellite or other spacecraft that can autonomously deploy in space. The deorbit sphere is assembled on the spacecraft and enters orbit with it. At the end of the spacecraft's lifespan, a sail unlocking command is initiated, deploying the spherical thin-film sail. The increased aerodynamic drag decelerates the spacecraft, accelerating orbital decay, allowing it to burn up in the dense atmosphere, thus achieving space debris removal. Deorbit spheres offer advantages such as low cost, lightweight design, and no fuel requirement, and are structurally more stable than deorbit sails. They represent a convenient and economical method for space debris removal and are expected to play a significant role in future active deorbiting control of spacecraft. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides an off-track ball based on a self-locking rope structure and its deployment method. Its beneficial effects are to ensure the deformation, shaping and shape preservation functions of the off-track ball, so that the off-track ball can be smoothly deployed to achieve its air resistance off-track function.

[0005] An off-track ball based on a self-locking rope structure includes a polyimide film, which is spliced ​​from multiple pieces into a sphere and placed on the outermost layer of the off-track ball. An inflatable latex elastic ball film is located inside the polyimide film. Two opposing connecting blocks are bonded to the inner side of the inflatable latex elastic ball film, and multiple supporting rope structures are arranged between the two connecting blocks.

[0006] Furthermore, the support rope structure is composed of multiple frustum support blocks and polyimide tape. The bottom surfaces of the multiple frustum support blocks are sequentially bonded to the polyimide tape to form the support rope structure. The two ends of the multiple support rope structures are respectively connected to two connecting blocks, and the polyimide tape on the multiple support rope structures is bonded to the inner side of the inflatable latex elastic ball membrane.

[0007] Furthermore, the connecting block has a circular ring structure, and a powder storage box is fixed on the bottom connecting block. The powder storage box contains solid powder that can be heated to generate gas.

[0008] Furthermore, the wire is connected to the inside of the powder storage box through a seal, and the end of the wire is connected to an electric heating wire. The seal is connected to and seals the sealed space formed by the polyimide film inflatable latex elastic ball film. The seal has a channel inside for the wire to pass through, and the wire is fixed and sealed by adhesive.

[0009] Furthermore, the inflatable latex elastic ball film is a heat-resistant latex ball film, and the inner side of the inflatable latex elastic ball film is fixed to the connecting block by a polyimide film tape.

[0010] Furthermore, the frustum support block is preferably made of polycarbonate material.

[0011] Furthermore, the solid powder is preferably ammonium bicarbonate powder.

[0012] Furthermore, the outer shell of the powder storage box is preferably made of wire mesh with a mesh density greater than 1000 mesh.

[0013] Furthermore, the supporting rope structure is a one-sided restrictive structure. This structure can be bent on the side where the polyimide tape is located to form a folded structure, while it cannot be bent on the side without the polyimide tape to form a supporting structure.

[0014] A method for deploying an off-track sphere based on a self-locking tether structure includes the following steps:

[0015] S1: When the spacecraft is launched or operating according to its designated mission, the off-orbit sphere can be folded and placed at the rear end in the direction of the spacecraft's motion.

[0016] S2: When the spacecraft completes its mission and needs to re-enter the atmosphere, electricity is supplied through the wires at the bottom of the deorbit sphere to heat the ammonium bicarbonate powder inside its powder storage box and generate gas. The generation of all the gas causes the internal support rope structure to unfold to its maximum volume. The volume of the maximum volume is equal to the volume of the support structure in its fully unfolded state. At this time, under the tension of the inflatable latex elastic spherical membrane, the internal support structure is in a stable state, and the deorbit sphere maintains its spherical shape, playing a role in increasing drag during deorbiting. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a frontal full sectional view of the off-track sphere of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 Enlarged view of a portion at point A;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a front view of the off-track ball of the present invention during normal operation;

[0021] Figure 4 For the present invention along Figure 3 The diagram shows the folded off-track ball after the creases are folded.

