Aeronautics and astronautics – Spacecraft – Attitude control
Patent
1975-03-12
1978-03-14
Kunin, Stephen G.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Spacecraft
Attitude control
74 55, 244165, B64G 100, G01C 1902
Patent
active
040787486
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to an attitude stabilizing system for a rod-shaped satellite in which stabilization is achieved by use of a spinning energy dissipator. The system can operate by being mounted on the rotor of a dual spin satellite or by being connected to the main body of the satellite through a motor and bearing assembly. In the latter situation, the stabilizer acts both as a nutation damper and a momentum source and thereby eliminates the need for an additional rotor element to provide the spacecraft momentum. The spinning energy dissipator may be designed to use four identical wheels mounted coaxially with and at the ends of the arms of a cruciform structure. The structure may then be spun about the axis perpendicular to the arms, to provide angular momentum along the spacecraft spin axis. In the event of any spacecraft nutation, the wheels experience the torques produced by inertial forces. The necessary damping and restoring (spring) torques are provided by means of a torsional arrangement built around the center of each wheel. In order to provide damping at lower threshold of spacecraft nutations, the dissipator wheels may also include viscous ring dampers mounted on or around each wheel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3424401 (1969-01-01), Maurer
patent: 3471105 (1969-10-01), Yarber et al.
patent: 3818767 (1974-06-01), Donohue et al.
patent: 3877662 (1975-04-01), Reiter et al.
Sen, Asim K., "The Use of a Spinning Dissipator for Attitude Stabilization of Earth-Orbiting Satellites," IEEE Transactions of Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. Aes-9 No. 2 Mar. 1973, pp. 272 14 279.
Sen, Asim K., Addendum to "The Use of a Spinning Dissipator for Attitude Stabilization of Earth-Orbiting Satellites," IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. Aes-10, No. 1, Jan. 1974, pp. 167-168.
Kunin Stephen G.
Synchrosat Limited
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