Large-scale analog gravity system and its on-orbit construction and maintenance method

Abstract

A large-scale simulated gravity system and an on-orbit construction and maintenance method thereof, the system comprising a power rotating wheel working cabin, an I-type gravity field simulation cabin and a II-type gravity field simulation cabin; the power rotating wheel working cabin comprising a sealed working cabin, a motor, a rotating wheel, an out-of-cabin solar wing and a docking interface device; the I-type gravity field simulation cabin and the II-type gravity field simulation cabin each comprising a gravity field simulation cabin, a head docking interface and a tail docking interface, a solar wing device and a gravity field simulation cabin forward docking interface; wherein a rotating wheel connecting rod is connected to the middle part of the I-type gravity field simulation cabin through a turnover mechanism; the I-type gravity field simulation cabin is provided with a position turning mechanism interface for capturing a position turning mechanism, and the position turning mechanism is arranged in the II-type gravity field simulation cabin; the I-type gravity field simulation cabin and the II-type gravity field simulation cabin are connected to form a polyhedral structure, and the polyhedral structure is driven to rotate by the power rotating wheel working cabin to form a gravity simulation field. The on-orbit construction and maintenance of the system are based on this, the construction period is short, and the maintainability is good.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of spacecraft design and on-orbit construction, and in particular to a large-scale simulated gravity system and an on-orbit construction and maintenance method thereof. Background Art

[0002] As humanity's exploration of space continues to expand, long-term work and life in orbit have become possible. Continuous stays in orbit have increased from a few days to six months, with the longest record exceeding a year. As human deep space exploration missions progress, the physiological hazards of weightlessness associated with long-term stays in orbit are becoming increasingly prominent. One method of simulating gravity is to build space capsules that generate artificial gravity.

[0003] Related gravity simulation technologies:

[0004] 1. Linear acceleration scheme: Use linear acceleration to simulate gravity. That is, the spacecraft flies at an acceleration of ±1g during the flight. The overload on the astronauts will always be maintained at the level of 1g, and there will be no weightlessness. However, the propellant consumption is huge and it is only suitable for short-term missions.

[0005] 2. Diamagnetic gravity scheme: This approach uses a diamagnetic mechanism to generate artificial gravity. However, the diamagnetic device must maintain a magnetic field free from interference from any other magnetic devices. Furthermore, it requires carrying several tons of magnets to create a low-temperature superconducting environment, making this scheme unfeasible on existing spacecraft platforms.

[0006] 3. Short-arm centrifuge solution: The short-arm centrifuge device installed by the Russian Energia Rocket Company on the International Space Station uses the centrifugal force generated by rotation to simulate gravity. However, the device can only generate gravity locally when the centrifuge is running and cannot provide a continuous weightless environment for the entire cabin.

[0007] To address these issues, the international aerospace community has proposed constructing large, rotating space stations to generate sustained artificial gravity. However, traditional single-launch, monolithic structures are limited by the size of the launch vehicle fairing, making it difficult to achieve the required 100-meter rotation radius. Existing on-orbit assembly techniques often use a truss expansion model, making cabin replacement difficult and hindering the efficient coordination of gravity generation, system maintenance, and mission expansion. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention provides a large-scale simulated gravity system and its on-orbit construction and maintenance method, which solves the problem of how to achieve efficient coordination of gravity generation, system maintenance and mission expansion in a large-scale rotating space station.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0010] In a first aspect, a large-scale simulated gravity system is provided, comprising a power wheel working cabin, a type I gravity field simulation cabin, and a type II gravity field simulation cabin;

[0011] The power wheel working cabin includes a sealed working cabin, a motor, a foldable solar wing outside the cabin and a docking device;

[0012] The motor is disposed in a sealed working cabin, and an electric shaft is provided at the motor output end. A plurality of shaft connecting rods are provided on the circumference of the electric shaft perpendicular to the axial direction of the electric shaft, and a rotating wheel is connected via the plurality of shaft connecting rods. The rotating wheel is a polygonal structure composed of a plurality of rotating wheel connecting rods, wherein at least some of the rotating wheel connecting rods not connected to the shaft connecting rods are provided with a connecting rod locking interface for connecting to the I-type gravity field simulation cabin.

[0013] Both the Type I gravity field simulation cabin and the Type II gravity field simulation cabin include a gravity field simulation cabin, and the two ends of the gravity field simulation cabin are respectively provided with a head docking port and a tail docking port for supporting the connection between the cabins;

[0014] The gravity field simulation cabin is provided with a foldable solar wing device on the peripheral side near the head docking port, and a gravity field simulation cabin forward docking port for achieving on-orbit docking of the carrier spacecraft;

[0015] Among them, the middle part of the outer side of the gravity field simulation cabin of the type I gravity field simulation cabin is connected to a rotating wheel connecting rod through a flip mechanism, and the rotating wheel connecting rod is used to connect with the connecting rod locking interface of the rotating wheel;

[0016] The rotating wheel connecting rod realizes the flipping motion from parallel to the length direction of the gravity field simulation cabin to vertical through the flipping mechanism.

