High-torque, low power reaction wheel array and method
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B60L-009/00
B60L-011/00
출원번호
US-0170837
(2005-06-30)
등록번호
US-7512466
(2009-03-31)
발명자
/ 주소
Hart,Robert J.
Peck,Mason A.
출원인 / 주소
Honeywell International Inc.
대리인 / 주소
Ingrassia Fisher & Lorenz, P.C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
5인용 특허 :
12
초록▼
Methods and apparatus are provided for reaction wheel (RW) assemblies for spacecraft. The apparatus comprises a M/G coupled to an inertia wheel and a controller coupled to the M/G that, in response to commands it receives, couples power to or from an M/G of another RW assembly over a shared transfer
Methods and apparatus are provided for reaction wheel (RW) assemblies for spacecraft. The apparatus comprises a M/G coupled to an inertia wheel and a controller coupled to the M/G that, in response to commands it receives, couples power to or from an M/G of another RW assembly over a shared transfer connection (VXFR), so that one M/G acts as a generator powering another M/G acting as a motor. The controller compares generator voltage VGEN to the BEMF of the motor on VXFR and reconfigures a multi-winding M/G or steps-up the generated voltage to maintain VGEN>VXFR to maximize direct energy transfer from one RW to the other as long as possible. When VGEN declines sufficiently, the controller can couple the motor to the spacecraft power bus and/or the generator to a power dump so as to continue to provide the commanded torque if needed. Operation is automatic.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A spacecraft attitude control apparatus, comprising: first and second reaction wheel assemblies (RWA) comprising: first and second reaction wheels; first and second motor-generators (M/Gs) rotationally coupled to the first and second reaction wheels, respectively, for adding
What is claimed is: 1. A spacecraft attitude control apparatus, comprising: first and second reaction wheel assemblies (RWA) comprising: first and second reaction wheels; first and second motor-generators (M/Gs) rotationally coupled to the first and second reaction wheels, respectively, for adding energy to or removing energy from the first and second reaction wheels, respectively; and first and second power flow controllers electrically coupled to the first and second M/Gs respectively, and adapted to control operation of the first and second M/Gs as motors or generators; and a power bus coupling to the first and second power flow controllers of the first and second RWAs for transferring energy between the first and second M/Gs, whereas when a torque command is received requiring that the first RWA decelerate and the second RWA accelerate, the first power flow controller configures the first M/G as a decelerating generator and the second power flow controller configures the second M/G as an accelerating motor and power flows from the decelerating first M/G to the accelerating second M/G via the power bus while an output voltage derived from the first decelerating M/G exceeds a back EMF of the second accelerating M/G. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each power flow controller comprises: an input port for receiving VBUS provided by a spacecraft power supply to which the accelerating second M/G can be coupled by the second power flow controller when a voltage generated by the decelerating first M/G no longer exceeds the back EMF of the accelerating second M/G. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each power flow controller comprises: an output port coupled to a resistive load RDUMP to which the decelerating first M/G can be coupled by the first power flow controller when the voltage produced by the decelerating first M/G no longer exceeds the back EMF of the accelerating second M/G. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each M/G has low ("L") voltage and high ("H") voltage windings. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first power flow controller couples the H-voltage windings of the decelerating first M/G to the L-voltage windings of the accelerating second M/G while the voltage produced by the decelerating first M/G exceeds the back EMF of the accelerating second M/G. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each power flow controller has a further output for providing telemetry data on the status of the first and second RWAs. 7. A group of electrically coupled reaction wheel assemblies: wherein each reaction wheel assembly (RWA) comprises: an inertia wheel adapted to store momentum therein when rotating; a motor-generator (M/G) rotationally coupled to the inertia wheel and adapted to increase or decrease or maintain the momentum stored in the inertia wheel; a controller electrically coupled to the M/G and having an input adapted to receive momentum transfer commands and an I/O adapted to receive energy from or export energy to other reaction wheel assemblies of the group and couple it to the M/G so as to change the momentum of the reaction wheel according to said commands; and wherein the group further comprises: an energy transfer bus extending between the I/Os of the individual reaction wheel assemblies for transferring energy therebetween. 