Optimal low-thrust orbital transfers in a central gravity field

The results of studying some problems of optimization of low-thrust transfers between arbitrary elliptic orbits in a Newtonian gravity field are expounded. An approximate solution obtained by the averaging method is presented. Analytical solutions of the averaged equations are given for a wide class of maneuvers. The problem of constructing numerical solutions to the exact equations of motion of a spacecraft between high orbits is discussed __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 41, No. 11, pp. 3–37, November 2005.     

Pseudospectral method for optimal propellantless rendezvous using geomagnetic Lorentz force

A charged spacecraft is subject to the Lorentz force when it orbits a central body with a magnetic field. The induced Lorentz force provides a new mean of propellantless electromagnetic propulsion for orbital control. Modeling the Earth magnetic field as a tilted dipole that co-rotates with the Earth, this paper develops a nonlinear dynamical model that describes the relative motion of the Lorentz spacecraft about an arbitrary reference orbit. Based on the proposed dynamical model, feasibility of Lorentz-propelled rendezvous with no restrictions on the initial states is investigated. The rendezvous problem is then formulated as an optimal control problem, and solved with the Gauss pseudospectral method (GPM). Numerical simulations substantiate the validity of proposed model and method, and results show that the propellantless rendezvous is achieved at both fixed and free final time.     

Resonant dynamics in a rotordynamic system with nonlinear inertial coupling and shaft anisotropy

The response of a nonlinear, damped Jeffcott rotor with anisotropic stiffness is considered in the presence of an imbalance. For sufficiently small external torque or large imbalance, resonance capture or rotordynamic stall can occur, whereby the rotational velocity of the shaft is unable to increase beyond the fundamental resonance between the rotational and translational motion. This phenomena provides a mechanism for energy transfer from the rotational to the translational mode. Using the method of averaging a reduced-order model is developed, valid near the resonance, that describes this resonant behavior. The equilibrium points of these averaged equations, which correspond to stationary solutions of the original equations and rotordynamic stall, are described as the applied torque, damping, and anisotropy vary. As the anisotropy increases, assumed to arise from increasing shaft cracks, the torque required to eliminate the possibility of stall increases. However, when the system is started with zero initial conditions, the minimum torque required to pass through the resonance is approximately constant as the anisotropy increases. The predictions from the reduced-order model are verified against numerical simulations of the original equations of motion.     

Motion of the moonlet in the binary system 243 Ida

The motion of the moonlet Dactyl in the binary system 243 Ida is investigated in this paper. First, periodic orbits in the vicinity of the primary are calculated, including the orbits around the equilibrium points and large-scale orbits. The Floquet multipliers' topological cases of periodic orbits are calculated to study the orbits' stabilities. During the continuation of the retrograde near-circular orbits near the equatorial plane, two period-doubling bifurcations and one Neimark–Sacker bifurcation occur one by one, leading to two stable regions and two unstable regions. Bifurcations occur at the boundaries of these regions. Periodic orbits in the stable regions are all stable, but in the unstable regions are all unstable. Moreover, many quasi-periodic orbits exist near the equatorial plane. Long-term integration indicates that a particle in a quasi-periodic orbit runs in a space like a tire. Quasi-periodic orbits in different regions have different styles of motion indicated by the Poincare sections. There is the possibility that moonlet Dactyl is in a quasi-periodic orbit near the stable region I, which is enlightening for the stability of the binary system.     

Nonlinear dynamics of a resonant gas sensor

We develop a mathematical model for a resonant gas sensor made up of an microplate electrostatically actuated and attached to the end of a cantilever microbeam. The model considers the microbeam as a continuous medium, the plate as a rigid body, and the electrostatic force as a nonlinear function of the displacement and the voltage applied underneath the microplate. We derive closed-form solutions to the static and eigenvalue problems associated with the microsystem. The Galerkin method is used to discretize the distributed-parameter model and, thus, approximate it by a set of nonlinear ordinary-differential equations that describe the microsystem dynamics. By comparing the exact solution to that associated with the reduced-order model, we show that using the first mode shape alone is sufficient to approximate the static behavior. We employ the Finite Difference Method (FDM) to discretize the orbits of motion and solve the resulting nonlinear algebraic equations for the limit cycles. The stability of these cycles is determined by combining the FDM discretization with Floquet theory. We investigate the basin of attraction of bounded motion for two cases: unforced and damped, and forced and damped systems. In order to detect the lower limit of the forcing at which homoclinic points appear, we conduct a Melnikov analysis. We show the presence of a homoclinic point for a loading case and hence entanglement of the stable and unstable manifolds and non-smoothness of the boundary of the basin of attraction of bounded motion.     