[0017] The gravity field simulation cabin of the type I gravity field simulation cabin is provided with a transfer mechanism interface for capturing the transfer mechanism near the head docking interface, and the transfer mechanism is provided in the type II gravity field simulation cabin;

[0018] The Type I gravity field simulation cabin supports a 30° connection with the Type II gravity field simulation cabin;

[0019] The Type I gravity field simulation cabin and the Type II gravity field simulation cabin are connected to form a polyhedron structure, and the polyhedron structure is driven to rotate by the power wheel working cabin to form a gravity simulation field.

[0020] In a first possible implementation of the first aspect, the portion of the gravity field simulation cabin near the tail docking port of the Type I gravity field simulation cabin and the Type II gravity field simulation cabin is a double-layer cabin structure;

[0021] The double-layer cabin structure includes an outer cabin and an inner cabin. The tail docking port is arranged at one end of the inner cabin. A metal soft cylindrical tube is arranged at the other end of the inner cabin. The metal soft cylindrical tube is connected to the gravity field simulation cabin. The outer cabin is wrapped around the inner cabin and the metal soft cylindrical tube and is connected to the gravity field simulation cabin as a whole. An outer cabin opening is arranged at the end of the outer cabin. The tail docking port extends out from the outer cabin opening and forms a structure for supporting a 30° connection with an adjacent gravity field simulation cabin.

[0022] Based on the first possible implementation of the first aspect, in the second possible implementation of the first aspect, the transfer mechanism is provided on the double-layer cabin structure of the Type II gravity field simulation cabin, and the transfer mechanism can be selectively locked by a transfer mechanism parking device provided on the gravity field simulation cabin.

[0023] In a third possible implementation of the first aspect, the docking interface device is rotatably connected to the end of the sealed working cabin away from the rotating wheel for docking a spacecraft or a space capsule, and the docking interface device includes five docking interfaces: forward, rearward, skyward, left and right.

[0024] Based on any possible implementation of the first aspect, in a fourth possible implementation of the first aspect, when flying in orbit, the axial direction of the sealed working cabin is perpendicular to the flight direction of the system, and the circumference of the rotating wheel is parallel to the flight direction of the system.

[0025] In a second aspect, a method for on-orbit construction of a large-scale simulated gravity system is provided, wherein the on-orbit construction is performed based on the large-scale simulated gravity system described in the first aspect, comprising:

[0026] The power wheel working module ascends with the first rocket, unfolds the solar panels after entering orbit, and starts the motor to drive the rotating wheel;

[0027] Four Type I gravity field simulation cabins were launched upward with the second rocket. After each gravity field simulation cabin entered orbit, the rotating wheel connecting rod was unlocked and extended 90 degrees, docking and locking with the rotating wheel of the power wheel working cabin. Each time a Type I gravity field simulation cabin was installed, the rotating wheel rotated 90 degrees.

[0028] Eight Type II gravity field simulation cabins were launched upward with the third rocket; the rotating wheels were adjusted so that the tail docking port of the Type I gravity field simulation cabin stopped at the head docking port of the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin in level flight. After the head docking port of the Type II gravity field simulation cabin was docked and locked with the tail docking port of the Type I gravity field simulation cabin, the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin was rotated 30 degrees toward the system's central axis and locked using the indexing mechanism;

[0029] The rotating wheel is adjusted so that the tail docking port of the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin stops at the head docking port facing the second Type II gravity field simulation cabin in level flight. After docking, the second Type II gravity field simulation cabin is rotated 30° toward the system's central axis through the indexing mechanism and locked.

[0030] The installation steps for the 3rd, 5th and 7th Type II gravity field simulation cabins are the same as those for the 1st Type II gravity field simulation cabin; the installation steps for the 4th, 6th and 8th Type II gravity field simulation cabins are the same as those for the 2nd Type II gravity field simulation cabin;

[0031] When all the gravity field simulation cabins are installed, the solar panels will be unfolded uniformly to form a complete 12-sided structure.

[0032] In a third aspect, a method for on-orbit maintenance of a large-scale simulated gravity system is provided, wherein on-orbit maintenance is performed based on the large-scale simulated gravity system as described in the first aspect, comprising:

[0033] Stop the rotating wheel at a position where the axis of the fault gravity field simulation cabin is parallel to the flight direction;

[0034] Unlock the docking interface with the tail of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin, and rotate the tail transfer mechanism of the gravity field simulation cabin connected to its head 30 degrees away from the central axis of the system;

[0035] Rotate the rotating wheel and release the lock on the head interface of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin at the same time, completing the separation of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin;

[0036] A new gravity field simulation cabin is replaced according to the on-orbit construction method as described in the second aspect.

[0037] In a fourth aspect, a method for on-orbit docking of a carrier spacecraft is provided, wherein the method comprises:

[0038] The carrier spacecraft is launched into orbit with the rocket;

[0039] The power wheel working cabin rotates the rotating wheel so that the gravity field simulation cabin forward docking port of a certain gravity field simulation cabin faces the flying direction of the carrier spacecraft, and then stops rotating the rotating wheel;

[0040] The carrier spacecraft completes docking and locking with the gravity field simulation cabin through the docking device, and rotates with the rotating wheel.

