Selection of Geometric Parameters of an Reaction Wheel System Positioning when Controlling the Angular Motion of a Spacecraft
А. И. Игнатов
Abstract
Two possible variants of the arrangement of an reaction wheel system onboard a spacecraft are considered. The first option is a system of four reaction wheels, the axes of rotation of which are parallel to the lateral edges of the quadrangular pyramid. The second option is a system of six reaction wheels, the axes of rotation of which are parallel to the lateral edges of a regular hexagonal pyramid. Each system is characterized by geometric parameters that determine the angular positions of the reaction wheels’ rotation axes. Areas of possible values of the total angular momentum created by the reaction wheel system, including in the event of a failure of one of them, are constructed. Parametric dependences are given for choosing the most rational arrangement of the reaction wheels, which provide the widest possible control over the angular velocity of the spacecraft. The mode of stabilization of the orbital orientation of the vehicle is considered, taking into account the influence of external disturbing moments. For this mode, dependences are obtained that make it possible to choose the values of the geometric parameters of the system that provide the minimum rate of accumulation of the angular momentum by each of the reaction wheels. The results of numerical simulation of the equations of motion of the spacecraft are presented.