scholarly journals Microplasma thruster for ultra-small satellites: Plasma chemical and aerodynamical aspects

2008 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 2013-2023 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshinori Takao ◽  
Takeshi Takahashi ◽  
Koji Eriguchi ◽  
Kouichi Ono
Keyword(s):  
Microwave Power ◽  
Attitude Control ◽  
Specific Impulse ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Station Keeping ◽  
Plasma Chemical ◽  
Small Satellites ◽  
Thrust Efficiency

A microplasma thruster has been developed of electrothermal type using azimuthally symmetric microwave-excited microplasmas. The microplasma source was ~2 mm in diameter and ~10 mm long, being operated at around atmospheric pressures; the micronozzle was a converging-diverging type, having a throat ~0.2 mm in diameter and ~1 mm long. Numerical and experimental results with Ar as a working gas demonstrated that this miniature electrothermal thruster gives a thrust of >1 mN, a specific impulse of ~100 s, and a thrust efficiency of ~10 % at a microwave power of <10 W, making it applicable to attitude-control and station-keeping maneuver for a microspacecraft of <10 kg.

scholarly journals Three-axis air-bearing based platform for small satellite attitude determination and control simulation

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Prado ◽  
G. Bisiacchi ◽  
L. Reyes ◽  
E. Vicente ◽  
F. Contreras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attitude Control ◽  
Attitude Determination ◽  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Measurement Unit ◽  
Simulation Platform ◽  
Air Bearing ◽  
Small Satellites ◽  
Main Components ◽  
Free Environment ◽  
And Control

A frictionless environment simulation platform, utilized for accomplishing three-axis attitude control tests in small satellites, is introduced. It is employed to develop, improve, and carry out objective tests of sensors, actuators, and algorithms in the experimental framework. Different sensors (i.e. sun, earth, magnetometer, and an inertial measurement unit) are utilized to assess three-axis deviations. A set of three inertial wheels is used as primary actuators for attitude control, together with three mutually perpendicular magnetic coils intended for desaturation purposes, and as a backup control system. Accurate balancing, through the platform’s center of mass relocation into the geometrical center of the spherical air-bearing, significatively reduces gravitational torques, generating a virtually torque-free environment. A very practical balancing procedure was developed for equilibrating the table in the local horizontal plane, with a reduced final residual torque. A wireless monitoring system was developed for on-line and post-processing analysis; attitude data are displayed and stored, allowing properly evaluate the sensors, actuators, and algorithms. A specifically designed onboard computer and a set of microcontrollers are used to carry out attitude determination and control tasks in a distributed control scheme. The main components and subsystems of the simulation platform are described in detail.

Extended validation of a ground-based three-axis spacecraft simulator model

2020 ◽  
pp. 095441002093896
Author(s):  
H Sh Ousaloo ◽  
Gh Sharifi ◽  
B Akbarinia
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Attitude Control ◽  
Aerodynamic Drag ◽  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Optimization Method ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Spacecraft Dynamics ◽  
Detailed Model ◽  
Mass Properties

The ground-based spacecraft dynamics simulator plays an important role in the implementation and validation of attitude control scenarios before a mission. The development of a comprehensive mathematical model of the platform is one of the indispensable and challenging steps during the control design process. A precise mathematical model should include mass properties, disturbances forces, mathematical models of actuators and uncertainties. This paper presents an approach for synthesizing a set of trajectories scenarios to estimate the platform inertia tensor, center of mass and aerodynamic drag coefficients. Reaction wheel drag torque is also estimated for having better performance. In order to verify the estimation techniques, a dynamics model of the satellite simulator using MATLAB software was developed, and the problem reduces to a parameter estimation problem to match the experimental results obtained from the simulator using a classical Lenevnberg-Marquardt optimization method. The process of parameter identification and mathematical model development has implemented on a three-axis spherical satellite simulator using air bearing, and several experiments are performed to validate the results. For validation of the simulator model, the model and experimental results must be carefully matched. The experimental results demonstrate that step-by-step implementation of this scenario leads to a detailed model of the platform which can be employed to design and develop control algorithms.

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