YO - YO DESPIN MECHANISM

Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics

Jose Escobar Molina Carles Ortola Bosca

Abstract
The equations of motion are derived for the despinning of a satellite considered as a rigid body by the use of weights attached to the ends of unwinding cables that are released when colinear with a radius of the satellite. The energy and momentum balance equations of initial and nal condiditons are presented which must be solved simultaneously for either the length of cable or mass required to despin the satellite to a spin rate other than zero.

Introduction
To obtain a fractional reduction or a complete removal of rotational speed from a spinning body by the use of weights and exible cables involves the transfer of the initial angular momentum in the satellite and packaged despin mechanism to the unwound weight and cable system. At the precise moment that the weight and cable system contains the desired proportion of the initial angular momentum, they are released from the body leaving it with the desired momenutm and hence the desired spin. In order to analyze the despin system, the following assumptions are made:

body.

System is conservative. Eect of gravity is neglected. Weights are considered point masses. Motion is two-dimensional.

Fixed reference axes are chosen with the origin coinciding with the center of the rotating Therefore, the only energies to be considered are those of the body and weights rotating about the origin. The weights and cables are paired so that the motion is symmetric about the origin. Therefore, the center of mass of the system is at the origin of the xed coordinate system. The nal position of the weights and cables for the release is chosen at the moment they are colinear with a radius from the center of the rotating body.

Radial Release

x X

Fig. 0.1:

Radial Release parameters

Radial Release
In order to nd the length of cable or mass of the weight required to obtain a desired residual spin, the initial and nal angular momentum and kinetic energy are equated. In this case the initial rotational speed must be known to whatever end is desired. The radial release phase starts at the point where tje cables are completely unwound from the satellite until they are extended perpendicular to a radius through the center of rotation of the payload. At this nal phase, cables have completely unwound with

R = L = constant.

Cables and weights

now rotate about the xed point A until they are colinear with a radius from the center of the satellite. At this moment cables and weights are released. As gravitational eects are neglected due to the fact that the size of satellite is small compared to Earth's radius and weight is assumed at the center of gravity of the satellite, then both, angular momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. At this point, cable properties and eects are neglected. For the angular momentum balance,

H0 = H
where

(0.1)

H0 = H0S + H0M H0S = C0

(0.2)

and the subscripts S and M indicate satellite and mass repectively. Then for the initial stage,

Radial Release
H0M = mR2 0 H0 = (C + mR2 )0
and the nal stage can be modelled as follows,

(0.3)

H = HS + HF HS = C HM = m(L + R)2 M
where

(0.4)

can easily be expressed in terms of

using

angle between the radius of the

satellite (and nal point for the radial release) and the initial point statet earlier. Therefore,

M =

(L + R) + L L+R

(0.5)

HM = m(L + R)2 + mL(L + R)

Then the nal angular momentum will be,

(0.6)

H = (C + m(L + R)2 ) + mL(L + R)

(0.7)

Now, combining equations (0.3) and (0.7) into (0.1), the nal balance of angular momentum is going to be,

(C + mR2 )0 = (C + m(L + R)2 ) + mL(L + R)

On the other hand, the energy balance of the system is

(0.8)

T0 = T
again, for the initial stage,

(0.9)

T0 = T0S + T0M 1 2 T0S = C0 2 1 2 T0M = mR2 0 2 1 2 T0 = (C + mR2 )0 2

And for the nal stage

(0.10)

TM
and using equation (0.5)

T = TS + TM 1 TS = C 2 2 1 2 = m(L + R)2 M 2

1 TM = m[(L + R) + L ]2 2

Equations of Motion
Therefore, the nal kinetic energy is

1 T = (C 2 + m[(L + R) + L ]2 ) 2
Then the energy balance is

(0.11)

2 (C + mR2 )0 = (C 2 + m[(L + R) + L ]2 )

(0.12)

At this point, solving both equations, energy and angular momentum, for the length of the cable,

(C + mR2 )0 = (C + m(L + R)2 ) + mL(L + R) 2 2 2 2 (C + mR )0 = (C + m[(L + R) + L ] )

The length of the cable is determined with the expression

(0.13)

L = R +

mR2 0 + C (0 )
2 m(C + mR2 )0 C 2

(0.14)

In the same manner, an expresion for the nal spin velocity previous equation,

can be derived from this

C (C + mR2 )0 +

2 CLm2 (L + R)2 (L + 2R)(C + mR2 )0 C (C + m(L + R)2 )

(0.15)

Equations of Motion
Equations of motion are going to be derived thorugh this section. The derivation of these equations is going to be made using Lagrange equations. Firstly Langrangian Functional is derived. By analitical mechanics, this functional is,

L=T U
where

(0.16)

is the kinetical energy of the satellite and masses and

is the potential energy.

