Spacecraft Passive Damper Viscous Fluid Damping Torque
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spacecraft in low orbit with faulty active attitude control systems pose a risk due to high rotational speeds, making them difficult to capture and deorbit, and contribute to space debris pollution, which can collide with functional satellites.
Innovation Solution
A spacecraft design incorporating both active and passive attitude control means, where passive control systems utilize the Earth's magnetic field and viscous fluid dampers to generate a damping torque, slowing down the rotation of the spacecraft when active systems fail, thereby reducing the risk of collisions and facilitating deorbiting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If active attitude control means are used to stabilize the spacecraft, then the attitude control precision is improved, but the system complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The attitude control system is segmented into two independent parts: active attitude control means (reaction wheels, gyroscopic actuators, magneto-torqueurs) for precision stabilization, and passive attitude control means (passive dampers with viscous fluid) for rotational damping. This segmentation allows each subsystem to perform its specific function without interfering with the other, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining control precision.
Solution Approach 2:
Passive dampers act as intermediaries between the spacecraft body and the rotational motion. These dampers, containing viscous fluid and magnetic elements, mediate the rotational energy by converting it into heat through fluid friction, thereby reducing the load on active control systems and enabling precise attitude control with reduced complexity.
2Reliability
If active attitude control means are used, then the attitude stabilization is improved, but the energy consumption increases and lifespan is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Passive dampers are pre-installed on the spacecraft and continuously ready to act. When rotational motion is detected (either from launch vibrations or active control corrections), the dampers automatically begin damping the motion through viscous fluid friction, eliminating the need for continuous energy consumption by active systems and reducing overall energy usage while maintaining stabilization reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The passive dampers convert harmful rotational kinetic energy into beneficial thermal energy through viscous friction. By transforming the problematic rotational motion into heat dissipation, the system reduces energy consumption of active control components while maintaining reliable attitude stabilization, effectively turning a potential hazard into a useful damping mechanism.
3Reliability
If the spacecraft rotates at high speed when active control fails, then the spacecraft becomes space debris, but the capture and deorbiting becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Passive dampers provide beforehand cushioning against high-speed rotation by continuously damping rotational motion even when active control systems fail. This prior cushioning effect prevents the spacecraft from reaching dangerous rotational speeds that would make capture and deorbiting operations difficult, ensuring ease of operation for recovery missions while maintaining spacecraft functionality.
4Speed
If passive dampers with viscous fluid are used to generate damping torque, then the rotational speed is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex control algorithms and high-precision sensors are extracted from the passive damper system, leaving only the essential viscous fluid damping mechanism. This extraction allows the passive dampers to reduce rotational speed through simple viscous friction without requiring complex control systems, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining effective speed reduction.
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 combination of active and passive control systems effectively slows down the spacecraft's rotation, enhancing the feasibility of capture and deorbiting missions while minimizing the impact of space debris, thus reducing the risk of collisions and pollution.
Implementation Method 1
passive attitude control means adapted to generate, in cooperation with the earth's magnetic field, a damping torque and comprising at least one passive damper, said at least one damper passive comprising an outer enclosure and an inner body configured so that: said inner body is positioned inside said outer enclosure and movable in rotation inside said outer enclosure around at least one axis of rotation, said outer enclosure has an inner surface and said inner body has an outer surface , said surfaces being separated by means of a viscous fluid
Implementation Method 2
said internal body is permanently magnetized, said external enclosure is integral in rotation with the main body of said spacecraft
Data Source
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Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a spacecraft (100) comprising a main body (110) and an attitude control system, said attitude control system comprising active attitude control means (150).Furthermore, said attitude control system also includes passive attitude control means adapted to generate, in cooperation with the Earth's magnetic field, a damping torque and comprising at least one passive damper (200), said at least one passive damper (200) comprising an outer enclosure (210) and an inner body (220) configured such that: - said inner body (220) is positioned inside said outer enclosure (210) and is rotatable inside said outer enclosure (210) about at least one axis of rotation, - said outer enclosure (210) has an inner surface (211) and said inner body (220) has an outer surface (221), said surfaces being separated by means of a viscous fluid (230), - said inner body (220) is permanently magnetized, - said outer enclosure (210) is rotationally fixed to the main body (110) of said spacecraft (100).