JPH02147500A - Artificial satellite - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide possibility of utilizing generated power effectively by compensating power generation in winter and summer due to No.1 group of solar cells which tends to lack with No.2 group of solar cells, and thereby having power generation approx. made even throughout the four seasons. CONSTITUTION:A solar cell panel 8 consisting of a group of solar cells is provided on the northern face 6 and southern face 7 of the body 1 of artificial satellite. These panels 8 installed on the northern and southern faces 6, 7 shall share 20% and 10%, respectively, of total power generation of the whole solar cell panels 3 of a paddle 2. Accordingly the panel 8 on the northern face 6 generates max. power in the summer and the panel 8 on the southern face 7 the max. power in winter, while an electricity pro rata with the sine of the angle formed by these faces to the sun will be generated in normal seasons, and these are added to the power generation by the solar cell panels 3 fitted to the paddles 2.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to the seasonal power supply amount when power is supplied from solar cells to various electronic devices mounted on an artificial satellite. This invention relates to an artificial satellite designed to reduce fluctuations in .

(Prior Art) Electric power required by various electronic devices mounted on an artificial satellite is supplied from solar cells provided on the artificial satellite. FIG. 3 shows a general 3-axis attitude control type geostationary artificial satellite, in which a large number of solar cells are provided on an extension of the rotational axis of the satellite body.

In other words, the rotation axis of the satellite main body 1 shown in Fig. 3 is
It is aligned with the earth's axis of rotation (that is, north-south direction), and its direction of rotation and rotational angular velocity are also made to match the direction of rotation and angular velocity of the earth. Therefore, the artificial satellite main body 1 always points the same side toward the earth. A pair of paddles 2 are provided on a north-south extension of the rotation axis of the satellite body 1. A large number of solar panels 3 each made up of a group of solar cells are attached to one side of each paddle 2 . The paddle 2 is controlled to always face the sun regardless of the rotation of the satellite main body 1, and this control is performed by a paddle drive control mechanism 4. Note that the paddle 2 is provided with a shunt device 5, which will be described later.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the power profile generated by the solar cells of the conventional satellite shown in FIG. According to this, it is clear that the amount of electricity generated fluctuates greatly depending on the four seasons, such as autumn (line segment), winter (winter solstice), spring (vernal equinox), and summer (summer solstice). It can be seen that the amount of electricity generated has been decreasing with each passing year.

And, while the maximum power generation in the year of launch is about 5300W, the minimum power generation in the 10th year is about OO-, which creates a difference of 1200W, so let's consider this difference before)
It is designed to be absorbed by the shunt device 5, and the electronic equipment on board the satellite consumes approximately 4100W of power.

Next, the reason why the generated power profile fluctuates as shown in FIG. 4 will be explained.

First, the generated power is large in autumn and spring and small in winter and summer.
This is because the Earth's axis of rotation and the Earth's orbital plane are tilted by approximately 23 degrees. In other words, in autumn and winter, Paddle 2
However, in winter and summer, the sun is located on the south and north faces of the satellite, respectively, so paddle 2
The sunlight will be irradiated at an angle. Therefore,
If the power generated in autumn and spring is 100%, in winter and summer the power generated is only a cosine times the angle of inclination of the sun, or about 92%.

Next, the reason why the power generation in winter and summer decreases less in winter than in summer is because the earth's orbit is elliptical, and the perigee with respect to the sun is located immediately after the winter solstice, and the apogee is This is due to the fact that it is located just after the summer solstice, so the solar energy flux density is higher in winter than in summer.

Further, the reason why the generated power gradually decreases after the launch of the artificial satellite is due to changes over time due to the lifespan of the solar cells constituting the solar battery panel 3.

Now, if we assume that the lifespan of an artificial satellite is, for example, 10 years,
In the example shown in FIG. 4, the lowest value of the power generation amount 10 years after launch is approximately 4100W. Therefore, the total v2 power consumption of electronic water pumps etc. installed on the satellite is 4100W from the beginning.
The design must be as follows.

However, the maximum amount of electricity generated in the 10th year is approximately /170
There is also 0W, and this difference of about 600W is wasted.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The generation of electricity and power by the conventional artificial satellites described above has a drawback that it varies greatly depending on the seasons.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention aims to solve the conventional problems and to provide an artificial satellite that can generate substantially equalized power throughout the four seasons, thereby making effective use of the generated power.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) An artificial satellite according to the present invention is an artificial satellite whose rotational axis and rotational angular velocity are controlled so as to coincide with the rotational axis of the earth and the rotational angular velocity of the earth, respectively. A paddle that is attached in the direction of the rotational axis of this artificial satellite and controlled to always point in the direction of the sun, a first solar cell group provided on this paddle, and a north face or south face perpendicular to the axial direction of the paddle. and a second solar cell group provided on the artificial satellite so as to be located on at least one surface of the artificial satellite.