[0041] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0042] The large-scale simulated gravity system and its on-orbit construction and maintenance methods provided by the present invention can sustainably ensure the long-term continuous operation of the entire system through a carrier spacecraft. The proposed on-orbit construction method can shorten the system construction cycle, and the maintenance method can ensure the reliability and availability of the system's long-term on-orbit operation.

[0043] The system can achieve continuous expansion of capabilities, with a large system scale and the ability to dock with multiple carrier spacecraft at the same time, which is highly practical. It can also realize the repair and replacement of any gravity field simulation cabin, which has good maintainability.

[0044] It supports continuous system updates to ensure the long life of the system. After assembly, a large-scale, long-life on-orbit gravity field simulation environment can be obtained. It can be expanded from a 12-sided polygon to a polygonal structure of 16, 20 or even more sides, with good scalability.

[0045] Using the power wheel working cabin as the power output platform can realize track maneuvering and multi-track operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an on-orbit flight of a large-scale simulated gravity system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a rocket loading and ascending provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the on-orbit installation process of a large-scale simulated gravity system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a carrier spacecraft provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an on-orbit docking of multiple carrier spacecraft with a simulated gravity system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an on-orbit replacement process of a large-scale simulated gravity system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a double-deck structure of a gravity field simulation cabin provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the working process of an indexing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0054] Reference numerals:

[0055] 1-Sealed working cabin; 2-Electric rotating shaft; 3-Rotating shaft connecting rod; 4-Rotating wheel; 5-Rotating wheel connecting rod; 6-Gravity field simulation cabin; 7-Head docking port; 8-Tail docking port; 9-Solar wing device; 10-Forward docking port of gravity field simulation cabin; 11-Left docking port; 12-Forward docking port; 13-Skyward docking port; 14-Right docking port; 15-Rear docking port; 16-Carrier spacecraft head fairing; 17-Extracabin solar wing; 18-Carrier spacecraft docking device; 19-Connecting rod docking port; 22-Outer cabin; 23-Outer cabin opening; 24-Transposition mechanism parking device; 26-Inner cabin; 27-Metal soft cylindrical tube; 29-Transposition mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention to achieve its intended purpose, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application are clearly described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0057] The terms "first," "second," and the like in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or precedence. It should be understood that the terms used in this manner are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of this application can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein, and that the objects distinguished by "first," "second," and the like are generally of the same type, and do not limit the number of objects; for example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, the term "and / or" in the specification and claims represents at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship.

[0058] The description of the method flow in the specification of this application and the steps in the flowcharts in the drawings of the specification of this application do not necessarily need to be strictly executed according to the step numbers. The method steps can be executed in a different order. In addition, some steps can be omitted, multiple steps can be combined into one step, and / or one step can be decomposed into multiple steps.

[0059] The following is a detailed description of the large-scale simulated gravity system and its on-orbit construction and maintenance methods provided in the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0060] In order to solve a series of problems such as the ascent, on-orbit operation and maintenance of a large-scale simulated gravity system, and at the same time solve the problem of on-orbit material replenishment, a large-scale simulated gravity system and its on-orbit construction and maintenance method are provided.

[0061] This large-scale simulated gravity system consists of four major components: a power wheel cabin, a Type I gravity field simulation cabin, a Type II gravity field simulation cabin, and a carrier spacecraft. Launched into orbit in batches via multiple launch vehicles, it is ultimately assembled on-orbit into a scalable 12-sided structure (expandable to 16, 20, and other polygons in the future). The system simulates gravity by generating centrifugal force through rotation (at a speed of 4 rpm and a target gravity of 1g), while also supporting orbital maneuvers, on-orbit maintenance, and functional expansion.

[0062] The large-scale simulated gravity system of an embodiment of the present application is described in detail below.

[0063] The large-scale simulated gravity system of the embodiment of the present application includes a power wheel working cabin, a type I gravity field simulation cabin and a type II gravity field simulation cabin.

[0064] See Figure 1 , showing the power wheel working cabin; the power wheel working cabin includes a sealed working cabin 1, a motor, a foldable outboard solar wing and a docking interface device;

[0065] The motor is disposed in a sealed working chamber 1, with an electric shaft 2 provided at the motor output end. A plurality of shaft connecting rods 3 are provided circumferentially and perpendicularly to the axial direction of the electric shaft 2, and are connected to a rotating wheel 4 via the plurality of shaft connecting rods 3. The rotating wheel 4 is a polygonal structure composed of a plurality of rotating wheel connecting rods, wherein at least some of the rotating wheel connecting rods not connected to the shaft connecting rods 3 are provided with a connecting rod locking interface for connecting to the Type I gravity field simulation chamber.

