Servo-Drive Amplifier for Micro-Satellite Superconductor-Levitated Flywheels, Phase I
Status: Completed
Start Date: 2004-01-16
End Date: 2004-07-19
Description: A new servo-drive technology is available to support energy storage and navigation for micro-satellites. Exploiting the ?pinning? effect of high-temperature superconductors, high-speed momentum wheels can be suspended in a stable condition that is virtually independent of speed (unlike magnetic levitation). Aside from the motor drive, this levitation system is compact and highly energy efficient. To be effective it requires a drive that is equally compact and energy efficient. It also requires extremely high servo performance with especially low torque ripple. Barrett proposes an innovation to support such a compact/efficient drive amplifier. Phase I will focus on feasibility of this approach and Phase II will support prototype design and aggressive space qualification of this unit.
Lead Organization: Goddard Space Flight Center