Working mode design method for satellite adopting solar wing driving device

Abstract

The invention provides a design method for a satellite working mode adopting a solar wing driving device, which comprises the following steps that: according to the management of a satellite on-orbit mission profile on SADA, the satellite experiences several conventional modes such as attitude capture, sailboard unfolding, sun capture, earth orientation, phase adjustment, load mission and the like after being separated from a satellite rocket; when the SADA fails, the management of the SADA can be generally divided into two categories according to the influence of the SADA on the whole satellite, one category is that the sun cannot be captured, but the angle measuring device is normal, and the other category is that the sun cannot be captured, and the angle measuring device is also abnormal; in the whole-satellite safety mode, for SADA management, the whole-satellite safety mode is divided into the following types: energy safety, attitude control safety and satellite service software safety. According to the method, the safety problem which should be considered when the SADA is used is combed, the safety coping design is carried out for the SADA fault satellite, and the influence of the SADA fault on the safety of the whole satellite is reduced to the minimum.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention generally relates to the field of satellites, and more specifically to a design method for the operating modes of satellites employing solar array propulsion devices. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, due to the increasing energy demands and stability requirements of satellites, more and more satellites in orbit are adopting Solar Array Drive Assembles (SADA) to drive solar panels for sun orientation. Their normal operation is crucial for both the satellite payload and the platform. In recent years, however, satellite-wide failures have become frequent due to SADA malfunctions or insufficient consideration during SADA usage. These failures directly impact the safety of the entire satellite, leading to energy reduction or even complete power outages.

[0003] This invention outlines the key safety issues to consider when using SADA, as well as safety response designs for satellites with SADA malfunctions, minimizing the impact of SADA failures on the overall satellite safety. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a method for designing the operational modes of satellites employing solar array propulsion devices, characterized in that the method includes:

[0005] The power-on startup is performed, which involves the SADA system completing the power-on startup and autonomously setting the status after the satellite separates from the launch vehicle and is powered on.

[0006] The solar panel is deployed, and the deployment is completed by SADA after the satellite attitude meets the deployment conditions.

[0007] To perform solar capture, after the satellite completes the deployment of its drive solar panels, SADA first enters a locked state and confirms the satellite's status. Once the satellite is confirmed to be in a fully completed state, SADA takes autonomous control to perform solar capture.

[0008] Phase acquisition is performed with SADA in locked mode. During satellite phase adjustment, the impact of the SADA drive process's dwell position on the satellite's center of mass is analyzed, and satellite phase acquisition is achieved through orbit control.

[0009] Entering Japan tracking mode, awaiting mission commencement; SADA is in Japan tracking mode.

[0010] When carrying out a payload mission, it is necessary to analyze whether the SADA in the solar tracking mode affects the payload's field of view based on the actual model. If it does, the SADA should be zeroed or the field of view should be limited before the payload mission.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, in the step of performing the load task, the field of view limiting angle is determined according to the actual field of view occlusion angle.

[0012] In another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes a process for setting the overall satellite operating mode when a SADA failure occurs, wherein the failure conditions include:

[0013] SADA is unable to track the sun, but angle measurement is normal; and

[0014] SADA is unable to track the sun and exhibits abnormal angle measurement.

[0015] In another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: when the SADA malfunction occurs, if the SADA cannot track the sun but the angle measurement is normal, the SADA is locked, the entire satellite is aligned with the sun through attitude, and the solar panel normal vector for alignment with the sun is calculated by the SADA angle measurement.

[0016] In another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: when the SADA failure occurs,

[0017] If SADA fails to track the sun and angle measurement is abnormal, perform the following steps: lock onto SADA, put the entire satellite into sun search mode, and search for the sun by rotating its attitude along each of the three axes; and

[0018] The solar eclipse is based on the solar eclipse's charging current. When the current reaches a certain preset value, it is considered that a suitable solar angle has been found. The solar eclipse is then oriented by attitude control based on this angle.

[0019] In another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: entering a full-satellite security mode, wherein the full-satellite security mode includes:

[0020] Energy security;

[0021] Posture control safety; and

[0022] Space security.