Long-term evolution of mid-altitude quasi-satellite orbits

Quasi-satellite orbits are of great interest for the exploration of planetary moons because of their dynamical features and close proximity with respect to the surface of scientifically relevant objects like Phobos and Deimos. This paper explores the equations of the elliptical Hill problem, offering a new analytical insight into the long-term evolution of mid-altitude quasi-satellite orbits. Our developments are based on the Yamanaka–Ankersen solution of the Tschauner–Hempel equations and capture the effects of the secondary’s gravity and orbital eccentricity on the shape and orientation of near-equatorial retrograde relative trajectories. The analytical solution of the in-plane and out-of-plane components of the secular motion is achieved by averaging over the relative longitude of a spacecraft as seen from the co-rotating frame of the two primaries. Developments are validated against the numerical integration of quasi-periodic trajectories that densely cover the surface of three-dimensional invariant tori. This analysis confirms the stable nature of quasi-satellite orbits and provides new tools for future spacecraft missions such as the Martian Moons eXploration envisaged by JAXA.

     

Chaotic pitch motion of an asymmetric non-rigid spacecraft with viscous drag in circular orbit

We study the pitch motion dynamics of an asymmetric spacecraft in circular orbit under the influence of a gravity gradient torque. The spacecraft is perturbed by a small aerodynamic drag torque proportional to the angular velocity of the body about its mass center. We also suppose that one of the moments of inertia of the spacecraft is a periodic function of time. Under both perturbations, we show that the system exhibits a transient chaotic behavior by means of the Melnikov method. This method gives us an analytical criterion for heteroclinic chaos in terms of the system parameters which is numerically contrasted. We also show that some periodic orbits survive for perturbation small enough.     

Periodic motions of spinning rigid spacecraft under influence of gravitational and magnetic fields

The motion of a magnetized axisymmetric spacecraft about its center of mass in a circular orbit is considered, taking the gravitational and magnetic effects of the central body into account. Equations of motion of the reduced system are transformed to equations of plane motion of a charged particle under the action of electric and magnetic fields. Stationary motions of the system are determined and periodic motions near to them are constructed using the Lyapounoff theorem of the holomorphic integral.     

Resonance capture in a damped three-degree-of-freedom system: Experimental and analytical comparison

The dynamical behavior of a three-degree-of-freedom system is considered in the presence of a 1:1 resonance between two components with non-linear inertial coupling. One of the resonant frequencies is fixed, characterizing a translational oscillation, while the second frequency varies slowly in time and describes the angular velocity of an unbalanced rotational component. As the angular velocity approaches the translational frequency of oscillation, the system can either become locked into a sustained resonance or pass through the 1:1 resonance depending on the parameter values and initial conditions. When the system is attracted to a state of sustained resonance, the amplitude of the translational oscillations and the steady-state frequency of the sustained resonance vary, depending on the parameter values of the system. As the applied torque increases, both the resonant frequency and oscillation amplitude increases. If the applied torque is too large, the sustained resonance no longer exists and the system cannot be attracted to a long-term resonant motion. These variations in the response with parametric changes are described from a reduced-order model obtained with the method of averaging and are also seen in numerical simulations of the original equations of motion. Finally, the results are verified in an experimental rotordynamic system.     

