A flexible vibration isolation mount for a reaction wheel assembly

Abstract

The application discloses a flexible vibration isolation support for a reaction wheel assembly and relates to the technical field of spacecraft vibration isolation. The flexible vibration isolation support comprises a bearing platform, a plurality of horizontal leaf springs, vertical damping mechanisms and a plurality of first beam bodies. The horizontal leaf springs are arranged around the bearing platform, the wide edges of the horizontal leaf springs are vertically arranged, one end of each horizontal leaf spring is connected with the bearing platform, the other end of each horizontal leaf spring is connected with one vertical damping mechanism, and the horizontal leaf springs are used for elastic deformation in a horizontal plane. The vertical damping mechanisms are connected with the first beam bodies one by one in a one-to-one correspondence, and the vertical damping mechanisms are used for absorbing vertical plane vibration transmitted by the horizontal leaf springs. The stiffness coupling of the bearing platform in each direction is eliminated, and the technical problem that vibration force and torque generated by the reaction wheel assembly in the spacecraft and the space observatory in the prior art still reduce the performance of precision instruments in the vicinity is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of spacecraft vibration isolation technology, and in particular to a flexible vibration isolation bracket for reaction wheel assemblies. Background Technology

[0002] Reaction wheel assemblies (RWAs) are one of the sources of vibration disturbance for precision pointing spacecraft and space observatories. A reaction wheel is a rotating disk used for attitude control and target pointing, acting as a momentum exchange device to control the orientation of a spacecraft. Other applications of RWAs include vibration compensation and orientation control for solar arrays. During manufacturing, RWAs are precisely balanced to minimize vibrations during operation. However, in practical use, it has been observed that the vibrational forces and torques emitted by RWAs can still degrade the performance of precision instruments in the vicinity.

[0003] For large, flexible spacecraft, especially spaceborne telescopes and interferometers with extremely precise position and vibration tolerance requirements, vibration is a very important issue, thus requiring vibration isolation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] (I) Purpose of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a flexible vibration isolation bracket for reaction wheel assemblies, in order to solve the technical problem that the vibration force and torque emitted by reaction wheel assemblies in spacecraft and space observatories in the prior art still reduce the performance of precision instruments in the vicinity.

[0006] (II) Technical Solution

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a flexible vibration isolation bracket for a reaction wheel assembly, comprising: a load-bearing platform, multiple horizontal leaf springs, a vertical vibration damping mechanism, and multiple first beams.

[0008] Multiple horizontal leaf springs are arranged around the load-bearing platform. The long side of each horizontal leaf spring extends horizontally, and the wide side of each horizontal leaf spring is set vertically. One end of each horizontal leaf spring is connected to the load-bearing platform, and the other end of each horizontal leaf spring is connected to a vertical damping mechanism. The horizontal leaf springs are used for elastic deformation in the horizontal plane.

[0009] Multiple vertical vibration damping mechanisms are connected one-to-one with multiple first beams.

[0010] The vertical vibration damping mechanism is used to absorb the vertical vibration transmitted by the horizontal leaf spring. The vertical vibration is the oscillation of the long side of the horizontal leaf spring in the vertical plane, and the vertical plane is the vertical plane where the horizontal leaf spring is located.

[0011] Optionally, in the horizontal plane, a plurality of the horizontal leaf springs are arranged radially around the load-bearing platform.

[0012] Optionally, there are four horizontal leaf springs, which are arranged in a cross shape around the load-bearing platform.

[0013] Optionally, the vertical vibration damping mechanism includes multiple vertical leaf springs and multiple second beams. The long sides of the vertical leaf springs are arranged vertically, and the wide sides of the vertical leaf springs intersect with the long sides of the corresponding horizontal leaf springs. The multiple vertical leaf springs are arranged in parallel to each other in sequence. The multiple second beams are distributed at the upper and lower ends of the multiple vertical leaf springs, and the multiple second beams are used to connect the multiple vertical leaf springs together in sequence.

[0014] Optionally, the wide side of the vertical leaf spring is perpendicular to the long side of the corresponding horizontal leaf spring.

[0015] Optionally, the vertical vibration damping mechanism includes a vertical leaf spring damping assembly.

[0016] The vertical leaf spring damping assembly includes two second beams and three vertical leaf springs.

[0017] The three vertical leaf springs include two short vertical leaf springs and one long vertical leaf spring. The two short vertical leaf springs and the one long vertical leaf spring are arranged parallel to each other. The long vertical leaf spring is longer than the short vertical leaf springs. The lower end of one short vertical leaf spring is connected to one of the second beams, the bottom end of the long vertical leaf spring is connected to one of the second beams, the top end of the long vertical leaf spring is connected to another of the second beams, and the other second beam is connected to the other short vertical leaf spring.

