Title: Tether deployment with in-plane angular and explicit velocity constraints by barrier Lyapunov function

Authors: Ming Liu; Xingqun Zhan; Bing Zhu

Addresses: School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dongchuan Rd 800, Shanghai, 200240, China ' School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dongchuan Rd 800, Shanghai, 200240, China ' School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dongchuan Rd 800, Shanghai, 200240, China

Abstract: Space tethers have been used for many space applications for decades. However, how to deploy a tethered system in a non-overshooting and stable way is still an unsolved issue up to now. Especially for passive deployment devices where positive deploy velocity is an essential requirement. In addition, in-plane angular amplitude is another issue that we should restrict to prevent tether become slack when it transgress 45°. This paper proposes a new control method to satisfy the two main constraints. First, we use a modified barrier Lyapunov Function method to design a deploy trajectory, which could ensure the in-plane angular stable and restrict into a small range as well as a positive deploy velocity. Second, we employ a feedback linearisation to realise a non-overshooting tracking. Simulations demonstrate that the scenario is successful in keeping a small in-plane angular within 0.25 radian, and positive deploy velocity and tension, meanwhile guaranteeing the non-overshooting tether length state.

Keywords: tetherd space systems; non-overshooting deployment; barrier Lyapunov function; BLF; feedback linearisation; tether deployment; in-plane angular constraints; velocity constraints; space tethers; simulation; tether satellites; spacecraft.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSPACESE.2016.081562

International Journal of Space Science and Engineering, 2016 Vol.4 No.2, pp.91 - 105

Received: 13 May 2016
Accepted: 30 Jun 2016

Published online: 13 Jan 2017 *

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