MAGNETIC RATE DAMPING FOR SATELLITES IN LEO

  • This article deals with the topic of damping the rates of a satellite after separation from the launcher by sensing the rates with magnetometers or gyroscopes and actually damping it with torquerods or thrusters. In literature problems of this kind are treated by linearization which is not adequate here due to the high nonlinearity of the problem caused by the high gyroscopic torque. This paper addresses the observability and controllability of the rate dynamics for symmetric satellite bodies. Furthermore, robust stability of any bodies is investigated by means of the Krasovskii–LaSalle principle which is a variant of Ljapunov’s Second Method. It is found that – apart from one exception - the system is robustly stable for certain conditions depending only on the gain matrix and not depending on the orbit, moments of inertia or initial conditions. The exception is that of the intuitive case of an equator type orbit, in which the satellite rotates around the magnetic field lines, in this case the satellite’s rate cannot be damped. Several design configurations are analysed with respect to their performance and cost: Rate damping with magnetometers or gyroscopes as sensors, and torquerods and thrusters as actuators. The results are evaluated with respect to the time to reach the desired rate, the propellant and the power equivalent battery mass used. The goal is to use the results to allow an AOCS equipment and architecture trade-off at an early project phase. The design of the rate damping control of the SWARM project is presented as an example and demonstrated with simulations.

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Metadaten
Author:Peter Zentgraf, D. Reggio
Parent Title (English):32nd ANNUAL AAS GUIDANCE AND CONTROL CONFERENCE
Document Type:Conference Proceeding
Language:English
Publication Year:2009
Tag:Magnetic Rate Damping; Satellites; symmetric satellite bodies
faculties / departments:Fakultät für Ingenieurwissenschaften
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 62 Ingenieurwissenschaften / 620 Ingenieurwissenschaften und zugeordnete Tätigkeiten