[0018] One of the short vertical leaf springs in the vertical leaf spring damping group is connected to a corresponding horizontal leaf spring, and the other short vertical leaf spring in the vertical leaf spring damping group is connected to a corresponding first beam.

[0019] Optionally, the vertical vibration damping mechanism includes multiple vertical leaf spring damping groups, which are arranged sequentially along the length direction of the corresponding horizontal leaf springs.

[0020] In a plurality of vertical leaf spring damping groups, one of the short vertical leaf springs in the front end of the vertical leaf spring damping group is connected to a corresponding horizontal leaf spring.

[0021] Another short vertical leaf spring in the vertical leaf spring damping group located at the rear end of the plurality of vertical leaf spring damping groups is connected to a corresponding first beam.

[0022] Another short vertical leaf spring in each of the vertical leaf spring damping groups is connected to a short vertical leaf spring in the adjacent vertical leaf spring damping group.

[0023] Optionally, the load-bearing platform, the plurality of horizontal leaf springs, the vertical vibration damping mechanism, and the plurality of first beams are all made of structural steel.

[0024] Optionally, the Young's modulus of the flexible vibration isolation bracket for the reaction wheel assembly is 210 MPa.

[0025] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0026] The above-described technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0027] Multiple horizontal leaf springs are arranged around the load-bearing platform, with their wider sides vertically positioned. These leaf springs elastically deform in the horizontal plane, causing one end to oscillate relative to the other, thus absorbing the stiffness coupling of the load-bearing platform in the horizontal plane. Simultaneously, the long sides of the leaf springs extend horizontally, while their wider sides are vertical, providing vertical stiffness support for the platform. However, the horizontal extension of the long sides and the vertical positioning of the wide sides of the leaf springs can cause vertical vibrations in the load-bearing platform, which are then transmitted to the surrounding area. Therefore, a vertical vibration damping mechanism absorbs the vertical vibrations transmitted from the leaf springs, thereby absorbing the vertical stiffness coupling of the load-bearing platform and significantly reducing the vertical vibration transmission rate. In this way, the vertical vibration damping mechanism, in conjunction with the multiple horizontal leaf springs, eliminates stiffness coupling of the load-bearing platform in all directions, thereby lowering the natural frequency of the entire system. The flexible vibration isolation bracket of the present invention was tested and found that the natural frequency of the reaction wheel assembly (RWA) installed on the load-bearing platform in the horizontal direction was 9Hz, which improved the vibration attenuation in the mid-to-high frequency range.

[0028] Furthermore, the flexible vibration isolation bracket for reaction wheel assemblies of the present invention has numerous advantages, including simple structure, convenient design, easy manufacturing, strong design flexibility, and high stability. The load size can also be fully adapted to the reaction wheel assembly. Through practical application and testing, the maximum horizontal displacement of the bracket structure in static condition is only 0.4 mm, and the maximum vertical displacement under load is only 0.2 mm. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the flexible vibration isolation bracket for the reaction wheel assembly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concept of the invention.

[0031] The accompanying drawings illustrate a layer structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. These drawings are not to scale, and some details have been enlarged for clarity, and some details may have been omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0032] Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0034] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the various drawings, the same elements are indicated by similar reference numerals. For clarity, the various parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0035] For existing components that do not involve the improvements of this invention, they will be briefly described or not described at all, while the focus will be on describing the components that have been improved relative to the prior art.

[0036] See Figure 1 This embodiment provides a flexible vibration isolation bracket for a reaction wheel assembly, comprising: a load-bearing platform 2, multiple horizontal leaf springs 4, a vertical vibration damping mechanism 3, and multiple first beams 1.

[0037] Multiple horizontal leaf springs 4 are arranged around the load-bearing platform 2. The long side of the horizontal leaf spring 4 extends horizontally, and the wide side of the horizontal leaf spring 4 is set vertically. One end of each horizontal leaf spring 4 is connected to the load-bearing platform 2, and the other end of each horizontal leaf spring 4 is connected to a vertical damping mechanism 3. The horizontal leaf spring 4 is used for elastic deformation in the horizontal plane.

[0038] Multiple vertical vibration damping mechanisms 3 are connected one-to-one with multiple first beams 1.

[0039] The vertical vibration damping mechanism 3 is used to absorb the vertical vibration transmitted from the horizontal leaf spring 4. The vertical vibration is the oscillation of the long side of the horizontal leaf spring 4 in the vertical plane, which is the vertical plane where the horizontal leaf spring 4 is located.

[0040] The reaction wheel assembly (RWA) is installed on the load-bearing platform 2.

