Aeronautics and astronautics – Missile stabilization or trajectory control – Stabilized by rotation
Patent
1994-12-08
1997-01-14
Carone, Michael J.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Missile stabilization or trajectory control
Stabilized by rotation
244 324, 102348, F42B 1002
Patent
active
055931103
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an arrangement for controlling the structural dynamic response characteristic of the body of a booster rocket, which is provided with a propulsion engine as well as an useful payload, and which comprises at least one control unit and at least one controlling element for changing the flight path of the booster rocket perpendicularly to a lengthwise axis of the rocket.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
It is known, that in the operation of booster rockets, crosswise loads arise due to wind gusts during the ascent in the region of the atmosphere. These additional forces are transmitted into the structure of the rocket and are very difficult to calculate in advance. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a safety factor, which is taken into account in designing the structure of the booster rocket. When a rocket constructed in such a manner is employed, care must be taken that the maximum allowable wind velocity is less than the assumed, possibly arising wind speed that was taken into account during the construction, in order to ensure a sufficiently large safety margin for avoiding damage. If a higher wind velocity exists, then a launch is not possible. Since, however, the number of launch opportunities is also limited by many additional factors, the availability of the booster rocket can be considerably reduced by its sensitivity to the occurrence of wind gusts.
Thus, due to the wind sensitivity, on the one hand the number of possible launch times is reduced, and on the other hand the structure of the rocket must be sufficiently strongly built to be able to take up and carry crosswise forces within the allowable range. This results in an increase of the mass of the booster rocket, which has as a result a reduction in the maximum carriable payload for the same propulsion power.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to construct a device for alleviating the effects of wind gusts as mentioned in the above introduction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved according to the invention in that the controlling element is embodied as a rotatably supported control fin that is arranged at a lateral side area of the booster rocket, and in that an adjustment element is connected to the control fin and is actuated by the control unit in such manner that measured values provided by sensors and relating to the lateral wind loads are converted into position adjustments of the control fin for compensating crosswise forces.
Because of these control surfaces, it is possible to actively regulate the rocket depending upon the current arising wind gusts. The sensors provide a possibility of measuring the effect of wind gusts on the rocket during its flight. Based on the detected measured values, the regulation system can prescribe the respectively necessary deflections of the control surfaces in order thereby to counteract the forces developed by the wind gusts. This provides a wind gust reduction system for rockets.
By means of the control surfaces, the crosswise forces that arise due to the arising mass accelerations and mass decelerations are reduced or, in the ideal case, compensated by the corresponding appropriate introduction of counterforces.
Moreover, for applications in the field of rockets that do not have a separate thrust vector steering control, it is possible to carry out a steering control of the flight path by means of the control fins, in order to influence the flight attitude of the rocket depending on the respective mission requirements, and thereby to ensure that a predefined flight path is followed. Additional sensors, which are connected to the regulating system, are used for regulating the flight attitude and flight path.
An application is also possible with other booster or carrier systems in order to achieve an active steering control of the payload while carrying out a mission. As a result of this, a realizable mission duration can be increased and a reentry into denser layers of the atmosphere can be directly
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Ransom Stephen
Relotius Klaus-Dieter
Carone Michael J.
Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
Fasse W. F.
Fasse W. G.
Wesson Theresa M.
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