Optimal control laws of onboard coils for the reduction of angular momentum and damping of angular velocity of nanosatellites and microsatellites with magnetic coils on board

Abstract

Obtaining a new optimal law of controlling onboard magnetic coils that would provide reduction of the angular momentum of nanosatellites and microsatellites to a predetermined small value and subsequently maintaining it is discussed in the paper. The study shows that the use of a new time-optimal control law contributes to a significant increase in the high speed performance of the magnetic attitude control system in the tasks of reducing angular momentum of satellites to small values. The problem of satellite angular rate damping in accordance with a reference model a system of three independent linear homogeneous equations is discussed as well. Some numerical results of the application of these laws to the problem of reduction of satellite angular momentum and angular velocity are presented. Advantages and drawbacks of the new time-optimal laws of control of angular momentum of nanosatellites and microsatellites are specified.

Keywords

• coils
• magnetic moment
• control law
• nanosatellite
• microsatellite
• angular momentum
• damping
• equations of motion