Systems and Methods for On-Orbit Fabrication of Structures by 3D Printing

• US 20180281303A1
• Filed: 03/30/2017
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yerazunis, William, Weiss, Avishai, Wang, Bingnan
• Granted Patent: US 10,906,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/00 Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder apparatus or devices therefor B22F12/00
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/18 by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/20 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3097 Cosmonautical vehicles; Rockets
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/10 Artificial satellites; Systems of such satellites; Interplanetary vehicles space shuttles B64G1/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/244 Spacecraft control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/26 using jets
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/283 using reaction wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/285 using momentum wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/32 using earth's magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/36 using sensors, e.g. sun-sensors, horizon sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/401 Liquid propellant rocket engines Ion or plasma engines B64G1/413; Arcjets and other resistojets B64G1/415
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/405 Ion or plasma engines per se F03H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/66 : Arrangements or adaptations of apparatus or instruments, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/0416 : Aluminium-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency

Abstract

Spacecraft including a spacecraft bus. An additive manufacturing system of the spacecraft bus including at least one extruder for delivering feedstock to print an object outside of the spacecraft bus. A sensor for determining a pose of the spacecraft bus relative to an astronomical body. At least one processor in communication with the additive manufacturing system and the sensor, controls an operation of the additive manufacturing system as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus, to manufacture the object outside of the spacecraft bus.

Claims

1. A spacecraft, comprising:

a spacecraft bus including an additive manufacturing system, wherein the additive manufacturing system includes at least one extruder for delivering feedstock to print an object outside of the spacecraft bus;

a sensor of the spacecraft bus determines a pose of the spacecraft bus relative to an astronomical body; and

at least one processor in communication with the additive manufacturing system and the sensor, controls an operation of the additive manufacturing system as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus, to manufacture the object outside of the spacecraft bus.

2. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the pose of the spacecraft bus includes one or combination of an attitude of the spacecraft bus and an orbital position of the spacecraft bus with respect to the astronomical body, such that the astronomical body is from the group consisting of the Sun, the Earth, the Moon or fixed stars.

3. The spacecraft of claim 1, further comprising:

a command system in communication with the processor and the additive manufacturing system, for determining, controlling, or both, environmental conditions of an area in space proximal the extruder,

wherein the processor controls the operation of the additive manufacturing system as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus, in combination with the command system determination of the environmental conditions or the control the environmental conditions, of the area in space proximal to the extruder.

4. The spacecraft of claim 3, further comprising:

at least one temperature sensor in communication with the command system, determines a temperature of the area in space proximal to the extruder,

wherein the processor controls the operation of the additive manufacturing system as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus in combination with the determined temperature, when the determined temperature is within a predetermined range.

5. The spacecraft of claim 4, wherein the predetermined temperature range for the operation of the additive manufacturing system is within a range of 10 to 50 degrees Centigrade or 180 to 350 degrees Centigrade.

6. The spacecraft of claim 3, further comprising:

at least one sensor in communication with the command system, determines a light level originating from space, proximal the extruder,

wherein the processor controls the operation of the additive manufacturing system as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus in combination with the determined level of the light, when the determined level of the light is within a predetermined range.

7. The spacecraft of claim 6, wherein the predetermined range for the determined level of the light is within a range of 0.0001 milliwatt per square centimeter (10 watt/m³) to 10.000 milliwatt per square centimeter (10 Kwatt/m³).

8. The spacecraft of claim 6, further comprising:

at least one controllable light reflector in communication with the command system, controllably reflects a level of light onto a surface of the feedstock, such that the feedstock is a light-curable material, and the light is one or a combination of light originating from space, or a controllable light source in communication with the command system,

wherein the processor controls the operation of the controllable light reflector as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus in combination with the determined level of the light, when the determined level of the light is within a predetermined range.

9. The spacecraft of claim 6, further comprising:

at least one controllable protective shield in communication with the command system, controllably shields an amount of exposure of the light proximal the extruder,

wherein the processor controls the at least one protective shield as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus in combination with the determined level of the light, when the determined level of the light is within a predetermined range.

10. The spacecraft of claim 3, wherein the feedstock is a light curable feedstock.

11. The spacecraft of claim 3, further comprising:

at least one controllable light source in communication with the command system, projecting one or more light beam onto a surface of the feedstock, such that the feedstock is a light-curable material,

wherein the processor controls the light source as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus in combination with a level of the light from the controllable light source.

12. The spacecraft of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one controllable device such as an imaging device or camera in communication with the processor and the additive manufacturing system, generates images while the feedstock is extruded from the extruder onto an initial base structure, and based on the images, adaptively controls a rate of extrusion of the feedstock from the extruder, a rate of relative motion between the extruder to the initial base structure, or both.

13. The spacecraft of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one attitude control system mounted on the spacecraft bus for providing a motive force to maintain the pose of the spacecraft bus at or near a set of target poses,

wherein the set of target poses are determined by a set of predetermined poses stored in a memory in communication with the processor.

