Harmless low-consumption on-orbit continuous launch system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11565832-B2
Application number	US-202217826128-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2022
Priority date	May 26, 2021
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A harmless low-consumption on-orbit continuous launch system includes a satellite platform, a launch apparatus and a plurality of CubeSats. The satellite platform carries the launch apparatus and dozens or hundreds of CubeSats, and is launched from a ground into an orbit for on-orbit operation. The launch apparatus is configured to store the plurality of CubeSats and provide power for on-orbit launching of each of the CubeSats. A solid working medium in the launch apparatus is activated by heating to undergo a phase change, and the activated solid working medium expands instantly and is converted into a high-pressure gaseous working medium. The high-pressure gaseous working medium does work to eject the CubeSats, such that the CubeSats obtain a speed increment. The CubeSats enter a transfer orbit towards different target spacecraft through the speed increment applied by the launch apparatus to perform a plurality of different on-orbit serving missions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A harmless low-consumption on-orbit continuous launch system, comprising a satellite platform, a launch apparatus and a plurality of CubeSats, wherein
the satellite platform is configured to carry the launch apparatus and the plurality of CubeSats, and the satellite platform is launched from a ground into an orbit for on-orbit operation;
the launch apparatus is configured to store the plurality of CubeSats and provide power for on-orbit launching of each of the CubeSats, wherein a solid working medium in the launch apparatus is activated by heating to undergo a phase change; the activated solid working medium expands instantly and is converted into a high-pressure gaseous working medium; and the high-pressure gaseous working medium does work to eject the CubeSats, such that the CubeSats obtain a speed increment; the launch apparatus comprises a working medium storage device, a telescopic tube, a rotary CubeSat bin, a launch rail and a launch controller; the working medium storage device comprises a working medium storage tank and an acceleration compartment; the working medium storage tank is internally provided with a plurality of independent working medium storage compartments, and the solid working medium is stored in each of the working medium storage compartments; each of the working medium storage compartments is internally provided with an electrical activation device for activating the solid working medium in each of the working medium storage compartments to undergo a phase change; an outlet of each of the working medium storage compartments is provided with a one-way valve, and each of the working medium storage compartments is communicated with the acceleration compartment through the one-way valve; an outlet of the acceleration compartment is connected to an inlet end of the telescopic tube; the rotary CubeSat bin comprises a CubeSat storage box and a rotation motor; the CubeSat storage box is internally provided with a plurality of independent CubeSat storage compartments; one CubeSat is stored in each of the CubeSat storage compartments; each of the CubeSat storage compartments is internally provided with an electromagnet, and the electromagnet is turned on to lock the CubeSat and turned off to unlock the CubeSat; the rotation motor is configured to rotate the CubeSat storage box, such that an inlet of each of the CubeSat storage compartments is butted with an outlet of the telescopic tube, and an outlet of each of the CubeSat storage compartments is butted with an inlet of the launch rail; the launch rail is configured to increase a range for launching the CubeSats; the launch controller comprises a rotation motor controller and an ignition controller, wherein the rotation motor controller is configured to control rotation of the rotary CubeSat bin, and the ignition controller is configured to control activation of the electrical activation device in each of the working medium storage compartments; and
the CubeSats enter a transfer orbit towards different target spacecraft through the speed increment applied by the launch apparatus to perform a plurality of different on-orbit serving missions.

2. The harmless low-consumption on-orbit continuous launch system according to claim 1 , wherein the solid working medium is solid carbon dioxide.

3. The harmless low-consumption on-orbit continuous launch system according to claim 1 , wherein a buffer isolation layer is wrapped on an outer wall of the working medium storage tank, and the buffer isolation layer is configured to maintain a working medium storage temperature and reduce a reaction force generated during a launch.

4. The harmless low-consumption on-orbit continuous launch system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the working medium storage compartments is internally provided with a temperature sensor for real-time monitoring of a working medium temperature; and the working medium storage tank is internally provided with a pressure sensor for real-time monitoring of an internal pressure of the working medium storage tank.

5. The harmless low-consumption on-orbit continuous launch system according to claim 4 , wherein each of the CubeSats comprises an attitude control system, an integrated electronic system, a communications system, a propulsion system and a payload.

6. The harmless low-consumption on-orbit continuous launch system according to claim 1 , wherein the satellite platform comprises an energy subsystem, a structural subsystem, an orbit control subsystem, an attitude control subsystem and a temperature control system; and the energy subsystem of the satellite platform comprises a solar array and a storage battery.

7. A launch apparatus, wherein the launch apparatus is configured to store a plurality of CubeSats and provide power for on-orbit launching of each of the CubeSats, a solid working medium in the launch apparatus is activated by heating to undergo a phase change; the activated solid working medium expands instantly and is converted into a high-pressure gaseous working medium; the high-pressure gaseous working medium does work to eject the CubeSats, such that the CubeSats obtain a speed increment; the solid working medium is solid carbon dioxide; the launch apparatus comprises a working medium storage device, a telescopic tube, a rotary CubeSat bin, a launch rail and a launch controller; the working medium storage device comprises a working medium storage tank and an acceleration compartment; the working medium storage tank is internally provided with a plurality of independent working medium storage compartments, and the solid working medium is stored in each of the working medium storage compartments; each of the working medium storage compartments is internally provided with an electrical activation device for activating the solid working medium in each of the working medium storage compartments to undergo a phase change; an outlet of each of the working medium storage compartments is provided with a one-way valve, and each of the working medium storage compartments is communicated with the acceleration compartment through the one-way valve; an outlet of the acceleration compartment is connected to an inlet end of the telescopic tube; the rotary CubeSat bin comprises a CubeSat storage box and a rotation motor; the CubeSat storage box is internally provided with a plurality of independent CubeSat storage compartments; one CubeSat is stored in each of the CubeSat storage compartments; each of the CubeSat storage compartments is internally provided with an electromagnet, and the electromagnet is turned on to lock the CubeSat and turned off to unlock the CubeSat; the rotation motor is configured to rotate the CubeSat storage box, such that an inlet of each of the CubeSat storage compartments is butted with an outlet of the telescopic tube, and an outlet of each of the CubeSat storage compartments is butted with an inlet of the launch rail; the launch rail is configured to increase a range for launching the CubeSats; the launch controller comprises a rotation motor controller and an ignition controller, wherein the rotation motor controller is configured to control rotation of the rotary CubeSat bin, and the ignition controller is configured to control activation of the electrical activation device in each of the working medium storage compartments.

8. The launch apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a buffer isolation layer is wrapped on an outer wall of the working medium storage tank, and the buffer isolation layer is configured to maintain a working medium storage temperature and reduce a reaction force generated during a launch; each of the working medium storage compartments is internally provided with a temperature sensor for real-time monitoring of a working medium

Assignees

• National Univ Of Defense Technology

Inventors

• Yang Yueneng
• Hu Wenjun
• Zhang Chaoyan
• Zhang Shifeng
• Xu Xin
• Huang Shurui
• Bu Xiaotong
• Liu Zhiyang

Classifications

• B64G1/002 Primary

  Launch systems · CPC title

• B64G1/641

  Interstage or payload connectors (docking systems B64G1/646) · CPC title

• B64G2001/1092

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64G1/645

  Separators · CPC title

• B64G1/6459

  Fluid-actuated · CPC title