航天器终端接近的有限时间输入饱和避碰控制

针对航天器终端接近问题,解决了追踪航天器在跟踪到达期望目标点的过程中不与目标航天器发生碰撞的难题。首先,在目标航天器轨道系下建立了航天器的相对运动和避碰模型。其次,考虑外界扰动上界已知和未知两种情形,均给出了有限时间避碰控制器,且所设计的控制器都具有输入饱和特性。最后,应用Lyapunov稳定性理论证明了在所提出的控制器作用下系统是有限时间收敛的,并且,利用避碰势函数证明了所设计的控制器能够实现避碰。仿真结果表明,所提出的控制器是有效的。     

Chaotic Motion in a Spinning Spacecraft with Circumferential Nutational Damper

The dynamics of a simplified model of a spinning spacecraft with a circumferential nutational damper is investigated using numerical simulations for nonlinear phenomena. A realistic spacecraft parameter configuration is investigated and is found to exhibit chaotic motion when a sinusoidally varying torque is applied to the spacecraft for a range of forcing amplitude and frequency. Such a torque, in practice, may arise in the platform of a dual-spin spacecraft under malfunction of the control system or from an unbalanced rotor or from vibrations in appendages. The equations of motion of the model are derived with Lagrange's equations using a generalisation of the kinetic energy equation and a linear stability analysis is given. Numerical simulations for satellite parameters are performed and the system is found to exhibit chaotic motion when a sinusoidally varying torque is applied to the spacecraft for a range of forcing amplitude and frequency. The motion is studied by means of time history, phase space, frequency spectrum, Poincaré map, Lyapunov characteristic exponents and Correlation Dimension. For sufficiently large values of torque amplitude, the behaviour of the system was found to have much in common with a two well potential problem such as a Duffing oscillator. Evidence is also presented, indicating that the onset of chaotic motion was characterised by period doubling as well as intermittency.     

万有引力场中带挠性板非轴对称航天器的姿态稳定性

本文讨论由非轴对称主刚体和矩形挠性板组成的航天器在万有引力场中的姿态运动。利用Ｇａｌｅｒｋｉｎ方法对动力学方程离散化，并利用Ｋｅｌｖｉｎ－Ｔａｉｔ－Ｃｈｅｔａｙｅｖ定理判断航天器在轨道坐标系内相对平衡的稳定性。导出适用于任意阶模态的解析形式稳定性充分条件。     

纵向参数激励下平动刚-液耦合系统稳定性

纵向参数激励下液体晃动稳定性是航天器动力学中一个广受关注的问题,然而在以往的研究中没有考虑液体晃动与航天器运动之间的耦合作用对系统参数振动稳定性的影响. 建立了用液体晃动等效单摆模型描述的纵向激励下平动刚-液耦合系统的Mathieu方程,采用摄动法确定了耦合系统1/2亚谐波振动和谐波振动的激励幅-频稳定性边界. 研究发现,液体晃动与主刚体横向运动的耦合作用扩大了参数振动不稳定区, 并使其向高频移动,影响的程度随等效晃动质量的减小而减小;液体晃动模态阻尼对1/2亚谐波振动不稳定区的缩小作用远弱于对谐波振动不稳定区的缩小作用. 对耦合系统第1阶液体晃动模态1/2亚谐波振动响应的研究表明:当纵向激励参数在不稳定区内时,可能引起主刚体的纵横耦合振动现象.      

An Analysis of Journal Orbits for Nonlinear Dynamic Bearing Systems

An analysis of journal centre orbits is presented in this paper based on a non-isothermal non-Newtonian fluid model for dynamically loaded bearing systems. A spectral element approach is used to solve a full set of coupled equations (kinematics and constitutive) governing the flow of the lubricant, and an operator-splitting spectral element technique is used to evaluate the dynamic energy equation. The motion of the journal is calculated on the basis of Newtonian mechanics incorporated with a simple cavitation model. The stability of the journal orbits is investigated under a wide range of the rotation speeds of journal. The unstable orbits arise as a sub-harmonic motion when the journal rotation speed is increased beyond a critical value. The influences of the oscillation speeds of the applied loads on the journal orbits are examined. The numerical simulations demonstrate that both the rotation speed of the journal and the oscillation speed of the applied load play an important role in determining the pattern of the journal orbits. The effects of square-wave and rotating applied loads on the journal orbits are also investigated. Received 22 April 1998 and accepted 26 May 1999     