[0023] In another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: when entering the energy safety mode, the overall satellite attitude is wheel-controlled sun alignment, and the SADA working mode is set to zero return to ensure that the wheel-controlled sun alignment is in the direction of the solar panel normal vector.

[0024] In another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: when attitude control enters the safe mode, attitude control is generally wheel-controlled sun alignment, at which time SADA returns to zero to ensure that the wheel-controlled sun alignment is directed in the direction of the normal vector of the sail.

[0025] In another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: when entering the satellite safety mode, the overall satellite attitude is wheel-controlled solar alignment, and the SADA working mode is set to zero return to ensure that the wheel-controlled solar alignment is directed in the direction of the solar panel normal vector.

[0026] In another embodiment of the present invention, in the whole-satellite safety mode, if the attitude control is wheel-controlled alignment with the sun, then SADA should enter the homing mode.

[0027] This invention addresses the role of SADA (Satellite Adaptive Testing and Assistance) in the overall satellite design, proposing considerations for satellite safety and countermeasures in the event of SADA failure. The role of SADA in the overall satellite typically manifests in two aspects:

[0028] First, the deployment of solar panels is generally driven by SADA.

[0029] Secondly, after the solar panels are deployed, SADA drives them to orient the solar array toward the sun and charge the batteries.

[0030] This invention outlines the key safety issues to consider when using SADA, as well as safety response designs for satellites with SADA malfunctions, minimizing the impact of SADA failures on the overall satellite safety. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a satellite mission according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0032] Figure 2 This invention illustrates the satellite-wide response measures and flowchart in the event of a SADA failure according to one embodiment;

[0033] Figure 3 This invention presents a design table for SADA operating modes based on the whole-satellite operating mode in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This invention illustrates a design table for the entire satellite's operating mode based on SADA faults in one embodiment; and

[0035] Figure 5 A design table for SADA operating mode based on the whole-satellite operating mode is shown in one embodiment of the present invention. Specific Implementation

[0036] In the following description, the invention is described with reference to various embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments may be practiced without one or more specific details or with other alternatives and / or additional methods, materials, or components. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail so as not to obscure the inventive points of the invention. Similarly, for illustrative purposes, specific quantities, materials, and configurations are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of embodiments of the invention. However, the invention is not limited to these specific details. Furthermore, it should be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings are illustrative representations and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0037] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not explicitly or implicitly suggest that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0038] In this specification, references to "an embodiment" or "this embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment in all instances.

[0039] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a satellite mission according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0040] According to the satellite's on-orbit mission profile, after separation from the launch vehicle, the satellite will undergo several conventional modes, including attitude acquisition, solar panel deployment, solar capture, Earth orientation, phase adjustment, and payload mission execution. Combined with... Figure 3 SADA working mode design table based on whole-satellite working mode and Figure 5 Based on different mission phases of satellites, the following describes the SADA operating mode setting process during satellite missions:

[0041] The satellite mission process before entering the satellite-rocket separation mode after rocket liftoff is the active phase.

[0042] The satellite mission then entered the initial orbit insertion phase.

[0043] After the satellite separates from the launch vehicle, in order to prepare for the deployment of the solar panels, the SADA should be powered on immediately after the satellite is powered on, allowing time for the SADA to set its own status. When the conditions for solar panel deployment are met, the SADA should be able to drive the solar panels to deploy.

[0044] After undergoing remote uplink and downlink operations, the satellite enters solar panel deployment mode. Once the attitude meets the deployment conditions, the SADA system drives the solar panel deployment. During deployment, since there are several deployment methods, such as autonomous deployment, forced autonomous deployment, and manual deployment, the SADA system must adapt to various deployment conditions. In this case, the SADA system is set to deployment mode (applicable to autonomous, forced, and manual solar panel deployment) to drive the deployment.

[0045] After the solar panels deploy, the satellite mission enters the solar capture phase. Following deployment, it's crucial to confirm the panels are fully deployed. Therefore, in the SADA (Satellite Adaptive Cruise Control) operating mode settings, after successfully driving the panels into position, the system first enters a locked state. Only after the entire satellite's status is confirmed does the SADA perform autonomous capture, i.e., a self-check. Thus, during this phase, attitude capture is employed to ensure sufficient satellite power, and the SADA system remains locked.

