Dual Stage Vehicle Attitude Control System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current attitude control systems for vehicles in low gravity environments face challenges with precision pointing, high lateral angular acceleration, and cost-effectiveness, as they require significant power and are expensive, with diminishing returns from increasing reaction wheels and limited momentum storage.
Innovation Solution
A dual stage vehicle attitude control system combining a reaction wheel array and multiple momentum wheel platforms, with a controller module coordinating the actuation of these components to provide high agility and reduced power consumption, using a hierarchical control scheme to distribute torque effectively across the vehicle's axes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If reaction wheels are increased in number to meet high torque and momentum demands, then torque and momentum control is improved, but device complexity and cost increase with diminishing returns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines reaction wheels and control moment gyroscopes into a single integrated attitude control system. The reaction wheels provide precise torque for attitude adjustments while the CMGs contribute to momentum storage and control, creating a hybrid system that leverages the strengths of both technologies to reduce the total number of components needed
Solution Approach 2:
The control moment gyroscopes serve multiple functions: they provide torque for attitude control like reaction wheels, but also contribute to momentum storage and can operate in modes that reaction wheels cannot. This multi-functionality allows the system to meet high torque and momentum demands without proportionally increasing component count
2Force
If multiple reaction wheels are used in pyramid configuration to meet high torque demands, then torque capability is improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
By merging reaction wheels with control moment gyroscopes, the system distributes the torque production load between two different technologies. The CMGs can provide torque with different power characteristics than reaction wheels, allowing the system to meet high torque demands while managing power consumption more effectively than a reaction wheel-only system
3Speed
If control moment gyroscopes are used to provide efficient torque and momentum, then agility and torque efficiency are improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a hybrid system that merges reaction wheels and control moment gyroscopes, using the CMGs to provide agility and torque efficiency where needed while relying on reaction wheels for other control functions. This partial use of CMGs reduces the overall system cost compared to a full CMG system while still achieving the desired agility performance
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operational parameters of both reaction wheels and CMGs based on mission requirements. By changing which technology is primarily used for torque production at different times, the system optimizes the trade-off between agility performance and cost, using the more expensive CMGs only when their superior performance is needed
4Speed
If momentum wheel platforms are used to provide high acceleration, then lateral angular acceleration is improved, but momentum storage is limited by angular travel and wheel sizing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines momentum wheel platforms with reaction wheels and control moment gyroscopes in an integrated system. The momentum wheels provide high lateral angular acceleration through their gimbal mechanisms, while the reaction wheels and CMGs supplement the momentum storage capability, overcoming the limitations of angular travel and wheel sizing that constrain momentum wheel platforms alone
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves cost-effective, high-agility attitude control with reduced power requirements, enabling precise movement between points within small angular fields and reorientation across larger angles, while minimizing the need for expensive control moment gyroscopes and excessive momentum storage.
Implementation Method 1
A dual stage vehicle attitude control system includes a reaction wheel array and multiple momentum wheel platforms, with a controller module coordinating the actuation of these components to provide high agility and reduced power consumption
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A dual stage vehicle attitude control system includes a first attitude control module having at least two momentum wheels arranged to provide zero momentum vehicle attitude control, each momentum wheel comprises a limited travel two axis gimbal that pivots the momentum wheel along two of the three axes of the vehicle, a second attitude control module having reaction wheels arranged in a pyramid configuration to provide vehicle attitude control along at least one control axis that is common with a control axis of the at least two momentum wheels, and a controller connected to the first attitude control module and the second attitude control module, the controller being configured to coordinate actuation of the first attitude control module and the second attitude control module to rotate the vehicle in at least one of three axes of a vehicle. A method for controlling an attitude of a vehicle comprises controlling actuation of a first attitude control module and a second attitude control module to rotate the vehicle in at least one of three axes of the vehicle.