[0041] Multiple horizontal leaf springs 4 are arranged around the load-bearing platform 2, with their wider sides vertically positioned. These leaf springs 4 are designed for elastic deformation in the horizontal plane, allowing one end of each spring 4 to oscillate relative to the other, thus absorbing the stiffness coupling of the load-bearing platform 2 in the horizontal plane. Simultaneously, the long sides of the leaf springs 4 extend horizontally, while their wider sides are vertically positioned, providing vertical stiffness support for the load-bearing platform 2. However, the horizontal extension of the long sides and the vertical positioning of the wide sides of the leaf springs 4 can cause vertical vibrations in the load-bearing platform 2, which are then transmitted to the surrounding area. Therefore, a vertical vibration damping mechanism 3 absorbs the vertical vibrations transmitted from the leaf springs 4, thereby absorbing the vertical stiffness coupling of the load-bearing platform 2 and significantly reducing the vertical vibration transmission rate. In this way, the vertical vibration damping mechanism 3, in conjunction with the multiple horizontal leaf springs 4, eliminates stiffness coupling of the load-bearing platform 2 in all directions, thereby reducing the natural frequency of the entire system. After testing, the horizontal natural frequency of the reaction wheel assembly (RWA) installed on the load-bearing platform 2 using the flexible vibration isolation bracket of the present invention is 9Hz, which improves the vibration attenuation in the mid-to-high frequency range.

[0042] Furthermore, the flexible vibration isolation bracket for the reaction wheel assembly in this embodiment has numerous advantages, including simple structure, convenient design, easy manufacturing, strong design flexibility, and high stability. The load size can also be fully adapted to the reaction wheel assembly. Through practical application and testing, the maximum horizontal displacement of the bracket structure in its static state is only 0.4 mm, and the maximum vertical displacement under load is only 0.2 mm.

[0043] See Figure 1 Furthermore, within the horizontal plane, multiple horizontal leaf springs 4 are arranged radially around the load-bearing platform 2.

[0044] Multiple horizontal leaf springs 4 are arranged radially around the load-bearing platform 2, thereby providing sufficient support for the load-bearing platform 2.

[0045] See Figure 1 Furthermore, there are four horizontal leaf springs 4, which are arranged in a cross shape around the load-bearing platform 2.

[0046] On the one hand, the number of horizontal leaf springs 4 is limited to four, reducing their quantity. On the other hand, the four horizontal leaf springs 4 are arranged in a cross shape around the load-bearing platform 2, effectively supporting the load-bearing platform 2. This reduces the weight of the flexible vibration isolation bracket while ensuring sufficient support for the load-bearing platform 2.

[0047] See Figure 1 Furthermore, the vertical vibration damping mechanism 3 includes multiple vertical leaf springs and multiple second beams 310. The long side of the vertical leaf spring is set vertically, and the wide side of the vertical leaf spring is set to intersect with the long side of the corresponding horizontal leaf spring 4. The multiple vertical leaf springs are arranged parallel to each other in sequence. The multiple second beams 310 are distributed at the upper and lower ends of the multiple vertical leaf springs. The multiple second beams 310 are used to connect the multiple vertical leaf springs together in sequence.

[0048] See Figure 1 Furthermore, the wide side of the vertical leaf spring is set perpendicular to the long side of the corresponding horizontal leaf spring 4.

[0049] By sequentially connecting multiple vertical leaf springs to multiple second beams 310, the multiple vertical leaf springs can swing within a vertical plane containing the horizontal leaf spring 4, thereby reducing vertical stiffness coupling. This also simplifies the structure of the vertical vibration damping mechanism 3.

[0050] See Figure 1 Furthermore, the vertical vibration damping mechanism 3 includes a vertical leaf spring damping assembly.

[0051] The vertical leaf spring damping assembly includes two second beams 310 and three vertical leaf springs.

[0052] The three vertical leaf springs include two short vertical leaf springs 320 and one long vertical leaf spring 330. The two short vertical leaf springs 320 and the one long vertical leaf spring 330 are arranged parallel to each other. The long vertical leaf spring 330 is longer than the short vertical leaf springs 320. The lower end of one short vertical leaf spring 320 is connected to a second beam 310, the bottom end of the long vertical leaf spring 330 is connected to a second beam 310, and the top end of the long vertical leaf spring 330 is connected to another second beam 310. The other second beam 310 is connected to another short vertical leaf spring 320.

[0053] One short vertical leaf spring 320 of the vertical leaf spring damping group is connected to a corresponding horizontal leaf spring 4, and the other short vertical leaf spring 320 of the vertical leaf spring damping group is connected to a corresponding first beam 1.

[0054] See Figure 1 Furthermore, the vertical vibration damping mechanism 3 includes multiple vertical leaf spring damping groups, which are arranged sequentially along the length direction of the corresponding horizontal leaf springs 4.

[0055] In a series of vertical leaf spring damping groups, a short vertical leaf spring 320 located at the front end of the vertical leaf spring damping group is connected to a corresponding horizontal leaf spring 4.

[0056] Another short vertical leaf spring 320 in the vertical leaf spring damping group located at the rear end of the multiple vertical leaf spring damping groups is connected to a corresponding first beam 1.

