RU2461497C1 - Thermal cotter-pin for coupling and uncoupling spaceship structural moving elements - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to space engineering. Proposed device comprises case, drive main and redundant elements electrically connected with spaceship control system, and working rod. Said drive elements are made from material with shape memory and composed of closed-loop conductors covering insulating rollers. One of the latter is fitted on working rod axle while another is arranged on structural bracket rigidly secured in case. Sleeve interacts with working rod axle while yoke interacts with that of structural bracket. Note here that both sleeve and yoke are spring-loaded. Proposed device is equipped with power supply module to ensure required parameters of current supplied to drive elements via electric contacts arranged at centers of said conductors, and contact transducers mounted on brackets rigidly secured on both sides of said case. Leaf springs are secured at said brackets to interact with sleeve conical ledges and contact transducers in operation of cotter-pin.

EFFECT: higher reliability.

5 dwg

Description

The invention relates to space technology and is intended for mounting on a spacecraft (KA) movable structural elements, for example radar antennas, solar batteries, blends, covers of light-protective devices, etc., at the stages of transporting the spacecraft and putting it into orbit and their release at the stage of regular operation of the apparatus.

As a rule, a check as a driving power element contains a pyrotechnic charge (one or two), for example, a squib that is triggered when an electric current is applied to it.

Known pyrochek (prototype), see working drawings 11F650 8910-0, developed by TsSKB, Kuibyshev, 1975

The pyrocheck contains a housing 1 with two pyrocartridges installed in it 2, electrically connected to the spacecraft control system, when triggered, the pyrogases interact with a piston (not shown), a rigidly connected working rod 3. Under the influence of the pyrogas, the rod 3 abuts the pyrochette, releasing the movable element the design of the spacecraft, which he fixes.

The advantages of this pyrocheck include high reliability of operation, due to the use of two PDO squibs duplicating each other in it.

However, along with this advantage pyrocheka has the following disadvantages:

- firstly, when the pyrocheck is triggered due to the displacement and instantaneous stop of the piston, a large shock pulse arises, the effect of which on the sensitive electronic special equipment of the spacecraft is able to disable it, thereby reducing the reliability of the spacecraft;

- secondly, the current requirements for fire safety of the spacecraft do not allow transportation of spacecraft with pyromedics installed on it, i.e. there is a need to use checks when transporting a technological analogue, which complicates the operation of the spacecraft;

- thirdly, there is no telemetric information about the fact of the operation of the pyrocheck, i.e. the fact of the fixation of the moving element of the spacecraft, which reduces the quality of diagnosing the state of the spacecraft in orbit;

- fourthly, the possibility of a pre-launch check of the health of the pyrocheck is excluded, because squibs are single-use items, which reduces the quality of the spacecraft’s performance monitoring.

The objective of the present invention is to increase the reliability of the spacecraft by eliminating the impact on the electronic equipment of the shock pulse when using a thermal tag for fastening and unlocking the moving structural elements of the spacecraft (hereinafter referred to as thermal poles) while simplifying the operation of the spacecraft and improving the quality of monitoring the spacecraft’s operability and diagnosing the state of the spacecraft in orbit .

The problem is solved in that in a thermal tag containing a housing, drive power elements electrically connected to the spacecraft control system, and a working rod, power elements (main and backup) are made of an alloy with a shape memory effect (EPF) in the form of closed-circuit conductors covering the insulating rollers, one of which is mounted on an axis belonging to the working rod, and the other on the axis belonging to the support bracket, rigidly fixed in the housing, while the sleeve interacts with the axis belonging to the working rod ka, and with the axis belonging to the support bracket, a plug, and the sleeve and plug are spring-loaded with each other, the thermowell is equipped with a power module that provides the necessary parameters of the electric current (voltage, current strength) supplied to the power elements through electrical contacts fixed in the middle of the conductors, and contact sensors mounted on brackets, rigidly fixed on both sides in the housing, while plate springs are also attached to the brackets, interacting when the thermal check is triggered from the cone a projection formed on the sleeve, and contact sensors.