[0066] The docking interface device is rotatably connected to the end of the sealed working cabin 1 away from the rotating wheel 4, and is used to dock a spacecraft or a space capsule. The docking interface device includes five docking interfaces, namely a left docking interface 11, a forward docking interface 12, a skyward docking interface 13, a right docking interface 14 and a rearward docking interface 15.

[0067] During specific implementation, the sealed working cabin 1 is used for astronauts to be on duty in orbit. At the same time, the motor that drives the rotation of the entire gravity field is placed in the cabin, which provides a good working environment and is easy to inspect and maintain. When the power wheel working cabin is ascending, the solar panels outside the cabin are folded and retracted, and then unfolded in orbit after entering orbit to provide power for the working cabin. The sealed working cabin 1 is connected to the electric shaft 2 through a motor transmission device, and the motor shaft is connected to the rotating wheel 4 through a shaft connecting rod 3. The power is driven by the solar panels outside the cabin to drive the motor and the motor transmission device to rotate, driving the rotating wheel 4 to rotate. At the same time, the power wheel working cabin can provide the entire system with power and control for orbit maintenance and orbit change. The propellant can be transported upward by the carrier spacecraft and replenished by astronauts on orbit; the sealed working cabin 1 has 5 docking ports, namely forward, rear, skyward, left and right, and can dock up to 5 spacecraft or space capsules at the same time. The spacecraft or space capsule generally docks with the sealed working cabin 1 through the rear docking port, and the transfer is completed by the transfer mechanism 29 on the sealed working cabin 1. When flying on orbit, the axial direction of the sealed working cabin 1 is perpendicular to the flight direction of the system, and the circumferential direction of the rotating wheel 4 is parallel to the flight direction of the system.

[0068] See Figure 1 , showing a type I gravity field simulation cabin; the type I gravity field simulation cabin includes a gravity field simulation cabin 6, the middle portion of the outer side of the gravity field simulation cabin 6 is connected to a rotating wheel connecting rod 5 through a flip mechanism, and the rotating wheel connecting rod 5 is used to be connected to a locking interface with the connecting rod of the rotating wheel 4;

[0069] The gravity field simulation cabin 6 is provided with a head docking port 7 and a tail docking port 8 at both ends, respectively, for supporting the connection between cabins;

[0070] The gravity field simulation cabin 6 is provided with a foldable solar wing device 9 on the peripheral side near the head docking port 7, and a gravity field simulation cabin forward docking port 10 for achieving on-orbit docking of the carrier spacecraft;

[0071] The rotating wheel connecting rod 5 realizes the flipping motion from parallel to the length direction of the gravity field simulation cabin 6 to perpendicular to it through the flipping mechanism.

[0072] The part of the gravity field simulation cabin 6 near the tail docking port 8 is a double-layer cabin structure, see Figure 7 The double-layer cabin structure includes an outer cabin 22 and an inner cabin 26. The tail docking port 8 is arranged at one end of the inner cabin 26. A metal soft cylindrical tube 27 is arranged at the other end of the inner cabin 26. The metal soft cylindrical tube 27 is connected to the gravity field simulation cabin 6. The outer cabin 22 is wrapped around the inner cabin 26 and the metal soft cylindrical tube 27 and is connected to the gravity field simulation cabin 6 as a whole. An outer cabin 22 opening 23 is provided at the end of the outer cabin 22. The tail docking port 8 extends from the outer cabin 22 opening 23 and forms a structure for supporting a 30° connection with the Type II gravity field simulation cabin.

[0073] A transfer mechanism 29 interface for capturing the transfer mechanism 29 is provided near the head docking interface 7 of the gravity field simulation cabin 6 , and the transfer mechanism 29 is provided in the II type gravity field simulation cabin.

[0074] See Figure 1 , showing a type II gravity field simulation cabin; the type II gravity field simulation cabin is the same as the type I gravity field simulation cabin, including a gravity field simulation cabin 6, and the gravity field simulation cabin 6 is provided with a head docking port 7 and a tail docking port 8 at both ends for supporting connection between cabins;

[0075] The gravity field simulation cabin 6 is provided with a foldable solar wing device 9 on the peripheral side near the head docking port 7, and a gravity field simulation cabin forward docking port 10 for achieving on-orbit docking of the carrier spacecraft;

[0076] The part of the gravity field simulation cabin 6 near the tail docking port 8 is a double-layer cabin structure, which includes an outer cabin 22 and an inner cabin 26. The tail docking port 8 is arranged at one end of the inner cabin 26, and a metal soft cylindrical tube 27 is provided at the other end of the inner cabin 26. The metal soft cylindrical tube 27 is connected to the gravity field simulation cabin 6. The outer cabin 22 is wrapped around the inner cabin 26 and the metal soft cylindrical tube 27 and is connected to the gravity field simulation cabin 6 as a whole. An outer cabin 22 opening 23 is provided at the end of the outer cabin 22, and the tail docking port 8 extends from the outer cabin 22 opening 23, and forms a structure for supporting a 30° connection with a Type II gravity field simulation cabin or a Type I gravity field simulation cabin.