Bifurcations of periodic orbits in Duffing equation with periodic damping and external excitations

The complex behaviors of Duffing equation with periodic damping and external excitations are investigated. The existence conditions and bifurcations of periodic orbits with three different frequencies resonant conditions are concerned by the second-order averaging method and the Melnikov method. The rich dynamical behaviors are so distinct when different periodic damping excitations are added, including more complicated averaged equations, bifurcation curves, bifurcation conditions, and even chaos. The numerical simulations show the consistence with the theoretical analysis and reveal new complex phenomena which cannot be given by theoretical analysis.     

Are semi-numerical methods an effective tool for locating periodic orbits in 3D potentials?

A semi-numerical method is used in order to locate the position and calculate the period of periodic orbits in a 3D composite bisymmetrical potential, in a number of resonant cases. The potential consists of a 3D harmonic oscillator and a Plummer sphere. The outcomes are compared with results found using the numerical integration of the equations of motion and the agreement is very good. This agreement strongly suggests, that semi-numerical methods can be used in order to obtain fast and reliable results regarding the position and period of the periodic orbits in 3D composite potentials with a harmonic oscillator part and different kinds of perturbations. Comparison with other methods of obtaining 3D periodic orbits is discussed.     

再入飞行仿真的几个力学问题

本文针对航天器再入飞行仿真的研究。就仿真中的几个力学问题，讨论了如何建立合理的物理模型和数学模型。再入飞行仿真主要涉及刚体运动的飞行轨迹计算模型，涉及激波，表面压力。摩擦阻力。粘性干扰等因素的气动力计算模型；涉及边界层厚度，转捩，传热和物面粗糙度，辐射传热等因素的气动热计算模型；涉及结构强度，动态特性，稳定性，热应力等因素的有限元计算模型；涉及硅基和碳基防热材料，防热层温度分布等因素的热化学烧蚀模型；涉及天气严重环境指数，粒子与激波层干扰，粒子运动特性等因素的粒子侵蚀模型。涉及瞬时外形变化。气动特性变化。累积质量损失等因素的总体参数计算模型；其中要特别注意把握好对绕流流场计算，转捩准则选择，结构响应跟踪，瞬时外形圆整等问题的处理。才能使再入飞行仿真顺利进行到再入落地，而且仿真结果具有很好的可信度。     

非自旋航天器混沌姿态运动及其参数开闭环控制

研究万有引力场中受大气阻力且存在结构内阻尼的非自旋航天器在椭圆轨道上平面天平动的混沌及其参数开闭环控制问题．在建立数学模型的基础上确定出现混沌的必要条件并数值验证混沌的存在性，提出非线性振动系统混沌运动的参数开闭环控制并应用于控制航天器的混沌姿态运动．     

A semi-numerical method for periodic orbits in a bisymmetrical potential

We use a semi-numerical method to find the position and period of periodic orbits in a bisymmetrical potential, made up of a two dimensional harmonic oscillator, with an additional term of a Plummer potential, in a number of resonant cases. The results are compared with the outcomes obtained by the numerical integration of the equations of motion and the agreement is good. This indicates that the semi-numerical method gives general and reliable results. Comparison with other methods of locating periodic orbits is also made.     

On the averaging principle for one-frequency systems. An application to satellite motions

This paper is related to our previous works (Morosi and Pizzocchero in J. Phys. A, Math. Gen. 39:3673–3702, 2006; Nonlinear Dyn., 2008), on the error estimate of the averaging technique for systems with one fast angular variable. In the cited references, a general method (of mixed analytical and numerical type) has been introduced to obtain precise, fully quantitative estimates on the averaging error. Here, this procedure is applied to the motion of a satellite in a polar orbit around an oblate planet, retaining only the J ₂ term in the multipole expansion of the gravitational potential. To exemplify the method, the averaging errors are estimated for the data corresponding to two Earth satellites; for a very large number of orbits, computation of our estimators is much less expensive than the direct numerical solution of the equations of motion.