14. The spacecraft of claim 13, wherein the attitude control system is composed of one or more of reaction wheels, control moment gyroscopes, magnetic torquers, cold-gas thrusters, monopropellant thrusters, bipropellant thrusters, hall effect thrusters or ion thrusters.

15. The spacecraft of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one controllable feedstock deflector positioned approximate the extruder and in communication with the processor, controls flow of the feedstock during extrusion to form at least one surface of the manufactured object,

wherein the processor controls the feedstock deflector as a function of a rate of extrusion of the feedstock from the extruder, a rate of relative motion between the extruder to the initial base structure, or both.

16. The spacecraft of claim 1, further comprising:

a positioning system mounted within the additive manufacturing system, includes a telescoping linear rain having multiple telescoping sections connected to a pair of rotary joints and an initial base structure,

wherein the pair of rotary joints include a first rotary joint attached to an end of the telescoping linear rain and a second rotary joint is attached to the initial base structure, such that the initial base structure moves relative to the extruder that is fixed to an outer surface of the additive manufacturing system, while the fixed extruder extrudes the feedstock to print the object,

wherein the processor determines a relative motion between the initial base structure and the fixed extruder during extrusion of the feedstock, based on a set of predetermined additive manufacturing actions stored in a memory in communication with the processor.

17. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the manufactured object is one or a combination of a non-foldable object, a non-planar structure, a flat object, a partially complete object structure.

18. The spacecraft of claim 1, further comprising:

a second extruder fixed to an outer surface of the additive manufacturing system, the second extruder having one or more feedstock, such that the one or feedstock includes a self-adhesive conductive foil that is one of an aluminum foil, a copper foil or gold foil.

19. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein a configuration space of the manufactured object and the internal enclosures of the spacecraft bus are an empty set, such that a size of the manufactured object prevents the entire manufactured object from being inserted within or enclosed by, any of the internal enclosures of the spacecraft bus.

20. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the manufactured object includes materials from the group consisting of the feedstock, an initial base structure and a metamaterial array, such that the manufactured object is one of an antenna, an antenna component, an antenna that includes a parabolic reflector or a meta-material beam shaper.

21. The spacecraft of claim 20, where the antenna parabolic reflector is rendered reflective to a band of radio frequencies.

22. The spacecraft of claim 20, wherein the manufactured antenna has a length approximate an extended length of the telescoping linear rain, and has a range of focal lengths from F/1 to F/4.

23. The spacecraft of claim 20, wherein the metamaterial array is a metamaterial, such that the metamaterial is applied by a second extruder positioned on an outer surface of the spacecraft bus, and the metamaterial is stored as a feedstock roll of self-adhesive metamaterial patterns.

24. The spacecraft of claim 20, wherein the metamaterial array is a metamaterial, such that the metamaterial is extruded by a second extruder positioned on an outer surface of the spacecraft bus, and the metamaterial is a conductive material that provides at least one metamaterial behavior to the manufactured object.

25. The spacecraft of claim 24, wherein the metamaterial is extruded by the second extruder into a set of shapes on the partially printed object, such that the set of shapes provide a predetermined capacitance behavior, a predetermined inductance behavior or a predetermined resonance behavior, within a predetermined radiofrequency (RF) operating frequency band, to provide an RF metamaterial behavior to the manufactured object.

26. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the operation of the additive manufacturing system includes moving the extruder from an internal enclosure of the spacecraft bus to outside of the spacecraft bus, based on the pose of the spacecraft bus.

27. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the additive manufacturing system includes one of a three degree of freedom printer, a four degree of freedom printer, a five degree of freedom printer, or a six degree of freedom printer.

28. A spacecraft, comprising:

a spacecraft bus having internal enclosures, wherein each internal enclosure has a set of dimensions including diagonal dimensions;

an additive manufacturing system of the spacecraft bus includes at least one extruder for delivering feedstock to print an object outside of the spacecraft bus;

a sensor of the spacecraft bus for determining a pose of the spacecraft bus relative to an astronomical body; and

at least one processor in communication with the additive manufacturing system and the sensor, controls an operation of the additive manufacturing system as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus, to manufacture the object outside of the spacecraft bus,

wherein at least one dimension of a diagonal dimension of the manufactured object is greater than any of the set of dimensions or diagonal dimensions for all the internal enclosures of the spacecraft bus.

29. A spacecraft, comprising:

a spacecraft bus having internal enclosures, wherein each internal enclosure has a set of dimensions including diagonal dimensions;

an additive manufacturing system of the spacecraft bus includes at least one extruder for delivering feedstock to print an object outside of the spacecraft bus;

a sensor of the spacecraft bus determines a pose of the spacecraft bus relative to an astronomical body;

a command system in communication the additive manufacturing system, for determining, controlling or both, environmental conditions of an area in space proximal the extruder; and

at least one processor controls the operation of the additive manufacturing system as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus, in combination with the command system determination of the environmental conditions or control the environmental conditions, of the area in space proximal to the extruder, to manufacture the object, outside of the spacecraft bus,

wherein at least one dimension of a diagonal dimension of the manufactured object is greater than any of the set of dimensions or diagonal dimensions for all the internal enclosures of the spacecraft bus.