[0057] Another short vertical leaf spring 320 of each vertical leaf spring damping group is connected to a short vertical leaf spring 320 of the adjacent vertical leaf spring damping group.

[0058] In this way, the vertical vibration damping mechanism 3 is modularized and divided into several vertical leaf spring damping groups connected in sequence. The number of vertical leaf spring damping groups can be increased or decreased according to the type of different reaction wheel assemblies (RWA), so that the flexible vibration isolation bracket for reaction wheel assemblies of the present invention can be applied to a variety of different types of reaction wheel assemblies (RWA) and meet their vibration damping requirements.

[0059] See Figure 1 Furthermore, the load-bearing platform 2, multiple horizontal leaf springs 4, vertical vibration damping mechanism 3, and multiple first beams 1 are all made of structural steel.

[0060] See Figure 1 Furthermore, the Young's modulus of the flexible vibration isolation bracket used for the reaction wheel assembly is 210 MPa.

[0061] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative or explanatory of the principles of the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention should be included within the protection scope of the invention. Furthermore, the appended claims are intended to cover all variations and modifications falling within the scope and boundaries of the appended claims, or equivalent forms of such scope and boundaries.

Claims

1. A flexible vibration isolation bracket for a reaction wheel assembly, comprising: The system comprises a load-bearing platform, multiple horizontal leaf springs, a vertical vibration damping mechanism, and multiple first beams. The multiple horizontal leaf springs are arranged around the load-bearing platform, with their long sides extending horizontally and their wide sides vertically positioned. One end of each horizontal leaf spring is connected to the load-bearing platform, and the other end is connected to one of the vertical vibration damping mechanisms. The horizontal leaf springs are used for elastic deformation in a horizontal plane. The multiple vertical vibration damping mechanisms are connected one-to-one with the multiple first beams. The vertical vibration damping mechanisms are used to absorb vertical vibrations transmitted from the horizontal leaf springs, where the vertical vibration is the oscillation of the long side of the horizontal leaf spring in a vertical plane, and the vertical plane is the plane in which the horizontal leaf spring is located. Its characteristic is that... The vertical vibration damping mechanism includes multiple vertical leaf springs and multiple second beams. The long side of the vertical leaf spring is set vertically, and the wide side of the vertical leaf spring intersects with the long side of the corresponding horizontal leaf spring. The multiple vertical leaf springs are arranged parallel to each other in sequence. The multiple second beams are distributed at the upper and lower ends of the multiple vertical leaf springs. The multiple second beams are used to connect the multiple vertical leaf springs together in sequence. The vertical vibration damping mechanism includes a vertical leaf spring damping group, which includes two second beams and three vertical leaf springs. The three vertical leaf springs include two short vertical leaf springs and one long vertical leaf spring. The two short vertical leaf springs and the one long vertical leaf spring are arranged parallel to each other. The long vertical leaf spring is longer than the short vertical leaf spring. The lower end of one short vertical leaf spring is connected to one second beam, the bottom end of one long vertical leaf spring is connected to one second beam, the top end of one long vertical leaf spring is connected to another second beam, and the other second beam is connected to another short vertical leaf spring. One short vertical leaf spring of the vertical leaf spring damping group is connected to a corresponding horizontal leaf spring, and the other short vertical leaf spring of the vertical leaf spring damping group is connected to a corresponding first beam. The vertical vibration damping mechanism includes multiple vertical leaf spring damping groups, which are arranged sequentially along the length of the corresponding horizontal leaf springs. One short vertical leaf spring of the vertical leaf spring damping group located at the front end of the multiple vertical leaf spring damping groups is connected to a corresponding horizontal leaf spring. Another short vertical leaf spring of the vertical leaf spring damping group located at the rear end of the multiple vertical leaf spring damping groups is connected to a corresponding first beam. Another short vertical leaf spring of each vertical leaf spring damping group is connected to a short vertical leaf spring of an adjacent vertical leaf spring damping group.

2. The flexible vibration isolation bracket for the reaction wheel assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the horizontal plane, a plurality of the horizontal leaf springs are arranged radially around the load-bearing platform.

3. The flexible vibration isolation bracket for the reaction wheel assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are four horizontal leaf springs, which are arranged in a cross shape around the load-bearing platform.

4. The flexible vibration isolation bracket for the reaction wheel assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wide side of the vertical leaf spring is perpendicular to the long side of the corresponding horizontal leaf spring.

5. The flexible vibration isolation bracket for a reaction wheel assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The load-bearing platform, the multiple horizontal leaf springs, the vertical vibration damping mechanism, and the multiple first beams are all made of structural steel.

6. The flexible vibration isolation bracket for a reaction wheel assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The Young's modulus of the flexible vibration isolation bracket used for the reaction wheel assembly is 210 MPa.

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