Computer Science – Performance
Scientific paper
Jan 2002
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002iaf..confe.783a&link_type=abstract
IAF abstracts, 34th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, The Second World Space Congress, held 10-19 October, 2002 in Houston, TX, USA.,
Computer Science
Performance
Scientific paper
Cold gas thrusters usually provide an inexpensive, highly reliable, low-power consuming, non contaminating, and safe auxiliary propulsion means for small spacecraft. A low-cost cold-gas Reaction Control System (RCS) has been designed and developed to provide linear acceleration and rotation control of the SLOSHSAT satellite for liquid-slosh experimentation. This ESA-sponsored mini-spacecraft will be launched by the Space Shuttle and ejected into space from its hitchhiker bay. The RCS was designed and developed according to man rated safety standards, as required by NASA. The RCS comprises four identical spherical carbon/epoxy-wound stainless steel tanks, which store 1.6 kg of nitrogen at 600 bars, corresponding to a maximum rated temperature of 70°C. The relatively high pressure enables economic utilization of the limited space available in small satellites. The tanks are of a "leak before burst" design, which was subjected to a comprehensive finite-element stress analysis. They were developed and tested in accordance with MIL-STD-1522A, with a proof pressure and a minimum burst pressure of 1000 and 1700 bars, respectively. Each tank has an internal volume of 0.97 l, and is equipped with an attached accessories assembly, that includes a pyrovalve and a filter. The RCS was supplied with the tanks prepressurized and sealed to 473 bars (at 20°C). The whole system is pressurized only after the satellite is in its orbit, by activating the tank's pyrovalve. This unique approach enables to supply a sealed RCS system and propellant loading activities are not necessary before launch. Additionally, this approach has safety advantages that were meaningful to meet the NASA safety requirements. The pyrovalve includes a RAFAEL-developed initiator, which complies with MIL-STD-1576, and passed all required testing, including ESD tests with the resistor removed, as demanded by NASA for approval. The pyrovalve is of a "self seal" design, which includes a sealing mechanism, that seals the system from contamination during the pyrovalve actuation. The test port valve allows proof-pressure and leakage testing of the assembled system. The tanks and their accessories were subjected to extensive qualification testing and met the requirements of a stringent acceptance test procedure. The N2 propellant is supplied to twelve 0.8-N thrusters, at a steady regulated pressure of 15.5 bars. Accurate regulated pressure is obtained by a two stage regulating system, which accepts pressure input range of 600 to 40 bar. The thrusters were especially developed to meet the specific program requirements. They will normally be operated in pairs. For safety reasons and redundancy two relief valves are mounted downstream of the regulators. Each valve can handle the total flow with a minimum pressure rise, which defines the Maximum Operating Pressure (MEOP) in the low-pressure section of the system. The pressure surge phenomenon that follows the pyrovalve actuation was precisely analyzed, and tested in simulated conditions. A surge damper is successfully applied to the gas pipeline, significantly lowering the pressure surge. The sensitivity of the regulated pressure to the pulse modulation of the thrusters was examined. Due to the lock pressure of the regulators, and the difference between the static and dynamic regulated pressure levels, the average pressure was found to depend on the pulse duty cycle. This phenomenon was investigated and a model that predicts the pressure level according to the mass flow rate and pulse modulation was established. A breadboard test system, that completely simulates the pneumatic nature of the SLOSHSAT RCS, was constructed and used for ground test evaluation of the RCS performance in various modes of operation (continuous and pulses of various duty cycles). Computerized data acquisition and data reduction was used for pressure, temperature and mass flow measurements at several locations in the system. The breadboard system was also used for development experiments and investigation of various transient and steady state phenomena to enable successful performance prediction for operation in space. In order to establish appropriate assembly procedures for the RCS in the limited space allocated for it in the SLOSHSAT, a mock-up of the final satellite configuration, an Assembly and Testing System (ATS), was constructed. The complete RCS integrated in the ATS was subjected to vibration tests, followed by proof pressure, leakage and performance tests, as a part of the RCS qualification. All RCS components, except for the thrusters, are off-the-shelf items, adapted for space application by meeting stringent NASA/ESA man-rated mission requirements. A cooperative effort between FOKKER-SPACE and NLR of the Netherlands and RAFAEL of Israel enabled a very efficient RCS architecture that satisfies the limiting volume constraints. This approach made it possible to attain a man-rated, space-qualified cold-gas propulsion system with low-cost and safety and high- reliability attributes.
Adler Susanne
Peretz Assaf
Warshavsky A.
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