[0077] Compared with the Type I gravity field simulation cabin, the Type II gravity field simulation cabin does not have a rotating wheel connecting rod 5, and is also provided with a transfer mechanism 29 on the double-layer cabin structure; specifically, the Type II gravity field simulation cabin is provided with a transfer mechanism 29 on the double-layer cabin structure, and the transfer mechanism 29 can be selectively locked by the transfer mechanism 29 parking device 24 provided on the gravity field simulation cabin 6.

[0078] The Type I and Type II gravity field simulation chambers are connected to form a polyhedron structure. The polyhedron structure is rotated by the powered wheel working chamber to form a gravity simulation field. The gravity field simulation chamber 6 of the Type I and Type II gravity field simulation chambers provides living and experimental space for astronauts.

[0079] During the specific implementation process, the power wheel working cabin is launched into orbit by the first rocket. The Type I gravity field simulation cabin is launched into orbit by the second rocket. After the Type I gravity field simulation cabin enters orbit, the rotating wheel connecting rod 5 is unlocked, opened, rotated 90 degrees, and then locked. Then the rotating wheel 4 is stopped. At this time, it is necessary to keep the connecting rod locking interface on the surface of one rotating wheel 4 facing the Type I gravity field simulation cabin. After the simulation cabin captures this interface, the on-orbit connection and locking are completed. There are a total of four Type I gravity field simulation cabins, each of which is 90 degrees apart. After each Type I gravity field simulation cabin is installed, the rotating wheel 4 rotates 90 degrees, and the four Type I gravity field simulation cabins are installed in place in sequence. At this time, the solar panels of the simulation cabins are unlocked but not deployed for the time being. The solar panels will be deployed after all Type II gravity field simulation cabins are installed. The Type II gravity field simulation cabin is launched into orbit by the third rocket. The rotating wheel 4 rotates until a Type I gravity field simulation cabin docking interface is in a horizontal position, stops rotating, and the Type II gravity field simulation cabin approaches, captures, and completes docking. Then, the Type II gravity field simulation cabin is rotated 30° and locked by the indexing mechanism 29 (see Figure 8 , the transfer mechanism 29 is locked and fixed in the upward state. When the Type II gravity field simulation cabin is docked and locked with the Type I gravity field simulation cabin, the transfer mechanism 29 is unlocked and rotated to a state of coincidence with the axis of the Type I gravity field simulation cabin, capturing the transfer mechanism 29 interface on the Type I gravity field simulation cabin. After locking, the transfer mechanism 29 rotates 30° around the upper rotation axis of the Type II gravity field simulation cabin. The transfer mechanism 29 is limited and locked). The rotating wheel 4 rotates again to rotate the newly installed Type II gravity field simulation cabin to be parallel to the flight direction, and then stops rotating. The next Type II gravity field simulation cabin approaches, captures, and completes the docking. The transfer mechanism 29 is then used to rotate the Type II gravity field simulation cabin 30° and lock it. ... Follow the above process until the installation of 8 Type II gravity field simulation cabins is completed, and then the solar wings of a total of 12 gravity field simulation cabins (4 of which are Type I and 8 are Type II) are unfolded.

[0080] The carrier spacecraft will be used to transport personnel and cargo after the system is completed. It can dock with the powered rotor working cabin or with the docking port on the gravity field simulation cabin (forward docking port 10). This in-orbit docking can be accomplished using existing rendezvous and docking technology. While docked with the gravity field simulation cabin, the rotating wheels 4 rotate while the carrier spacecraft is immersed in a simulated gravity field environment. This carrier spacecraft is capable of round-trip travel between Earth and Earth and is reusable.

[0081] The following is a detailed description of the on-orbit construction and maintenance method of the large-scale simulated gravity system according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0082] See also Figure 3 The embodiment of the present application provides an on-orbit construction method for a large-scale simulated gravity system, which is based on the above-mentioned large-scale simulated gravity system and includes:

[0083] Step S1: The power wheel working cabin goes up with the first rocket, unfolds the solar panels after entering orbit, and starts the motor to drive the rotating wheel.

[0084] Specifically, the power wheel working cabin went up with the first rocket, see Figure 2 After entering orbit, it separates from the rocket, and the power wheel working cabin drives the rotating wheel 4 to rotate at an angular velocity of 4r / min through the motor.

[0085] In step S2, four Type I gravity field simulation cabins are launched upward with the second rocket. After each gravity field simulation cabin enters orbit, the rotating wheel connecting rod is unlocked and unfolded 90°, docking and locking with the rotating wheel of the power wheel working cabin; each time a Type I gravity field simulation cabin is installed, the rotating wheel rotates 90°.

