A new passive hysteresis damping technique for stabilizing gravity-oriented satellites.

Abstract

Recent analyses for the Applications TechnologySatellite have demonstrated that a gravityoriented system can be rapidly stabilized with a pivoted oscillatory damping mechanism that increases the damping torque at increasing angles of oscillation. Techniques have been developed for producing a simple magnetic hysteresis damper with such variation in-the damping torque. This control of the hysteresis torque was made practical by the development of a magnetic circuit that produces a rapid reversal of damping torque on reversal of the direction of oscillation. Such capability also allows a large angular rate of change in hysteresis torque to be used in producing the damping characteristics required for a particular gravity-oriented satellite. Procedures and principles are formulated for using these techniques to produce a specified program of torque variation. As much as 20 to 1 variation in hysteresis torque has been produced in development models of the damper.

Deployment of Long Flexible Element on Spacecraft with Magnetic Damper

“…As a result, the spherical magnetic damper that was described by Alper and O'Neill (1967) and Sokolov (1973) had been created by the General Electric company. Its basis is a constant magnet that is placed in two concentric spheres separated by a liquid layer.…”