JP2000225999A - Solar cell paddle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect completion of development of a boom and detect development of a solar cell pannel by providing a laser measurement device on a body of a space ship, and providing a reflection mirror at the bottom of the pannel. SOLUTION: A first and a second lazer measurement units 10, 13 are provided at a body 19 of a space ship, and a first and a second reflection mirrors 11, 14 are provided on a solar cell pannel 9. When a holding/releasing mechanism of a solar cell paddle is released, a distance to a container space 7 is measured by the first unit 10 receiving a first lazer beam 12 reflected against the mirror 11 based on a difference between the time of light emission and the time received. The development angle of each hinge is synchronized, at this time, the development angle of a boom 5 can be determined by a distance signal form the unit 10. Accordingly, it is possible to detect the development angle of the pannel 9 and the development amount of thereof, as well as completion of development of the boom 5 in a non-contact style.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solar battery paddle mounted on a spacecraft.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which a conventional solar battery paddle is being deployed with a boom. In the figure, 1 is a paddle drive mechanism, one of which is attached to a spacecraft structure 19, 2 is a first hinge connected to the other of the paddle drive mechanism 1, 3 is a second hinge, 4 is a third hinge, Reference numeral 5 denotes two booms for connecting between the first hinge 2 and the second hinge 3 and between the second hinge 3 and the third hinge 4 (5a is the first boom, 5b is the second boom). In the boom, the first boom 5a and the second boom 5b are connected by the second hinge 3.), 6 is a solar panel deployment mechanism, 7 is a container base, 8 is a pressure board, and 9 is a solar panel. , 28a is a first microswitch, 28b is a second microswitch,
29 is a contact part.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a state where the boom deployment of the conventional solar battery paddle is completed.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which a solar cell panel of a conventional solar cell paddle is being developed.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a detailed state of a solar cell panel deployment mechanism 6 of a conventional solar cell paddle. In the figure, 30 is a frame, 31 is a deployment motor mechanism, and 32 is a pulley.

Next, the operation principle of the conventional solar cell paddle will be described with reference to FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8. When the holding and releasing mechanism of the solar cell paddle is released in orbit, the solar cell paddle in the stored state starts to deploy. First, the boom 5 is deployed by a deployment torque generated by a deployment spring incorporated in the first hinge 2, the second hinge 3, and the third hinge 4. At this time, the development angles of the hinges are synchronized.

[0007] When the deployment of the boom 5 is completed, the first hinge 2 and the third hinge 4 are latched, and rigidity is given to the boom 5 after the deployment is completed. When the deployment is completed, the micro switch 28a attached to one side of the boom 5 operates by contacting the contact portion 29 of the opposite boom, and the completion of the deployment of the boom 5 can be detected.

After detecting the completion of the deployment of the boom 5, the deployment motor mechanism 3 provided in the solar cell panel deployment mechanism 6
As the first motor rotates, the pulley 33 rotates, the belt 34 rotates, and is sent to the belt 34 to extend the frame 30 and the solar cell panel 9 is deployed. At this time,
The eccentric cam 32 rotates as the motor of the unfolding motor mechanism 31 rotates, and the second micro switch 28b is pushed in periodically, whereby the second micro switch 2
8b is opened and closed, and the solar cell panel 9
Is detected.

After the deployment of the boom 5 and the solar cell panel 9 is completed as described above, the solar cell panel 9 rotates around the axis of the boom 5 by the paddle driving mechanism 1 to track the sun direction, and is required for the spacecraft. Power can be generated.

[0010]

In the conventional solar cell paddle, only the completion of the boom deployment using the microswitch has been detected. Therefore, if the completion of deployment cannot be detected for any reason, such as a failure of the deployment completion monitoring microswitch, it is difficult to understand the cause and perform troubleshooting, such as coping, because the boom deployment angle is unknown. Become. Further, since the completion of the deployment is monitored using the microswitch, the push-in amount of the microswitch may be insufficient due to, for example, an alignment error or assembling accuracy, and the device may not operate normally.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and detects a boom deployment angle of a solar battery paddle and detects completion of boom deployment by a method different from a conventional contact type microswitch. And a device for detecting the deployment amount of the solar cell panel.

