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Electric Propulsion Pointing Mechanism for Bepi Colombo

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Electric Propulsion Pointing Mechanism for Bepi Colombo ELECTRIC PROPULSION POINTING MECHANISM FOR BEPI COLOMBO Christian Neugebauer(1), Paul Janu(1), Rudolf Schermann(1) (1) RUAG Space GmbH, Stachegasse 16, 1120 Vienna, Austria, Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Main parameters of the mechanism: Since 15 years the development of Electric Propulsion Pointing Mechanisms for commercial and scientific Pointing Range - Axis 1 +21° / -8° satellite applications is a key-product activity for RUAG Space in Vienna. Pointing Range - Axis 2 +21° / -8° Pointing accuracy better than 0.2° As one of the most innovative EP mechanisms presently Resistive torque 5.6 Nm under development in Vienna this paper presents the (thruster harness and piping) Electric Propulsion T hruster Pointing Mechanism for Supported Mass 10 kg the Bepi Colombo Mission. (Thruster, Harness, Sun-shield) RUAG Space delivers the mechanism assembly, Thruster CoG Height 130 mm consisting of the mechanisms and the control Mechanism Mass 11.0 kg (w/o Sun-shield) electronics. Main Dimensions 660 x 660 x 223 mm (LxWxH): 1. GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS Stiffness 65 Hz (stowed configuration) The Bepi Colombo Mercury Tran sfer Module will b e 6 Hz (deployed equipped with four Electric Propulsion Thrusters. For configuration) each of these thrusters one Thruster Pointing Temperature -40°C to +100°C Mechanism (TPM) is foreseen. for TPM components The following figure presents the thruster floor of the Drive Unit 2 Stepper motors spacecraft, equipped with the TPMs and the thrusters: Power supply 26V Release of HDRM Non-explosive resetable device (1x, central) Mechanical I/F to S/C 8+1 bolts M5 Life time 7 years storage, 6.6 years in orbit The configuration of the m echanism is a cross cardan type, with its rotation axes intersecting in the thruster center line. The design-driving requirements are: − Minimized dynamic load and s hock load introduction into the thruster, induced by launch loads, separation loads, and thruster release, − Pointing capability in both directions around the Figure 1. TPMs with Thrusters and Thruster Floor. stowed configuration. The stowed configuration is required to be between the two extremes of the The mechanism shall support the QinetiQ T6 thruster pointing range, and during launch and p rotect it against launch and − Very high reliability, separation loads via a lo ad attenuation system. Once − Minimized mechanism mass. released it shall point the thruster accurately and provide support for the high voltage power supply and the This paper will outline the design solutions for these Xenon gas supply of the thruster. design driving requirements. _________________________________________________ ‘14th European Space Mechanisms & Tribology Symposium – ESMATS 2011’ Constance, Germany, 28–30 September 2011 219 2. DESIGN TO MINIMIZE THRUSTER LOADS the dampers are not directly in the load path, neither in the stowed configuration, nor i n the deployed The mechanism not only has to point the thruster, but configuration, consequently no adverse aging effects of also to protect it against th e launch loads. The selected physical properties need to be considered - and the mass electric propulsion thruster (gridded ion thruster type) is efficiency of this design. very delicate and m ust be protected from excessive vibration load levels and from shock load. In the case of the Bepi Colombo mechanism this configuration turned out to b e not feasible as th e 2.1. Lateral Load Accommodation necessary high damping factor could not be achieved by such a p arallel configuration of strained elements and It is sp ecified that the thruster shall not be exposed to damping elements. considerable lateral random loads in frequency regions above 100 Hz . To de-couple the dynamic mechanical Consequently the following damping concepts have environment of the thruster from the dynamic load input been investigated: coming from the spacecraft, the mechanism is designed to a first fu ndamental Eigenfrequency of 65 Hz in lateral direction. The spacecraft panel itself is quite stiff b) The damping elements are locate d in-between the in lateral d irection, so the dynamic load from the hold-down and release-mechanism and the mobile plate, spacecraft is fully transmitted into the mechanism. the pointing arm attached to the spacecraft panel and the However within the mechanism there occurs the desired mobile plate. load attenuation in the thruster’s critical freq uency range but also an unwanted amplification in the lower Eigenfrequency band. By “tuning” the mechanism to Thruster this low Eigenfrequency, the thruster is protected from the dynamic lateral load environment coming from the Mobile Plate spacecraft. Dampers Pointing 2.2. Need for Dampers and Optimized Configuration Arm Hold Down and Release Mechanism The selected low first fundamental frequency would Spacecraft Panel lead to an una cceptable high amplification during sine load application and lead