8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the controller further comprises: an output port coupled to a resistive load RDUMP to which a decelerating M/G can be coupled by the controller when a voltage produced by the decelerating M/G no longer exceeds a back EMF of an accelerating M/G of another reaction wheel assembly of the group electrically coupled to the controller by the energy transfer bus. 9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the controller further comprises: an input port for receiving VBUS provided by a power supply external to the RWA to which an accelerating M/G can be coupled by the controller when a voltage generated by a decelerating M/G of another reaction wheel assembly electrically coupled to the controller by the energy transfer bus no longer exceeds a back EMF of the accelerating M/G. 10. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the M/G of each RWA of the group has low ("L") voltage and high ("H") voltage connections. 11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the controller couples the H-voltage connection of a decelerating M/G to the L-voltage connection of an accelerating M/G of another RWA of the group, while the voltage produced by the decelerating M/G exceeds the back EMF of the accelerating M/G. 12. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the controller of a first RWA substantially directly couples its M/G acting as a generator via its I/O and the energy transfer bus to the I/O of a second RWA of the group whose controller configures its M/G to act as a motor and receive energy from the M/G of the first RWA so long as a voltage produced by the M/G of the first RWA exceeds a back EMF of the M/G of the second RWA. 13. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the controller compares a torque direction requested by a command with a current spin direction of the M/G and its coupled reaction wheel, and if the torque and spin have the same sign, configures the M/G as a motor to accelerate its coupled inertia wheel and if they have different signs, configures the M/G as a generator to decelerate its coupled inertia wheel. 14. A method for exchanging energy, in response to a command, between at least first and second reaction wheel assemblies (RWA) joined by an energy transfer bus, wherein each reaction wheel assembly comprises a reaction wheel rotationally coupled to a motor-generator (M/G) coupled to the energy transfer bus, the method comprising: configuring a first M/G of the first RWA as a generator to provide energy to the transfer bus while decelerating; configuring a second M/G of the second RWA as a motor to receive energy from the transfer bus while accelerating; and sending energy from the first RWA to the second RWA over the energy transfer bus. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first M/G comprises low voltage ("L") and high voltage ("H") connections and wherein the first configuring step further comprises: coupling the "H" voltage connection of the first M/G to the transfer bus while decelerating. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second M/G comprises low voltage ("L") and high voltage ("H") connections and wherein the second configuring step further comprises: coupling the "L" voltage connection of the second M/G to the transfer bus while accelerating. 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the second M/G comprises low voltage ("L") and high voltage ("H") coils, KeH is the back EMF of the "H" coils of the second M/G, KeL is the back EMF of the "L" coils of the second M/G, RPM is the rotational speed of the second M/G, VXFR is the voltage on the transfer bus coupling the first and second M/Gs, and VFLTR is a power supply voltage, and wherein the second configuring step further comprises for the second M/G: if (KeH)*(RPM)XFR, coupling VXFR to "H" coils of the second M/G; and if (KeH*(RPM)≧VXFR and (KeL)*(RPM)XFR, then coupling VXFR to "L" coils of the second M/G. 18. The method of claims 17, further comprising: if (KeL)*(RPM)≧VXFR and (KeH)*(RPM)FLTR, then coupling VFLTR to "H" coils of the second M/G; and if (KeH)*(RPM)≧VFLTR, then coupling VFLTR to "L" coils of the second M/G. 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the first M/G comprises low voltage ("L") and high voltage ("H") coils, KeH is the back EMF of the "H" coils of the first M/G, KeL is the back EMF of the "L" coils of the first M/G, RPM is the rotational speed of the first M/G, VXFR is the voltage on the transfer bus coupling the first and second M/Gs, VMAXLIMIT is a maximum allowed voltage on the transfer bus and RDUMP is the resistance of an electrical power dump, and wherein the first configuring step further comprises for the first M/G: if (KeL)*(RPM)≧VXFR, coupling "L" coils of the first M/G to VXFR; and if (KeL)*(RPM)XFR and (KeH)*(RPM)≧VXFR, then coupling "H" coils of the first M/G to VXFR. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: if (KeH)*(RPM)XFR and VXFRMAXLIMIT, then coupling "L" coils of the first M/G to VXFR and set a driver bridge for the first M/G to fly-back operation; and if VXFR≧VMAXLIMIT, then coupling "H" coils of the first M/G to RDUMP.
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