[0046] After SADA completes its self-check, the satellite mission progresses to the Earth orientation phase. Once the satellite status is confirmed, Earth orientation begins. Subsequently, SADA performs autonomous control and solar capture. During this phase, considering that the solar panels are continuously rotating and capturing the sun during SADA's solar tracking process, the safety limits of SADA should be considered based on the overall satellite configuration during the entire satellite workflow.

[0047] Afterwards, the satellite process enters the orbit adjustment phase. During the phase adjustment process, the satellite's phase acquisition needs to be achieved through orbit control. During this process, the impact of the SADA drive process's dwell position on the satellite's center of mass and the risks of orbit control during SADA acquisition should be analyzed. Thus, in the overall satellite workflow, the corresponding SADA working mode under orbit control mode is acquisition, locking, or homing. The specific mode is selected according to different implementations and is not limited here.

[0048] The satellite mission has now completed the initial orbit insertion phase.

[0049] Then, the on-orbit testing phase will be carried out. At this time, the SADA working mode is standby mode, waiting to start the mission. The SADA will track the sun. During this phase, the SADA hard limit should be considered.

[0050] After the test, the satellite mission officially entered on-orbit operation. During the payload mission mode, the impact of SADA acquisition on the payload field of view was analyzed. If there was obstruction in the field of view, before entering the payload mission, the SADA working mode was set to zero mode or field of view limit mode (the field of view limit angle was determined according to the actual obstruction angle of the field of view), i.e., soft limit.

[0051] Once the mission is completed, the satellite will automatically deorbit, thus completing all mission phases.

[0052] Figure 2 The present invention illustrates the satellite-wide response measures and flowchart in the event of a SADA failure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] As shown in the figure, when SADA fails, there are two handling measures for the entire satellite based on the SADA failure mode. Therefore, corresponding setting procedures for the two satellite operating modes are designed:

[0054] 1) When SADA cannot track the sun, but angle measurement is normal, the overall satellite operating mode setting procedure is as follows: lock SADA, and the entire satellite performs solar alignment through attitude control. The solar panel normal vector for solar alignment is calculated by SADA angle measurement.

[0055] 2) When SADA fails to track the sun and the angle measurement is abnormal, the overall satellite operating mode setup procedure is as follows: lock SADA, enter sun search mode, and search for the sun by rotating the three axes of attitude control. The solar panel search is based on the charging current of the solar panel. When the current reaches a certain preset value, it is considered that a suitable angle to the sun has been found, and subsequent orientation to the sun is performed by attitude control at that angle.

[0056] Therefore, when a SADA fault occurs, the detection and correction process should be as follows: determine whether there is an abnormality in SADA tracking; if an abnormality is found, continue to determine whether there is an abnormality in angle measurement.

[0057] When an angle measurement anomaly occurs, combined with Figure 4 and Figure 5 At this point, during the overall satellite operating mode setup process, SADA is locked, and the satellite enters solar search mode. It searches for the sun by rotating along its three axes. The solar panel's search is based on its charging current; when the current reaches a certain preset value, a suitable solar orientation angle is considered to have been found. Subsequently, this angle is used for attitude control for sun orientation. At this time, the overall satellite operating mode is set to: SADA Safety Mode 1, with SADA operating mode in locked mode.

[0058] If the angle measurement is normal, perform the entire satellite attitude control system's solar homing search until the fault is resolved. At this time, in the entire satellite's operating mode setting process, the SADA system is locked, and the entire satellite homing is performed through attitude control. The solar panel normal vector for homing is calculated by the SADA angle measurement. At this time, the entire satellite's operating mode is set to: SADA Safety Mode 2, and the SADA operating mode is locked mode.

[0059] Figure 3 A design table for SADA operating mode based on the whole-satellite operating mode is shown in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 5 It is known that there are also safety mode settings in the overall satellite workflow. There are several types of satellite safety modes: energy safety, attitude control safety, and satellite software safety. For different safety modes, the satellite makes the following settings when using SADA:

[0061] Energy security: When entering energy security mode, the entire satellite attitude is wheel-controlled sun alignment. At this time, the SADA working mode is set to zero return to ensure that the wheel-controlled sun alignment is in the direction of the solar panel normal vector.