In the design of the thermal pin, the question of creating a reliable power element from a material with a shape memory, working with direct transmission of electric current through it, has been fundamentally solved. The design of the power element in the form of a conductor with a closed loop eliminates the soldering of tips on the power element from the technological process of its manufacture for terminating them in the support insulator, because junctions reduce the reliability of the power element.

The fastening of the electrical contacts in the middle of the conductors provides a more uniform heating of the power elements (equality of the electrical resistance of the branches) and eliminates the possibility of a short circuit (when the contacts are close to each other).

The inventive design is illustrated by drawings:

Figure 1 - General view of the proposed thermal check;

Figure 2 - view a in figure 1;

Figure 3 - view B in figure 1;

FIG. 4 is a view B in FIG. 1 (thermal dot before operation);

FIG. 5 is a view B in FIG. 1 (thermal check after operation).

The thermocontact includes a body 1 with a cover, a working rod 2, two drive power elements 3 (main and backup) made of an alloy with an electron-phase converter in the form of closed-circuit conductors, covering insulator rollers 4, one of which is mounted on axis 5 belonging to the working rod 2, and the other on the axis 6, belonging to the support bracket 7, rigidly mounted in the housing 1. The sleeve 8 interacts with the axis 5, and the plug 9 interacts with the axis 6. The sleeve 8 and the fork 9 are spring-loaded with each other by a spring 10. The thermocont is equipped with a power module 11, connected by an electric ski with the conductors of the power elements 3 through electrical contacts 12, fixed in the middle of the conductors, and four contact sensors 13 mounted on two brackets 14, mounted in the housing 1 and provided with leaf springs 15, interacting when the thermocouple is triggered with a conical protrusion on the sleeve 8 and contact sensors 13. Electrical connectors 16 are installed on the power module for communication with the onboard cable network of the spacecraft.

To trigger a thermal check on a command from the spacecraft control system (not shown), power is supplied through power module 11 and electrical contacts 12 to power elements 3 made of an alloy with EPF. Power elements 3, heating up, “remember” the geometric dimensions set by them during “training”. In this case, the length of the conductors decreases, while the conductors, shrinking in length, compress the spring 10 and move the working rod 2 inside the housing 1, freeing the moving structural element of the spacecraft. At the same time as the working rod 2, the sleeve 8 interacting with a conical protrusion with leaf springs 15 is moved, providing contact sensors 13 that provide a signal to remove power from the power elements made of an alloy with EPF and a signal to the telemetry monitoring system (not shown) about the fact of rolling spacecraft element, which improves the quality of the diagnosis of spacecraft in orbit.

When a thermal check is triggered, a shock pulse does not occur.

The deformation of the power elements is reversible due to the impact on the power elements 3 of the spring 10, which, when cooled, returns the working rod of the thermal check to its original state, i.e. it is possible to repeatedly trigger a thermal check, and this makes it possible to check its operability during prelaunch spacecraft preparation.

Using the present invention will ensure the reliability of the spacecraft by eliminating the impact on the electronic equipment of the shock pulse, to improve the quality of monitoring the health of the spacecraft and diagnosing its state in orbit, along with simplifying the operation of the spacecraft and its fire safety.

Claims (1)

A heat-sink for fastening and unlocking the moving structural elements of the spacecraft (SC), comprising a housing, drive power elements electrically connected to the spacecraft control system, and a working rod, characterized in that the power elements (main and backup) are made of an alloy with a shape memory effect in the form of conductors with closed circuits, covering insulator rollers, one of which is mounted on an axis belonging to the working rod, and the other on an axis belonging to the support bracket, rigidly fixed in the housing, in this case, the sleeve interacts with the axis belonging to the working rod, and the plug interacts with the axis belonging to the support bracket, and the sleeve and plug are spring-loaded with each other, and the thermal check is equipped with a power module that provides the necessary parameters of the electric current supplied to the power elements through electrical contacts fixed on both sides in the middle of the conductors, and contact sensors mounted on brackets, rigidly fixed on both sides in the housing, while leaf springs are also fixed on the brackets interacting when the thermocouple is triggered, with a conical protrusion made on the sleeve and contact sensors.

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