[0086] Specifically, the Type I gravity field simulation cabin (a total of 4) was launched upwards with the second rocket, see Figure 2 After entering orbit, it separates from the rocket in sequence. After the first I-type gravity field simulation cabin separates from the rocket to a safe distance, the lock of the rotating wheel connecting rod 5 is released, and the rotating wheel connecting rod 5 rotates from parallel to the sealed cabin body to a perpendicular state to the sealed cabin body, flies level and approaches the rotating wheel 4, and the powered runner working cabin rotates the rotating wheel 4 in advance so that the connecting rod docking port 19 on the rotating wheel 4 stays at a position facing the rotating wheel connecting rod 5 on the I-type gravity field simulation cabin, and the powered runner working cabin stops rotating the rotating wheel 4; the rotating wheel connecting rod 5 on the I-type gravity field simulation cabin docks with the rotating wheel 4 and locks, completing the installation of the first I-type gravity field simulation cabin; then the powered runner working cabin rotates the rotating wheel 4 again, and refers to the installation process of the first I-type gravity field simulation cabin to complete the on-orbit installation of the second to fourth I-type gravity field simulation cabins in sequence.

[0087] In step S3, the eight Type II gravity field simulation cabins are launched upward along with the third rocket; the rotating wheel is adjusted so that the tail docking port 8 of the Type I gravity field simulation cabin stops at a position facing the head docking port of the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin in level flight. After the head docking port of the Type II gravity field simulation cabin is docked and locked with the tail docking port of the Type I gravity field simulation cabin, the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin is rotated 30° toward the system center axis by the indexing mechanism and locked;

[0088] The rotating wheel 4 is adjusted to the tail docking port of the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin and stops at the head docking port of the second Type II gravity field simulation cabin facing the horizontal flight. After docking, the second Type II gravity field simulation cabin is rotated 30° toward the center axis of the system through the indexing mechanism and locked.

[0089] The installation steps for the 3rd, 5th and 7th Type II gravity field simulation cabins are the same as those for the 1st Type II gravity field simulation cabin; the installation steps for the 4th, 6th and 8th Type II gravity field simulation cabins are the same as those for the 2nd Type II gravity field simulation cabin.

[0090] Specifically, the Type II gravity field simulation cabin (8 in total) was launched with the third rocket, see Figure 2 After entering orbit, they separate from the rocket in sequence. The first Type II gravity field simulation cabin flies horizontally close to the rotating wheel 4 with its head docking port 7 facing forward and parallel to the flight direction, releasing the solar wing lock, but not opening it temporarily; the power wheel working cabin rotates a Type I gravity field simulation cabin connected to the rotating wheel 4 to a horizontal state in advance, so that its tail docking port 8 stops at a position facing the head docking port 7 of the Type II gravity field simulation cabin flying horizontally. The head docking port 7 of the Type II gravity field simulation cabin is docked and locked with the tail docking port 8 of the Type I gravity field simulation cabin, and the tail transfer mechanism 29 of the Type I gravity field simulation cabin rotates horizontally 30° toward the center axis, and then the transfer mechanism 29 is locked.

[0091] The second Type II gravity field simulation cabin separates from the rocket, and the Type II gravity field simulation cabin flies horizontally close to the rotating wheel 4 with its head docking port 7 facing forward and parallel to the flight direction, releasing the solar wing lock, but not opening it temporarily; the power wheel working cabin stops the tail docking port 8 of the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin in advance at the position of the head docking port 7 of the second Type II gravity field simulation cabin in horizontal flight, and the head docking port 7 of the Type II gravity field simulation cabin is docked and locked with the tail docking port 8 of the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin, and the tail transfer mechanism 29 of the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin is horizontally rotated 30° toward the center axis direction to dock and lock it with the adjacent head docking port 7 of the second Type I gravity field simulation cabin.

[0092] Step S4: After all gravity field simulation cabins are installed, all solar wings are unfolded to form a complete dodecahedron structure.

[0093] Specifically, the installation process of the 3rd, 5th and 7th Type II gravity field simulation cabins is the same as that of the 1st Type II gravity field simulation cabin; the installation process of the 4th, 6th and 8th Type II gravity field simulation cabins is the same as that of the 2nd Type II gravity field simulation cabin; when all simulation cabins are installed to form a complete 12-hedron structure, the solar wings of each simulation cabin will be unfolded and locked in turn.

[0094] This method can be launched into orbit by three carrier rockets, and then docked and assembled on orbit to form a 12-sided (expandable) spacecraft structure. The motor is used to drive the entire simulated gravity system to rotate at a speed of 4r / min, generating 1g of gravity.

[0095] Further, referring to 5, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for on-orbit docking of a carrier spacecraft, comprising:

[0096] Step A1: The carrier spacecraft is launched into orbit along with the rocket;

[0097] Step A2: the power wheel working cabin rotates the rotating wheel so that the gravity field simulation cabin forward docking port of a certain gravity field simulation cabin faces the flight direction of the carrier spacecraft, and then stops rotating the rotating wheel 4;

[0098] Step A3: The carrier spacecraft completes docking and locking with the gravity field simulation cabin through the docking device, and rotates with the rotating wheel.

[0099] The carrier spacecraft is launched into orbit with the rocket, flies close to the simulated gravity system, and removes the carrier spacecraft head fairing 16 (see Figure 4 ) lock, rotate the fairing to the locked position, rotate the rotating wheel 4 in the power wheel working cabin to make the positive docking port on a gravity field simulation cabin face the flight direction of the carrier spacecraft, and stop rotating the rotating wheel 4; the carrier spacecraft docking device 18 captures the positive docking port on the gravity field simulation cabin, approaches and completes the docking lock.