[0062] Attitude control safety: When attitude control enters the safety mode, attitude control is generally wheel-controlled sun alignment. At this time, SADA returns to zero to ensure that the wheel-controlled sun alignment is in the direction of the normal vector of the solar panel.

[0063] For satellite safety, when entering satellite safety mode, the entire satellite attitude is set to wheel-controlled solar alignment. At this time, the SADA working mode is set to zero to ensure that the wheel-controlled solar alignment is in the direction of the solar panel normal vector.

[0064] In the safe mode workflow, considering the attitude control working mode design in the safe mode, if the attitude control is wheel control to the sun, then SADA should enter the return-to-zero mode at this time.

[0065] The above are the steps for setting the SADA working mode in the entire process of this invention. This invention mainly proposes design methods and directions. The final design needs to be adapted to the actual satellite's payload characteristics, platform characteristics, and working mode definition. No specific limitations are made here.

[0066] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A design method for the working mode of a satellite employing a solar array drive device, characterized in that, The method includes: The power-on startup is performed, which involves the SADA system completing the power-on startup and autonomously setting the status after the satellite separates from the launch vehicle and is powered on. The solar panel is deployed, and the deployment is completed by SADA after the satellite attitude meets the deployment conditions. To perform solar capture, after the satellite completes the deployment of its drive solar panels, SADA first enters a locked state and confirms the satellite's status. Once the satellite is confirmed to be in a fully completed state, SADA takes autonomous control to perform solar capture. Phase acquisition is performed with SADA in locked mode. During satellite phase adjustment, the impact of the SADA drive process's dwell position on the satellite's center of mass is analyzed, and satellite phase acquisition is achieved through orbit control. Entering Japan tracking mode, awaiting mission commencement; SADA is in Japan tracking mode. When carrying out a payload mission, it is necessary to analyze whether the SADA in the solar tracking mode affects the payload's field of view based on the actual model. If it does, the SADA should be zeroed or the field of view should be limited before the payload mission.

2. The satellite operating mode design method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the process of performing the load task, the field-of-view limiting angle is determined based on the actual field-of-view occlusion angle.

3. The satellite operating mode design method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method also includes a process for setting the entire satellite operating mode in the event of a SADA failure, the failure conditions of which include: SADA is unable to track the sun, but angle measurement is normal; and SADA is unable to track the sun and exhibits abnormal angle measurement.

4. The satellite operating mode design method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: when a SADA malfunction occurs, if the SADA cannot track the sun but the angle measurement is normal, the SADA is locked, and the entire satellite is aligned with the sun through attitude measurement, with the solar panel normal vector for sun alignment calculated by the SADA angle measurement.

5. The satellite operating mode design method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: when the SADA fault occurs, If SADA fails to track the sun and angle measurement is abnormal, perform the following steps: lock SADA, put the entire satellite into sun search mode, and search for the sun by rotating its attitude along each of the three axes; and The solar alignment is based on the solar alignment current. When the current reaches a certain preset value, it is considered that a suitable solar alignment angle has been found. The solar alignment is then achieved by attitude control based on this angle.

6. The satellite operating mode design method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: entering a full-satellite security mode, wherein the full-satellite security mode includes: Energy security; Posture control safety; and Space security.

7. The satellite operating mode design method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method also includes: in the energy safety mode, when entering the energy safety mode, the overall satellite attitude is wheel-controlled sun alignment, and the SADA working mode is set to zero return to ensure that the wheel-controlled sun alignment is in the direction of the solar panel normal vector.

8. The satellite operating mode design method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method also includes: in the attitude control safety mode, when attitude control enters the safety mode, attitude control is generally wheel control aligned with the sun. At this time, SADA returns to zero to ensure that the wheel control aligned with the sun points in the direction of the normal vector of the sail.

9. The satellite operating mode design method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method also includes: in the aforementioned satellite safety mode, when entering the satellite safety mode, the overall satellite attitude is set to wheel-controlled solar alignment, and the SADA working mode is set to zero return to ensure that the wheel-controlled solar alignment is directed in the direction of the solar panel normal vector.

10. The satellite operating mode design method according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the aforementioned full-satellite safety mode, if the attitude control is wheel-controlled towards the sun, then SADA should enter the homing mode.

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