to unacceptable high thruster loads at these frequencies, even if the thruster is m ore In this configuration the dampers are directly in the load robust in this frequency band. So a damping system had path of the stowed configuration, but off the load path in to be i ntroduced. The damping system is made of the deployed configuration, thus making also this design dampers which are placed on the load-path of the in-sensitive to ag ing of t he damper material. The mechanism in its stowed configuration. dampers are remote from the s pacecraft panel. The dampers have limited thermal conductance to the The following configurations were studied: spacecraft panel which is well thermally controlled. This leads t o higher temperature variations within the a) The damping elements located in parallel to the dampers which may lead to changi ng material strained elements: properties of the dampers if elastomer types are used. Thruster The advantage of this configuration is that the dampers are out of the mechanical load path in the deployed configuration. Assuming a certain outer diameter of the Mobile Dampers damper arrangement, and assum ing a gi ven lateral Plate Pointing Eigenfrequency, softer dampers are needed which in Arm turn reduces the out-of-plane mode of the assembly, Hold Down and Release giving a different load to th e thruster compared to an Mechanism arrangement where the dampers are located close to the Spacecraft Panel spacecraft panel. This configuration was u sed in the RUAG Thruster c) The damping elements are located in-betwee n the Pointing Mechanisms for Artemis (Ref. 1-3) and in the mobile plate and release -mechanism and the m obile RUAG Thruster Pointing Mechanism for Eurostar 3000 plate, the pointing arm attached to the spacecraft panel (Ref. 4). T he advantages of this configuration are that and the mobile plate. 220 e) The damping elements are located below the hold- down and re lease-mechanism, the pointing arm is attached to the hold down and release mechanism: Thruster Dampers Thruster Mobile Plate Pointing Arm Hold Down and Release Mobile Plate Mechanism Pointing Hold Down and Release Spacecraft Panel Arm Mechanism In this configuration the dampers are directly in the load Dampers Spacecraft Panel path both of the stowed and of the deployed configuration. The dampers are close to the thruster. So the dampers are expose d to high tem perature during In this configuration the dampers are also directly in the operation. The long term stability of the dampers under load path of t he stowed configuration, but also in the such a thermal load may be an issue. load path in the deployed configuration, making this design sensitive to aging of the damper material which The advantage of such a configuration could be that the then has to be carefully assessed. Aging of the da mper dampers could fulfill two functions. Firstly the damping material can be an issue if elastomere dampers are used. characteristics, but secondly they could also be used as an isostatic mount for th e thruster, compensating the The advantage of this configuration is the low deflection different thermal expansion of the mobile plate and of of the pointing arm during dynamic load application, the thruster during thruster operation. This could save allowing a sim ple and low mass design of this arm. some mass of the mechanism. Another advantage ist t hat the dampers are directly connected to the s pacecraft panel, providing good thermal control of the dampers as th ey follow the d) The damping elements are located bel ow the hold- thermal control of the spacecraft itself which is an issue down and re lease-mechanism, the pointing arm is especially on the Bepi Colombo mission to Mercury attached to the spacecraft panel: with its demanding temperature environment. For the above reasons, this latter co nfiguration was selected for the Be pi Colombo Electric Propulsion Thruster Thruster Pointing Mechanism, and im plemented as shown in the following figure: Mobile Plate Pointing Thruster Arm Hold Down and Release Mechanism (Mass Dummy) Dampers Spacecraft Panel Mobile Plate In this configuration the dampers are directly in the load Hold Down path of the stowed configuration, but off the load path in and Release the deployed configuration, again making this design in- Mechanism sensitive to aging of the damper material. (HDRM) The dampers are directly co nnected to the spacec raft Dampers within panel, providing good thermal control of the dampers. Base-Structure However the low lateral Eigenfrequency of t he Figure 2. TPM Structure (Breadboard Model) mechanism causes large deflections of the mobile plate relative to the spacecra ft panel and would require a The pointing arm is not shown in above figure. pointing arm which could accommodate large deflections. 221 2.3. Out-of-plane Load Accommodation 3. POINTING ARM DESIGN The above described lateral main modes of the assembly For the Bepi Colombo Electric Propulsion Thruster are mainly bending modes around the dampers, which Pointing Mechanism a novel design of a l ight weight are the s oft element within the assem bly.
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