[0100] Further, see Figure 6 The embodiment of the present application provides an on-orbit maintenance method for a large-scale simulated gravity system, which performs on-orbit maintenance based on the large-scale simulated gravity system, including:

[0101] Step B1, stopping the rotating wheel at a position where the axis of the fault gravity field simulation cabin is parallel to the flight direction;

[0102] Step B2: Unlock the docking interface with the tail of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin, and rotate the tail indexing mechanism of the gravity field simulation cabin connected to its head by 30° in a direction away from the central axis of the system;

[0103] Step B3: rotating the rotating wheel 4 to simultaneously release the lock on the head docking interface of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin, thereby completing the separation of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin.

[0104] Step B4: Replace the new gravity field simulation cabin according to the above-mentioned on-orbit construction method.

[0105] When a gravity field simulation cabin has a major fault and needs to be replaced on-orbit, the power output of the power wheel working cabin is shut down, the rotating wheel 4 is stopped at a position where the axis of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin is parallel to the flight direction, the lock on the tail docking interface 8 of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin is released, the tail transfer mechanism 29 of the gravity field simulation cabin connected to its head is rotated 30° away from the central axis, and then the rotating wheel 4 is rotated, and the lock on the head docking interface 7 of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin is released at the same time, completing the separation of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin. The installation process of the replacement gravity field simulation cabin is the same as the above-mentioned on-orbit construction method.

[0106] This method enables all cabins in the system to be replaced as a whole on-orbit, and can provide a long-term stable large-scale weightlessness environment. It can also realize orbital maneuvers, thereby improving the mission compatibility and availability of the system, while extending the system's on-orbit service life and improving the system's utilization efficiency.

[0107] Based on the above technical solution, this application provides an on-orbit construction and maintenance method for a large-scale simulated gravity system, which has the following advantages:

[0108] 1. The present invention provides a large-scale simulated gravity system and its on-orbit construction and maintenance method. The system is primarily constructed from a power wheel working cabin, a Type I gravity field simulation cabin, and a Type II gravity field simulation cabin. The system is supported by a carrier spacecraft to ensure long-term continuous operation. The proposed on-orbit construction method can shorten the system's construction cycle, and the maintenance method can ensure the system's long-term reliability and availability during on-orbit operation.

[0109] 2. The on-orbit construction and maintenance method provided by the present invention can achieve continuous expansion of system capabilities, with a large system scale and the ability to dock with multiple carrier spacecraft simultaneously, thus achieving high practicality. It can also achieve the repair and replacement of any gravity field simulation cabin, thus achieving good maintainability.

[0110] 3. The method provided by the present invention supports continuous updating of the system, thereby ensuring the long life of the system. After assembly, a large-scale, long-life on-orbit gravity field simulation environment can be obtained; it can be expanded from a 12-sided polygon to a polygonal structure of 16, 20 or even more sides, with good scalability.

[0111] 4. The method provided by the present invention utilizes the power wheel working cabin as the power output platform, which can realize track maneuvering and multi-track operation.

[0112] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the statement "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising the element. In addition, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and devices in the embodiments of the present application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, and may also include performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in the opposite order according to the functions involved. For example, the described method may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may also be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, the features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0113] It will be appreciated that the embodiments of the present application have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific embodiments, which are merely illustrative and not restrictive, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes or equivalent replacements may be made to these features and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art may modify these features and embodiments to adapt to specific circumstances and materials under the inspiration or guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application fall within the scope protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. Large-scale simulated gravity system, characterized by: Including power wheel working cabin, type I gravity field simulation cabin and type II gravity field simulation cabin; The power wheel working cabin includes a sealed working cabin, a motor, a foldable solar wing outside the cabin and a docking device; The motor is disposed in a sealed working cabin, and an electric shaft is provided at the motor output end. A plurality of shaft connecting rods are provided on the circumference of the electric shaft perpendicular to the axial direction of the electric shaft, and a rotating wheel is connected via the plurality of shaft connecting rods. The rotating wheel is a polygonal structure composed of a plurality of rotating wheel connecting rods, wherein at least some of the rotating wheel connecting rods not connected to the shaft connecting rods are provided with a connecting rod locking interface for connecting to the I-type gravity field simulation cabin. Both the Type I gravity field simulation cabin and the Type II gravity field simulation cabin include a gravity field simulation cabin, and the two ends of the gravity field simulation cabin are respectively provided with a head docking port and a tail docking port for supporting the connection between the cabins; The gravity field simulation cabin is provided with a foldable solar wing device on the peripheral side near the head docking port, and a gravity field simulation cabin forward docking port for achieving on-orbit docking of the carrier spacecraft; Among them, the middle part of the outer side of the gravity field simulation cabin of the type I gravity field simulation cabin is connected to a rotating wheel connecting rod through a flip mechanism, and the rotating wheel connecting rod is used to connect with the connecting rod locking interface of the rotating wheel; The rotating wheel connecting rod realizes the flipping motion from parallel to the length direction of the gravity field simulation cabin to vertical through the flipping mechanism. The gravity field simulation cabin of the type I gravity field simulation cabin is provided with a transfer mechanism interface for capturing the transfer mechanism near the head docking interface, and the transfer mechanism is provided in the type II gravity field simulation cabin; The Type I gravity field simulation cabin supports a 30° connection with the Type II gravity field simulation cabin; The Type I gravity field simulation cabin and the Type II gravity field simulation cabin are connected to form a polyhedron structure, and the polyhedron structure is driven to rotate by the power wheel working cabin to form a gravity simulation field.

