360 degree attitude control of satellites is an aerospace technology that allows satellites and spacecraft to achieve arbitrarily large (360°+) rotations in a low- and no-...
360 degree attitude control of satellites is an aerospace technology that allows satellites and spacecraft to achieve arbitrarily large (360°+) rotations in a low- and no-atmosphere environment. This hardware technology achieves attitude adjustment without the use of a consumable propellant or constantly spinning flywheels. Use of propellant exacerbates jitter interferes with satellite function, while spinning flywheels requires failure-prone sliding contacts.
The invention instead features variable-length appendages that utilize transverse oscillations and moment of inertia adjustments to achieve both fine and arbitrarily large rotations. By lengthening the appendage for an “up-stroke” and shortening it for the “down-stroke,” an angular momentum differential is created to allow the satellite or spacecraft to return to its original position/state, but reoriented in a different direction (with respect to a static “space” frame of reference). Repeating the “strokes” allows for arbitrarily large net rotations. The technology was presented at the ASME Conference in September 2019.
Application
360 degree attitude control is applicable to spacecraft and satellite manufacturers that serve primarily consumer industries such as TV, radio, broadband, mobile, and earth observation services.
Prototype model of 360 Degree Attitude Control of Satellites
This rotational mechanism for attitude control is repeated as many times as necessary to achieve the desired orientation.
James Allison and researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a technology that provides fine pointing and large slew attitude control for...
James Allison and researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a technology that provides fine pointing and large slew attitude control for satellites and spacecraft with a power electronics driver circuit that improves the power efficiency of the system by at least one order of magnitude. The invention features a dedicated compliant actuator on a vehicle to produce the torques to achieve arbitrarily large rotations around all axis without the jitter limitation of other attitude control system.
Primary application: accurate and precise attitude control for satellites/spacecraft
Researchers have developed a novel design strategy that mitigates the formation of vortices across the rotor near-wake region. The unique design aims to reduce thrust...
Researchers have developed a novel design strategy that mitigates the formation of vortices across the rotor near-wake region. The unique design aims to reduce thrust distribution across the tip region in order to mitigate the formation of energetic, coherent vortices at the blade tip. The invention features a unique geometrical rotary wing design that creates zero vortices at the wingtip allowing noise reduction generated by blade-vortex interactions. This invention could be used for lifting rotors or propellers on standard helicopter flight vehicles, other vertical lift aircraft, and turbines with minimal effect in total rotor efficiency.
Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed an accurate, low-cost star tracker system for deployment in small satellites. The system combines multiple low-...
Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed an accurate, low-cost star tracker system for deployment in small satellites. The system combines multiple low-cost image sensors with proprietary software to achieve superior performance from a simple, lightweight star tracking solution. With its easy implementation and component costs at just hundreds of dollars, this device can dramatically increase the accessibility of quality attitude determination for CubeSat, NanoSat, and other missions. The star tracker may also be adapted as a positioning system for select terrestrial vehicles that would benefit from greater security and reliability than conventional GPS.
Benefit
A cheaper, and more compact method to make star trackers for satellites.
Easier to make than current methods which makes the tracker more broadly applicable for different satellites.
Market Application
Best used for CubeSats which have difficulties determining their orientation