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the further folding of the upper half of the off-track sphere;

[0023] The components include: 1. Polyimide film; 2. Inflatable latex elastic ball film; 3. Frustum support block; 4. Polyimide tape; 5. Powder storage box; 6. Connecting block; 7. Wire; 8. Seal. Detailed Implementation

[0024] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, an off-track sphere based on a self-locking rope structure includes a polyimide film 1, which is composed of multiple pieces spliced ​​into a spherical shape and placed on the outermost layer of the off-track sphere to prevent damage to the internal structure of the off-track sphere from high-energy radiation in space. An inflatable latex elastic sphere 2 is located inside the polyimide film 1, and two opposing connecting blocks 6 are bonded to the inner side of the inflatable latex elastic sphere 2. Multiple supporting rope structures are arranged between the two connecting blocks 6. The polyimide film 1 and the inflatable latex elastic sphere 2 are not bonded together. The inflatable latex elastic sphere 2 has a small volume when not inflated, which facilitates the folding of the outer polyimide film 1. When inflated, its volume is slightly smaller than the sealed space formed by the outer polyimide film 1. The unfolded supporting rope structures are used to ensure that the sealed space formed by the polyimide film 1 does not collapse.

[0025] The supporting rope system structure consists of multiple frustum support blocks 3 and polyimide tape 4. The bottom surfaces of the multiple frustum support blocks 3 are sequentially bonded to the polyimide tape 4 to form the supporting rope system structure. The two ends of the multiple supporting rope systems structure are respectively connected to two connecting blocks 6. The polyimide tape 4 on the multiple supporting rope systems structure is bonded to the inner side of the inflatable latex elastic ball film 2. Both the polyimide film 1 and the polyimide tape 4 are made of polyimide material. Polyimide film material is one of the most commonly used outer protective materials for spacecraft. It is resistant to high and low temperatures, has high insulation, is resistant to acids and alkalis, and has excellent radiation resistance, which can ensure that internal components are protected from the effects of high and low temperatures and high-energy radiation in the space environment.

[0026] The connecting block 6 has a circular structure, and a powder storage box 5 is fixed on the bottom connecting block 6. The powder storage box 5 contains solid powder that can be heated to generate gas.

[0027] The wire 7 is connected to the inside of the powder storage box 5 through the sealing element 8. The end of the wire is connected to an electric heating wire, which is used to heat the solid powder inside the powder storage box 5 and generate gas by means of an external power supply. The sealing element 8 is connected to the polyimide film 1 and the inflatable latex elastic ball film 2 and seals the sealed space formed by the two. The sealing element 8 has a channel for the wire 7 to pass through. The wire 7 is fixed by adhesive and plays a sealing role to prevent gas leakage inside the off-track ball.

[0028] The inflatable latex elastic ball membrane 2 is a heat-resistant latex ball membrane, and the inner side of the inflatable latex elastic ball membrane 2 is fixed to the connecting block 6 by an adhesive.

[0029] The frustum support block 3 is preferably made of polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is chosen because it is suitable for the extreme environments of aerospace. Polycarbonate has high toughness and strength, is resistant to high and low temperatures, and has good flame retardancy and oxidation resistance.

[0030] The solid powder is preferably ammonium bicarbonate powder.

[0031] The outer shell of the powder storage box 5 is preferably made of wire mesh with a mesh density greater than 1000 mesh to prevent leakage of internal solid powder.

[0032] The support rope structure is a one-sided restrictive structure. This structure can be bent on the side where the polyimide tape 4 is located to form a folded structure, while it cannot be bent on the side without the polyimide tape 4 to form a support structure.

[0033] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the front view of the off-track ball during normal operation is as follows. Figure 3 As shown, the solid lines on its surface represent peak folds, and the dashed lines represent valley folds. Figure 4 The following is along Figure 3 The diagram shows the off-track ball after folding along the creases. At this point, the off-track ball is in an uninflated state. The internal support rope structure is bent along one side of the polyimide tape 4 in the lower half of the off-track ball, so the upper half can be further folded to form... Figure 5 In its folded state, the off-track ball can be folded into... Figure 5 It is attached to the surface of the spacecraft to minimize the loading space.

