SIX DEGREE OF FREEDOM ACTIVE VIBRATION DAMPING FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS

THIS PROJECT DEALS WITH VIBRATION DAMPING IN SPACE APPLICATIONS. THE COMPANY HAS SPENT TWO YEARS INVESTIGATINGAND THEN SIMULATING CONTROL OF A HIGH-SPEED, HIGH-PRECISION,SIX-DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM MOTION STAGE BASED ON A SIX-LEGGED, PARALLEL-LINK MANIPULATOR. THIS SYSTEM EXPLOITS SIX MAGNETOSTRICTIVE ACTUATORS, ONE IN SERIES WITH EACH CONVENTIONAL LEG ACTUATOR. THIS ALLOWS THE CONVENTIONAL ACTUATORS TO PROVIDE SIX-DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM POSITIONING, WHILE THE SIX MAGNETOSTRICTIVE ACTUATORS (WHICH ELONGATE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A MAGNETIC FIELD) PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL SIX-DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM, HIGH-FREQUENCY VIBRATION ISOLATION. MAGNESTOSTRICTIVE ELEMENTS ARE EXTREMELY LIGHT AND CAN EXERT LARGE FORCES AT HIGH FREQUENCIES. THE SIX-LEGGED, PARALLEL-LINK MECHANISM, CALLED A STEWART PLATFORM, PROVIDES A MEANS TO CONVERT THIS ONE-DIMENSIONAL DISPLACEMENT INTO SIX-DIMENSIONAL, HIGH-FREQUENCY, HIGH-PRECISION MOTION. IN CPACE STRUCTURES, THE VIBRATIONALFORCES WILL INCLUDE FLEXING AND TWISTING, AND WE BELIEVE THAT SIX-AXIS COUNTERMOTION IS ESSENTIAL TO IMPLEMENTING HIGH-PERFORMANCE, ACTIVE-VIBRATOR ISOLATION AND DAMPING. THE SYSTEM BEING INVESTIGATED WILL MEET THIS REQUIREMENT. THIS PROJECT DEALS WITH VIBRATION DAMPING IN SPACE APPLICATIONS. THE COMPANY HAS SPENT TWO YEARS INVESTIGATINGAND THEN SIMULATING CONTROL OF A HIGH-SPEED, HIGH-PRECISION,SIX-DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM MOTION STAGE BASED ON A SIX-LEGGED, PARALLEL-LINK MANIPULATOR. THIS SYSTEM EXPLOITS SIX MAGNETOSTRICTIVE ACTUATORS, ONE IN SERIES WITH EACH CONVENTIONAL LEG ACTUATOR. THIS ALLOWS THE CONVENTIONAL ACTUATORS TO PROVIDE SIX-DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM POSITIONING, WHILE THE SIX MAGNETOSTRICTIVE ACTUATORS (WHICH ELONGATE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A MAGNETIC FIELD) PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL SIX-DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM, HIGH-FREQUENCY VIBRATION ISOLATION. MAGNESTOSTRICTIVE ELEMENTS ARE EXTREMELY LIGHT AND CAN EXERT LARGE FORCES AT HIGH FREQUENCIES. THE SIX-LEGGED, PARALLEL-LINK MECHANISM, CALLED A STEWART PLATFORM, PROVIDES A MEANS TO CONVERT THIS ONE-DIMENSIONAL DISPLACEMENT INTO SIX-DIMENSIONAL, HIGH-FREQUENCY, HIGH-PRECISION MOTION. IN CPACE STRUCTURES, THE VIBRATIONALFORCES WILL INCLUDE FLEXING AND TWISTING, AND WE BELIEVE THAT SIX-AXIS COUNTERMOTION IS ESSENTIAL TO IMPLEMENTING HIGH-PERFORMANCE, ACTIVE-VIBRATOR ISOLATION AND DAMPING. THE SYSTEM BEING INVESTIGATED WILL MEET THIS REQUIREMENT.