(Function) According to the above means, the power generated by the first solar cell group in winter and summer is insufficient due to the sun being irradiated at an angle to the first solar cell group in winter and summer. This can be supplemented by the second solar cell group, and the amount of power generated can be approximately equalized throughout the four seasons.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Note that in FIG. 1, the same parts as in FIG. 3 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of an artificial satellite according to the present invention.

Similar to the conventional satellite shown in Fig. 3, the rotation axis of the satellite body 1 is aligned with the rotation axis of the earth (that is, north-south direction), and the rotation direction and rotational angular velocity are also controlled by the rotation of the earth. The direction of rotation and the angular velocity of rotation are matched.

Therefore, the satellite main body 1 has the same side facing the earth. A pair of paddles 2 are provided on a north-south extension of the rotational axis of the satellite body 1, and on one side of each paddle 2, a solar panel 3 composed of a group of solar cells is installed.
However, many are attached. And this paddle 2 is
Regardless of the rotation of the satellite main body 1, it is controlled by a paddle drive control mechanism 4 so that it always faces toward the sun. Note that the paddle 2 is provided with a shunt device 5 for consuming surplus power.

On the north face 6 and south face 7 of the satellite main body 1, solar panels 8 each consisting of a group of solar cells are installed. Solar panel 8 installed on this north face 6 and south face 1
is set to be about 20% on the north face 6 and about 10% on the south face 7, assuming that the power generated by the entire solar panel 3 of the paddle 2 is 100%.

In this way, the solar battery panel 8 installed on the north face 6 will be able to access the solar battery panel 8 installed on the south face 7 in summer, while the solar battery panel 8 installed on the south face 7
In winter, each generates maximum power, and usually generates power proportional to the sine of the angle between the north and south planes and the sun, and this is added to the power generated by the solar panel 3 installed on the paddle 2. be done.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the generated power profile of the artificial satellite according to the present invention. The drop in generated power in summer and winter is compensated for by the solar panels 8 on the north panel 6 and the south panel 7, and the annual Almost equalized power can be obtained through this process.

Although the present invention has been explained using a three-axis attitude control type satellite as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to, for example, a spin type artificial satellite, and is not limited to a geostationary type satellite.
This applies to all artificial satellites whose orbital inclination angle is close to 0 degrees. Furthermore, the solar panels 8 provided on the north panel 6 and the south panel 7 are not limited to the north or south surface of the satellite body 1 itself, but can be positioned on any surface parallel to the north or south surface of the satellite body 1. It may be installed.

By incorporating the present invention, it is possible to compensate for the drop in power generation in winter and summer.
Approximately 4,700W of power will be obtained after 0 years, so the electronic equipment installed on the satellite can be designed accordingly.If 4,100W of power consumption is acceptable as in the past, the amount of solar type 6-cell panels to be installed can be reduced. It can be reduced.

Furthermore, if the surplus power decreases, the shunt device 5 provided to consume it can be made smaller, and if the amount of power generated by the solar panel 3 of the paddle 2 is reduced,
The slip ring of the paddle drive mechanism 4 for transmitting power from there to the satellite main body 1 can be made smaller and simpler.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to substantially equalize the electric power generated by the solar panel of an artificial satellite throughout the four seasons, and it is possible to use electric power effectively and to generate surplus electric power. It is possible to eliminate the waste associated with this process and reduce the weight of the artificial satellite.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of an artificial satellite according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a generated power profile based on the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a conventional three-axis attitude iti control type. FIG. 4, a conceptual diagram of an artificial satellite, is a diagram showing the profile of power generated in a conventional artificial satellite. 1...Satellite body 2...Paddle 3.8...Solar panel 4...Paddle control drive mechanism 5...Shunt device 6...North panel 7...South panel agent Patent attorney Shi Daigo Norifu 4-, BaP) Shisha camellia store 1z Elephant p shrine (Boiled 47° South 6 White

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an artificial satellite whose rotational axis and rotational angular velocity are controlled to match the rotational axis of the earth and the rotational angular velocity of the earth, it is attached in the direction of the rotational axis of the satellite body and controlled so that it always points in the direction of the sun. a first solar cell group provided on the paddle, and a second solar cell group provided on the satellite main body so as to be located on at least one of the north face and the south face perpendicular to the axial direction of the paddle. An artificial satellite characterized by comprising a group of solar cells.