Spacecraft

• US 6,408,255 B1
• Filed: 08/16/1999
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum Fuer Luft- Und Raumfahrt E.V.
• Original Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum Fuer Luft- Und Raumfahrt E.V.
• Inventors: Hamacher, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/374,110
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 702/115, 702/34, 702/35, 702/31, 702/57, 702/58, 702/96, 702/104, 702/113, 702/116, 702/121, 702/141, 702/142, 702/144, 702/188
• US Class Current: 702/115
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/28 using inertia or gyro effect
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/36 using sensors, e.g. sun-sensors, horizon sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/66 Arrangements or adaptations of apparatus or instruments, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 2004/005 Robotic manipulator systems for use in space
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 4/00 Tools specially adapted for use in space
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence

Abstract

A device for determining the operational condition of a mechanical apparatus (11-15) mounted in or to a spacecraft (10) which includes an acceleration pickup (20) attached to the spacecraft (10) for measuring the acceleration of the spacecraft (10), and an operational condition determination device with a memory for prestored known acceleration patterns of the apparatus (11-15). The acceleration patterns or parameters of the spacecraft (10) detected by the acceleration pickup (20) are compared with the known acceleration patterns or parameters of the apparatus (11-15) from the memory to determine the operational condition of the apparatus (11-15).

Claims

1. A spacecraft comprising at least one acceleration pickup (20) determining the accelerations of the spacecraft (10),

wherein

the acceleration pickup (20) is additionally used to determine the operational condition of at least one mechanical apparatus (11-15) mounted in or to the spacecraft (10).

2. The spacecraft according to claim 1, wherein the operational condition of the apparatus (11-15) is determined by comparing the occurring acceleration patterns or parameters derived therefrom with prestored acceleration patterns or parameters derived therefrom of the the apparatus (11-15) to be monitored.

3. The spacecraft according to claim 2, wherein the operational conditions of a plurality of apparatuses (11-15) are monitored by comparing the occurring acceleration patterns or parameters derived therefrom with prestored acceleration patterns or parameters derived therefrom of all apparatuses (11-15).

4. A process for determination of the operational condition of a mechanical apparatus (11-15) mounted to or in a spacecraft (10), with the following steps:

Measuring the acceleration of the spacecraft (10),

Detecting an acceleration pattern from the measured acceleration values of the spacecraft (10), and

Evaluating the detected acceleration pattern of the spacecraft (10) for determining the operational condition of the apparatus (11-15) by comparing the determined acceleration pattern or parameters derived therefrom with known acceleration patterns or parameters derived therefrom of the apparatus (11-15).

5. The process according to claim 4 for monitoring a plurality of apparatuses (11-15), wherein the detected acceleration pattern or parameters of the spacecraft (10) are compared with known acceleration patterns or parameters derived therefrom of all apparatuses (11-15) and the respective operational condition of each apparatus (11-15) is determined therefrom.

6. A device for determination of the operational condition of a mechanical apparatus (11-15) mounted in or to a spacecraft (10), comprising:

an acceleration pickup (20) attachable to the spacecraft (10) for measuring the acceleration of the spacecraft (10), and

an operational condition determination device (38) with a memory (40) for prestored known acceleration patterns of the apparatus (11-15), wherein the acceleration patterns or parameters derived therefrom of the spacecraft (10) detected by the acceleration pickup (20) are compared with the known acceleration patterns or parameters derived therefrom of the apparatus (11-15) from the memory (40) and the operational condition of the apparatus (11-15) is determined therefrom.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein an acceleration pickup (20) comprises three acceleration detectors (34-36) which detect the accelerations in all three space axes.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein for monitoring of a plurality of apparatuses (11-15) the determination device compares the acceleration patterns or parameters of the spacecraft (10) with the known acceleration patterns or parameters of the apparatuses (11-15) stored in the memory and determines therefrom the respective operational condition of each apparatus (11-15).

9. The device according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of acceleration pickups (20) are provided whose measured values are acquired and evaluated by the determination device (38) for determining the operational condition of the apparatus (11-15).

10. The device according to claim 6, wherein the determination device (38) also determines the wear condition of the apparatus (11-15) by comparing the acceleration patterns of the spacecraft (10) with the known acceleration patterns of the apparatus (11-15).

11. The device according to claim 6, wherein the determination device is capable of receiving operating data of the apparatus (11-15), which are also evaluated by the determination device (38) for determining the operational and wear conditions of the apparatus (11-15).

12. The device according to claim 6, wherein a transmission device for wireless transmission of the operational and wear conditions of the apparatus (11-15), determined by the determination device (38), to a receiving device is provided.

13. The device according to claim 6, wherein a recording device (40) for continuous recording of the acceleration values of the spacecraft (10) acquired by the acceleration pickup (20) is provided.

14. The device according to claim 6, wherein neuronal nets for comparing the acceleration patterns of the spacecraft (10) with the known acceleration patterns of the apparatus (11-15) are provided in the determination device (38).

15. A spacecraft comprising a spacecraft body (16), at least one mechanical apparatus means (11-15) mounted relative to the spacecraft (10) for generating minor accelerations when operative and no accelerations when inoperative, acceleration pickup means (20) for detecting the acceleration of the spacecraft (10) and for detecting minor accelerations of the at least one mechanical apparatus means (11-15) when operative, and means (38) for determining the operative or inoperative condition of the at least one mechanical apparatus means (11-15).

16. The spacecraft as defined in claim 15 including means for storing data of at least one of operative and inoperative conditions of the mechanical apparatus means (11-15), and said determining means (38) evaluates data signals based upon a comparison of said stored data and said acceleration signals.