[0034] A method for deploying an off-track sphere based on a self-locking tether structure includes the following steps:

[0035] S1: When the spacecraft is launched or operating according to its designated mission, the off-orbit sphere can be folded and placed at the rear end in the direction of the spacecraft's motion.

[0036] S2: When the spacecraft completes its mission and needs to re-enter the atmosphere, the wire 7 at the bottom of the deorbit sphere is energized to heat the ammonium bicarbonate powder inside its powder storage box 5 and generate gas. The generation of all the gas causes the internal support rope structure to unfold to its maximum volume state. The volume of the maximum volume state is equal to the volume of the support structure in its fully unfolded state. At this time, under the tension of the inflatable latex elastic spherical membrane 2, the internal support structure is in a stable state, and the deorbit sphere maintains its spherical shape, playing a role in increasing drag during deorbiting.

Claims

1. A derailed ball based on a self-locking rope structure, comprising a polyimide film (1), characterized in that: The polyimide film (1) is spliced ​​from multiple pieces into a sphere and placed on the outermost layer of the off-track sphere. The inflatable latex elastic ball film (2) is located inside the polyimide film (1). Two opposing connecting blocks (6) are bonded to the inner side of the inflatable latex elastic ball film (2). Multiple support rope structures are provided between the two connecting blocks (6). The support rope structure is composed of multiple frustum support blocks (3) and polyimide tape (4). The bottom surfaces of the multiple frustum support blocks (3) are sequentially bonded to the polyimide tape (4) to form the support rope structure. The two ends of the multiple support rope structures are respectively connected to two connecting blocks (6). The polyimide tape (4) on the multiple support rope structures is bonded to the inner side of the inflatable latex elastic ball film (2). The support rope structure is a one-sided confinement structure. This structure is bent on the side where the polyimide tape (4) is located to form a folded structure, while it cannot be bent on the side without the polyimide tape (4) to form a support structure.

2. The off-track ball based on a self-locking rope structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting block (6) is a circular ring structure, and a powder storage box (5) is fixed on the bottom connecting block (6). The powder storage box (5) contains solid powder that can be heated to generate gas.

3. The off-track ball based on a self-locking rope structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wire (7) is connected to the inside of the powder storage box (5) through the seal (8). The end of the wire is connected to the electric heating wire. The seal (8) is connected to the polyimide film (1) and the inflatable latex elastic ball film (2) and seals the sealed space formed by the two. The seal (8) has a channel inside for the wire (7) to pass through. The wire (7) is fixed by adhesive and plays a sealing role.

4. The off-track ball based on a self-locking rope structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inflatable latex elastic ball film (2) is a heat-resistant latex ball film, and the inner side of the inflatable latex elastic ball film (2) is fixed to the connecting block (6) by polyimide film tape.

5. The off-track ball based on a self-locking rope structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frustum support block (3) is made of polycarbonate material.

6. The off-track ball based on a self-locking rope structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The solid powder is ammonium bicarbonate powder.

7. The off-track ball based on a self-locking rope structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer shell of the powder storage box (5) is made of wire mesh with a mesh density greater than 1000 mesh.

8. A deployment method for an off-track ball based on a self-locking rope structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: When the spacecraft is launched or operating according to its designated mission, the off-orbit sphere can be folded and placed at the rear end in the direction of the spacecraft's motion. S2: When the spacecraft completes its mission and needs to re-enter the atmosphere, it is powered through the bottom wire (7) of the deorbit sphere to heat the ammonium bicarbonate powder inside its powder storage box (5) and generate gas. The generation of all the gas causes the internal support rope structure to unfold to its maximum volume state. The volume at the maximum volume state is equal to the volume of the support structure when it is fully unfolded. At this time, under the tension of the inflatable latex elastic ball membrane (2), the internal support structure is in a stable state, and the deorbit sphere maintains its spherical shape and plays a role in increasing drag and deorbiting.

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