As it has been stated earlier, potential energy is going to be neglected due to the fact that satellite size is much smaller than Earth's radius. Consequently, kinetical energy is higher enough with respect to potential energy to be neglected. Considering this statement, then equation (0.16) becomes,

L=T
Then, the total energy for this phase is,

(0.17)

T = TS + TM 1 TS = C 2 2 1 2 = m(x 2 M ) M +y 2

TM

Equations of Motion
Now, dening position vector of the mass

xM = L sin( + ) + R cos() yM = L cos( + ) + R sin()

which yields

2 2 + 2RL ( + + ) sin = L2 ( )2 + R2 M x 2 M +y
Substituting all these values in the kinetical energy expression,

1 1 + 2 + 2RL ( + T = C2 + m(L2 ( )2 + R 2 ) sin ) 2 2

So, accoriding to equation (0.17), the Langrangian will be,

(0.18)

1 1 + 2 + 2RL ( + )2 + R 2 ) sin ) L = C2 + m(L2 ( 2 2

The Langrange equations on motion can be presented as,

(0.19)

d dt
where

L qj

L Qj = 0 qj

(0.20)

qj

are the independent variables used to modelize the system and

forces. In this particular case, independent variables are has been neglected and dissipative forces are not Applying rule (0.20)

Qj are the generalized and and, since potential function considered neither, then Qj = 0.

Since there are two independent variables, two equations of motion are going to be derived.

d dt

L =0

(0.21)

+ [mL2 + mRL sin ] + [C + m(R2 + L2 ) + 2mRL sin ] + RL cos [m(2 )] = 0

(0.22) and for the other independent variable,

d dt

L =0

(0.23)

+ [mL2 ] 2 cos = 0 [mL2 + mRL sin ] mRL

the motion of both variables

(0.24)

Equations (0.22) and (0.24) have to be solved simultaneously to obtain the expresions for

and

Due to non linear dierential equations are involved

mathematical software has beeen used to solve these equations. In addition, radial release is achieved by setting = . 2

Applications

Applications
In order to discuss the results of the dierent equations derived earlier, an specic problem 2 is going to be presented. Let's assume a satellite which C = 200 kg m and the initital rate is

0 = 5 rad/s.

The total yo-yo mass is 4 kg and the radius of the spacecraft is 1 meter and

a total despin motion is desired. First of all, the length of the cord is going to be calculated using eq 0.14 and applying these values,

LRR = 6.141 m
On the other hand, tangential release cord length will be, using the apropiate formula,

LT R = 7.141 m
To compare the main dierences between tangential and radial release, some plots are going to be taken into account.
Despin ratio
0 1.0

Radial 0.8 Tangential

0.6

0.4

0.2

L m

Fig. 0.2:

Length vs despin ratio

The analysis of this graph shows that for each despin ratio desired, cord length is always larger for tangential release than for radial release. Note that the larger the cord length is, the higher the weight will be and the consequent weight penalities. Although the dierence between both lengths is not so signicant. On the other hand, if one plots the angular velocity variation from the release (either tangential or radial),

Applications
' rad sec 5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

t sec

Fig. 0.3:

Angular velocity after release

where tangential release is the red line and the radial release is represented by the blue one. According to this information, one can gure out that time to complete despin is higher for radial release than for tangential release. Finally, the last plot is representing the evolution of the tension due to the masses for both tangential and radial releases.
NN

400

300

200

Radial

100 Tangential

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

t sec

Fig. 0.4:

Tension history

As it can see viewed tangential release tension is also higher than radial release tension.

Springs discussion

Springs discussion