2. The large-scale simulated gravity system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The part of the gravity field simulation cabin near the tail docking port of the Type I gravity field simulation cabin and the Type II gravity field simulation cabin is a double-layer cabin structure; The double-layer cabin structure includes an outer cabin and an inner cabin. The tail docking port is arranged at one end of the inner cabin. A metal soft cylindrical tube is arranged at the other end of the inner cabin. The metal soft cylindrical tube is connected to the gravity field simulation cabin. The outer cabin is wrapped around the inner cabin and the metal soft cylindrical tube and is connected to the gravity field simulation cabin as a whole. An outer cabin opening is arranged at the end of the outer cabin. The tail docking port extends out from the outer cabin opening and forms a structure for supporting a 30° connection with an adjacent gravity field simulation cabin.

3. The large-scale simulated gravity system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transfer mechanism is provided on the double-layer cabin structure of the Type II gravity field simulation cabin, and the transfer mechanism can be selectively locked by a transfer mechanism parking device provided on the gravity field simulation cabin.

4. The large-scale simulated gravity system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The docking port device is rotatably connected to the end of the sealed working cabin away from the rotating wheel, and is used to dock a spacecraft or a space capsule. The docking port device includes five docking ports: forward, rearward, skyward, left and right.

5. The large-scale simulated gravity system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: When flying in orbit, the axial direction of the sealed working cabin is perpendicular to the flight direction of the system, and the circumferential direction of the rotating wheel is parallel to the flight direction of the system.

6. A method for constructing a large-scale simulated gravity system on-orbit, characterized in that: On-orbit construction is performed based on the large-scale simulated gravity system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: The power wheel working module ascends with the first rocket, unfolds the solar panels after entering orbit, and starts the motor to drive the rotating wheel; Four Type I gravity field simulation cabins were launched upward with the second rocket. After each gravity field simulation cabin entered orbit, the rotating wheel connecting rod was unlocked and extended 90 degrees, docking and locking with the rotating wheel of the power wheel working cabin. Each time a Type I gravity field simulation cabin was installed, the rotating wheel rotated 90 degrees. Eight Type II gravity field simulation cabins were launched upward with the third rocket; the rotating wheels were adjusted so that the tail docking port of the Type I gravity field simulation cabin stopped at the head docking port of the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin in level flight. After the head docking port of the Type II gravity field simulation cabin was docked and locked with the tail docking port of the Type I gravity field simulation cabin, the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin was rotated 30 degrees toward the system's central axis and locked using the indexing mechanism; The rotating wheel is adjusted so that the tail docking port of the first Type II gravity field simulation cabin stops at the head docking port facing the second Type II gravity field simulation cabin in level flight. After docking, the second Type II gravity field simulation cabin is rotated 30° toward the system's central axis through the indexing mechanism and locked. The installation steps for the 3rd, 5th and 7th Type II gravity field simulation cabins are the same as those for the 1st Type II gravity field simulation cabin; the installation steps for the 4th, 6th and 8th Type II gravity field simulation cabins are the same as those for the 2nd Type II gravity field simulation cabin; When all the gravity field simulation cabins are installed, the solar panels will be unfolded uniformly to form a complete 12-sided structure.

7. On-orbit maintenance method for a large-scale simulated gravity system, characterized in that: On-orbit maintenance is performed based on the large-scale simulated gravity system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: Stop the rotating wheel at a position where the axis of the fault gravity field simulation cabin is parallel to the flight direction; Unlock the docking interface with the tail of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin, and rotate the tail transfer mechanism of the gravity field simulation cabin connected to its head 30 degrees away from the central axis of the system; Rotate the rotating wheel and release the lock on the head interface of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin at the same time, completing the separation of the faulty gravity field simulation cabin; A new gravity field simulation cabin replaced according to the on-orbit construction method as described in claim 6.

8. A method for docking a carrier spacecraft on orbit, characterized in that: The method of performing on-orbit docking of a carrier spacecraft based on the large-scale simulated gravity system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 comprises: The carrier spacecraft is launched into orbit with the rocket; The power wheel working cabin rotates the rotating wheel so that the gravity field simulation cabin forward docking port of a certain gravity field simulation cabin faces the flying direction of the carrier spacecraft, and then stops rotating the rotating wheel; The carrier spacecraft completes docking and locking with the gravity field simulation cabin through the docking device, and rotates with the rotating wheel.

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