Abstract

Adaptive or intelligent structures which have the capability for sensing and responding to their environment promise a novel approach to satisfying the stringent performance requirements of future space missions. This research effort focuses on the development of an intelligent thruster mount structure with precision positioning and active vibration suppression capability for use in a space satellite. The intelligent thruster mount would utilize piezoelectric stacks and patches for precision positioning and vibration suppression to provide fine-tuning of position tolerance for thruster alignment and low transmissibility of vibration to the satellite structure. This vibration, if not suppressed, renders sensitive optical or measurement equipment non-operational until the disturbance has dissipated. This intelligent system approach would greatly enhance mission performance by fine tuning attitude control, potentially eliminating the non-operational period as well as minimizing fuel consumption utilized for position correction. The configuration of the intelligent thruster mount system is that of a modified Stewart platform. Precision positioning of this structure is achieved using active composite strut members that use piezoelectric stack actuators and extend or contract to tilt the top device-plate where the thruster is mounted. The geometric relationship between the Stewart platform and the modified Stewart platform is described, and an inverse kinematics analysis of the modified Stewart platform has been developed and is used to determine the required axial displacement of the active struts for the desired angular tilt of the top device-plate. The active struts can participate in precision positioning as well as vibration suppression of the top device-plate where the thruster, i.e., the source of the unwanted vibrations and misalignment, is mounted. The proposed Thrust Vector Control (TVC) intelligent platform offers a promising method for achieving fine tuning of positioning tolerances of a thruster as well as minimizing the effects of the disturbances generated during thruster firing in spacecraft such as a satellite.

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