Suppression of the instrumental disturbance effect by locally invariant scaling of the physical model of spacecraft angular stabilization

Abstract

The study introduces a method of ground conditions physical modeling of the spacecraft motion around a fixed axis. On a natural scale of parameters and variables, the dynamic modes under consideration can be implemented only with an extremely small amount of kinetic energy dissipation. The feasible minimum friction for a test bed of simple design significantly exceeds the required values. In current modes of economical limit cycles, the characteristics of the simulated process are distorted so much that the physical modeling test bed is unsuitable for practical use. The solution to this problem is usually sought by complicating the design of the test bed through the use of air or magnetic suspension. The paper proposes an innovative method of “invariant scaling”, based on the principle of dynamic similarity of self-oscillating processes. Its application makes it possible to drastically reduce the effect of friction on the characteristics of physically modeled modes during ground developmental testing of control algorithms. Computer modeling with the use of this method has confirmed its high efficiency. It has been shown analytically and numerically that the modeling accuracy can be radically improved. An example of reducing the modeling error by 200 times is given.