ACTIVE MAGNETIC MICRO-G ISOLATOR FOR SPACE STATION

A REQUIREMENT EXISTS ON SPACE STATION TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT HAVING A MAXIMUM ACCELERATION OF A MICRO-G. MEETING THIS REQUIREMENT NECESSITATES ACTIVE ISOLATION FROM SPACE STATION STRUCTURAL DISTURBANCES. MAGNETIC SUSPENSIONSARE AN EXTREMELY PROMISING APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTING THESE ACTIVE ISOLATION SYSTEMS. THEIR DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS INCLUDE HIGH BANDWIDTH, HIGH FORCE CAPABILITY, STABILITY, HIGH EFFICIENCY, MULTI-AXIS CAPABILITY, AND EASE OF INTEGRATION WITH ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEMS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WOULD LEAD TO A DESIGN DEFINITION AND DETAILED ANALYSIS OF A SPACE STATION MICRO-Q VIBRATION ISOLATION SYSTEM. THE KEY AREAS OF RESEARCH INVOLVE THE INHERENTLY NONLINEAR NATURE OF THE HIGH-FORCE CAPABILITY ELECTROMAGNETIC ACTUATORS, BECAUSE THE NON-LINEARITIES INCREASE THE COMPLEXITY OF MODELLING, ESTIMATING, AND CONTROLLING THE PLANT. THE DESIGN OF THE CONTROLLER, INCLUDING AN ESTIMATOR, IS ESSENTIAL FOR ACHIEVING THE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC VIBRATION ISOLATION SYSTEMS. RESEARCH TO DEVELOP THIS TECHNOLOGY FOR A SINGE-DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM SYSTEM HAS BEEN INITIATED AS A JOINT PROGRAM WITH SATCON AND MIT PERSONNEL. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM WOULD APPLY THIS RESEARCH TO A SYSTEM WITH SIX-DEGREES-OF-FREEDOM.