GEO Satellite Menu-Type Control System for Attitude Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for information fusion in GEO satellites with long service lives are inefficient, leading to increased costs, reduced reliability, and longer development cycles due to overloading and redundant sensor operations, which are not effectively addressed by existing technologies.
Innovation Solution
A menu-type design method combining inertial attitude sensor gyroscopes with a pyramid layout and satellite-borne autonomous FDIR software, utilizing multiple sensors for Kalman filtering and cold backup, allowing for autonomous fault detection and reorganization to ensure high reliability and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If all redundant attitude sensors operate simultaneously for information fusion, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic sensor selection and switching based on operational modes. The control system dynamically configures which sensors are active at any given time, transitioning between different sensor subsets depending on the operational phase and requirements, rather than maintaining all sensors in permanent simultaneous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs partial action by activating only the necessary subset of sensors for each specific operational requirement. Instead of continuously operating all redundant sensors, the system selectively engages only those needed for current attitude determination tasks, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining precision when needed.
2Measurement precision
If information fusion scheme is applied to GEO satellite with long service life, then measurement precision is improved, but computer load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the information fusion process into distinct operational modes and phases. Different filtering algorithms and sensor combinations are applied to different segments of the operational timeline, allowing the computer to process data more efficiently by tailoring the complexity of fusion operations to specific mission phases rather than maintaining constant high-level processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes computational parameters dynamically based on operational requirements. The system adjusts filtering thresholds, sampling rates, and algorithm complexity according to the current operational mode, reducing computational load during phases where full precision is not required while maintaining high precision when needed.
3Reliability
If backup sensors are increased for GEO satellite, then reliability is improved, but load-to-dry weight ratio decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic backup activation where standby sensors remain dormant during normal operation and are activated only when faults are detected or during critical operational phases. This dynamic approach maintains reliability through available backup capacity without the continuous weight and power penalty of having all backup systems actively engaged.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses virtual copying of sensor functionality through software-based fault detection and isolation systems. Rather than physically duplicating all sensor systems simultaneously, the system creates virtual replicas of sensor processing capabilities that can be activated to replace failed physical sensors, maintaining reliability while reducing actual hardware weight.
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
This approach significantly improves the cost-to-performance ratio, load-to-dry weight ratio, and reliability of the GEO satellite control system, shortening development cycles and reducing the computational load on the satellite computer, while maintaining high attitude determination and control precision.
Implementation Method 1
three of the four gyroscopes are configured for Kalman filtering... each of which is capable of independently determining attitude, acquiring attitude measurement redundancy information, autonomously performing calibration, and autonomously performing compensation of angular velocity constant drift of the gyroscope
Data Source
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AI summary
A menu-type design method for a GEO satellite control system based on optimized information integration, comprising the following steps: configuring four long-life inertial attitude sensor gyroscopes arranged in pyramid fashion for a long-life GEO satellite control system; configuring various sensors required by a user in accordance with hardware menu-type design requirements; sequentially arranging three types of Kalman filters, which are: three inertial attitude sensor gyroscopes plus an optical attitude start sensor, three inertial attitude sensor gyroscopes plus an earth sensor as well as a sun sensor, and three inertial attitude sensor gyroscopes plus another type of sensor capable of measuring a three-axis attitude, respectively; if an FDIR module of satellite-borne computer application software detects a fault, the FDIR module automatically generates a corresponding alarm, and the currently selected Kalman filter performs automatic reduced-order filtering; the FDIR module implements automatic recombination if the fault is not eliminated within a set period of time. The method can improve the cost performance, carrier-to-interference ratio, and reliability of a satellite platform and can obviously shorten the developing cycle.