[0012]

A solar battery paddle according to a first aspect of the present invention is a solar battery paddle mounted on a spacecraft, wherein the solar battery paddle and a structure of the spacecraft are arranged to rotate the solar battery panel. Paddle drive mechanism, and a first boom connected to the solar cell panel,
A second boom connected to the paddle drive mechanism, a hinge rotatably connecting the first boom and the second boom, a laser ranging device provided on the structure, and the laser ranging device A reflecting mirror provided at the base of the solar cell panel to reflect the laser light output from, a laser output means provided on the second boom, and the laser provided on the first boom, A light receiving device for receiving the laser light output from the output means, a function of determining the deployment state of the boom based on the measurement result of the laser distance measuring device, and a function of detecting the completion of deployment based on a light receiving signal from the light receiving device; A control circuit was provided.

The solar cell paddle according to the second invention has a first
In the invention of the above, the solar cell panel is provided at the base thereof, provided with a panel deployment mechanism for extending the tip, a second laser ranging device provided on the structure, and the second laser ranging device A second reflector provided at the tip of the solar cell panel to reflect the laser light output from the solar cell panel, and the control circuit expands the solar cell panel based on the measurement result of the second laser distance measuring device. It is provided with means for determining the state.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a state in which a boom of a solar battery paddle is deployed. In FIG. 1, 10
Is a first laser range finder, 11 is a first reflecting mirror using, for example, a prism, 12 is a first laser beam emitted from the first laser range finder, and 13 is a second laser range finder. A distance device, 14 is a second reflecting mirror using, for example, a prism, 15 is a laser output device, 16 is held on a boom on the first hinge 2 side, one end is connected to the laser output device 15 and the other end is An optical fiber guided near the second hinge 3;
Reference numeral 7 denotes a light receiving device, and reference numeral 18 denotes a third laser beam emitted from the laser output device 15 via the optical fiber 16. Further, 1 to 9 and 19 are the same as the conventional solar cell paddle shown in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state where the boom deployment of the solar battery paddle in this embodiment is completed.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the solar cell paddle of this embodiment is developing the solar cell panel. In the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes a second laser beam emitted from the second laser distance measuring device 13.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control circuit of the solar cell paddle according to this embodiment. In the figure, 21
Is a control circuit, 22 is a control signal to the first laser range finder, 23 is a distance signal from the first laser range finder, 24
Is a control signal to the second ranging device, 25 is a distance signal from the second control device, 26 is a control signal to the laser output device,
27 is a light receiving signal.

Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG.
The operation of this embodiment will be described. When the holding and releasing mechanism of the solar cell paddle is released in orbit, the solar cell paddle in the stored state starts to deploy. At the same time as the start of the deployment, the control circuit 21 sends out a control signal 22 for activating the first laser distance measuring device 10. Control signal 22
The first laser distance measuring device 10 that has received the light outputs the first laser light 12 to the first reflecting mirror 11 attached to the container base 7. First laser distance measuring device 1 receiving first laser beam 12 reflected by first reflecting mirror 11
In the case of 0, the distance to the container base 7 is measured by the difference between the light emission time and the light reception time, and the measurement result is transmitted to the control circuit 21 as the distance signal 23.

At this time, since the deployment angles of the hinges are synchronized, the control circuit 21 can determine the deployment angle of the boom 5 from the distance signal 23 from the first laser distance measuring device. For example, in FIG. 1, when the length of the boom 5 is a (total length 2a after deployment), the length of the solar cell panel deployment mechanism 6 is b, and the measurement result of the first laser distance measuring device 10 is L, the boom Is expressed by the following equation. θ = 2 sin ⁻¹ {(L−b) / 2a} Further, the measurement result of the first laser range finder 10 when the development is completed is L = 2a + b. Therefore, the control circuit 21 can quantitatively detect that the completion of the deployment is approaching. When the control circuit 21 detects that the completion of the deployment is approaching because the deployment angle θ exceeds a predetermined value, the laser output device 15 Then, a control signal 26 to the laser light output device is transmitted so as to output the third laser light 18. The laser output device 15 that has received the control signal 26 to the laser light output device 15 outputs the third laser light 18 and outputs the third laser light 1.
8 is transmitted via the optical fiber 16 to a position near the second hinge 3 on the boom 5 on the paddle drive mechanism 1 side, and is output.

When the deployment of the boom 5 is not completed completely even when the deployment angle θ exceeds the predetermined value, and the deployment is in progress, the third laser beam 18 is applied to the light receiving portion attached to the solar cell panel 9 of the boom 5. When the boom 5 is completely deployed without entering the device 17, the third laser beam 18 enters the light receiving device 17, and the light receiving device 17 outputs a light receiving signal 27 to the control circuit 21. It is possible to detect from the light receiving signal 27 that the deployment of the boom has been completely completed. It is needless to say that the accuracy of optical coupling to the light receiving device 17 is improved by providing an optical lens at the tip of the optical fiber 16.

The control circuit 21 having received the light receiving signal 27 determines that the deployment of the boom 5 has been completed, and sends the first laser beam 12 to the first laser distance measuring device 10 and the laser output device 15.
And a signal for stopping the output of the third laser beam 18 is transmitted. At the same time, a control signal 24 to the second laser distance measuring device is output to output the second laser beam 20. The second laser distance measuring device 13 which has received this signal outputs the second laser beam 20.

When the deployment of the boom 5 is completed, the deployment of the solar cell panel 9 is started. The second laser beam 20 output simultaneously with the deployment of the solar cell panel 9 is reflected by the second reflector 14 mounted on the pressure board 8. The second laser distance measuring device 13 that has received the reflected second laser light 20 measures the distance to the pressure board 8 by the difference between the light emission time and the light reception time, and determines the measurement result as the second laser distance measurement. It outputs to the control circuit 21 as a distance signal 25 from the device. The control circuit 21 determines the deployment amount of the solar cell panel 9 based on this signal. Note that the second laser distance measuring device 13 and the second reflecting mirror 14 are installed at positions shifted upward or downward on the sheet so that the second laser beam 20 is not blocked by the development of the solar cell panel 9. Needless to say.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to detect the deployment angle of the boom of the solar cell panel, detect the completion of the boom deployment and detect the amount of deployment of the solar cell panel in a non-contact manner. It becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a solar battery paddle according to the present invention is being deployed with a boom.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state where the boom deployment of the solar battery paddle in the present invention is completed.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the solar cell paddle of the present invention is developing a solar cell panel.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control circuit of the solar battery paddle according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a state where a conventional solar battery paddle is in a boom deployment state.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state where boom deployment of a conventional solar battery paddle is completed.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which a solar cell panel of a conventional solar cell paddle is being developed.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing details of a solar cell panel deployment mechanism of a conventional solar cell paddle.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 paddle drive mechanism, 2 first hinge, 3 second hinge, 4 third hinge, 5a first boom, 5b
Second boom, 6 solar panel deployment mechanism, 7 container base, 8 pressure board, 9 solar panel, 10 first laser distance measuring device, 11 first reflecting mirror, 12 first laser beam, 13th Second laser distance measuring device, 14 Second reflecting mirror, 15 Laser output device, 16
Optical fiber, 17 light receiving device, 18 third laser beam, 19 spacecraft structure, 20 second laser beam, 21
Control circuit, 22 control signal to first laser range finder, 23 distance signal from first laser range finder, 24
Control signal to the second laser ranging device, 25 distance signal from the second laser ranging device, 26 control signal to the laser light output device, 27 light receiving signal, 28a first micro switch, 28b second Micro switch, 29
Contact part, 30 frame, 31 deployment motor mechanism, 32
Eccentric cam, 33 pulley.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A solar battery paddle mounted on a spacecraft, comprising: a solar battery paddle; a paddle drive mechanism provided on a structure of the spacecraft so as to rotate the solar battery panel; and a solar battery paddle connected to the solar battery panel. First boom,
A second boom connected to the paddle drive mechanism, a hinge rotatably connecting the first boom and the second boom, a laser ranging device provided on the structure, and the laser ranging device A reflecting mirror provided at the base of the solar cell panel to reflect the laser light output from, a laser output means provided on the second boom, and the laser provided on the first boom, A light receiving device for receiving the laser light output from the output means, a function of determining the deployment state of the boom based on the measurement result of the laser distance measuring device, and a function of detecting the completion of deployment based on a light receiving signal from the light receiving device; A solar battery paddle comprising a control circuit. 2. A second laser ranging device provided on a base of the solar cell panel, comprising a panel deployment mechanism for extending a tip, and a second laser ranging device provided on the structure. A second reflecting mirror provided at a tip of the solar cell panel to reflect the laser light output from the device; and the control circuit is configured to control the solar cell panel based on a measurement result of the second laser distance measuring device. The solar cell paddle according to claim 1, further comprising means for judging a deployed state of the solar cell.