Efficient Computation of Current Collection in Bare Electrodynamic Tethers in and beyond OML Regime
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 28, Issue 6
Abstract
One key issue in the simulation of bare electrodynamic tethers (EDTs) is the accurate and fast computation of the collected current, an ambient dependent operation necessary to determine the Lorentz force for each time step. This paper introduces a novel semianalytical solution that allows researchers to compute the current distribution along the tether efficient and effectively under orbital-motion-limited (OML) and beyond OML conditions, i.e., if tether radius is greater than a certain ambient dependent threshold. The method reduces the original boundary value problem to a couple of nonlinear equations. If certain dimensionless variables are used, the beyond OML effect just makes the tether characteristic length larger and it is decoupled from the current determination problem. A validation of the results and a comparison of the performance in terms of the time consumed is provided, with respect to a previous ad hoc solution and a conventional shooting method.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The work of M. Sanjurjo-Rivo and J. Peláez is part of the research project entitled Dynamic simulation of complex space systems (AYA2010-18796) supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The writers thank the Spanish Government for its financial support. The work of G. Sánchez-Arriaga is part of the FP7/Space Project 262972 supported by the European Commission.
References
Ahedo, E., and Sanmartín, J. R. (2002). “Analysis of bare-tether systems for deorbiting low-earth-orbit satellites.” J. Spacecraft Rockets, 39(2), 198–205.
Bombardelli, C., Peláez, J., and Sanjurjo, M. (2010). “Asymptotic solution for the current profile of passive bare electrodynamic tethers.” J. Propul. Power, 26(6), 1291–1304.
Estes, R. D., and Sanmartín, J. R. (2000). “Cylindrical Langmuir probes beyond the orbital-motion-limited regime.” Phys. Plasmas, 7(10), 4320–4325.
Johnson, L., Estes, R. D., Lorenzini, E., Martínez-Sánchez, M., and Sanmartín, J. (2000). “Propulsive small expendable deployer system experiment.” J. Spacecraft Rockets, 37(2), 173–176.
Khan, S. B., and Sanmartín, J. R. (2013). “Survival probability of round and tape tethers against debris impact.” J. Spacecraft Rockets, 50(3), 603–608.
Laframboise, J. G., and Parker, L. W. (1973). “Probe design for orbit-limited current collection.” Phys. Fluids, 16(5), 629–636.
Leamy, M., Noor, A., and Wasfy, T. (2001). “Sensitivity analysis of bare-wire space tether systems.” Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng., 190(42), 5495–5503.
Peláez, J., Lorenzini, E. C., López-Rebollal, O., and Ruiz, M. (2000). “A new kind of dynamic instability in electrodynamic tethers.” Adv. Astronaut. Sci., 105, 1367–1386.
Peláez, J., and Sanjurjo, M. (2006). “Generator regime of self balanced electrodynamic tethers.” J. Spacecraft Rockets, 43(6), 1359–1369.
Press, W. H., Teukolsky, S. A., Vetterling, W. T., and Flannery, B. P. (1992). Numerical recipes in C: The art of scientific computing, 2nd Ed., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Sánchez-Arriaga, G., and Pastor-Moreno, D. (2014). “Direct Vlasov simulations of electron-attracting cylindrical Langmuir probes in flowing plasmas.” Phys. Plasmas, 21(7), 073504.
Sánchez-Torres, A. (2013). “Electrodynamic tethers for planetary and de-orbiting missions.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Sanmartín, J. R. (2002). “Active charging control and tethers.” CNES-space technology course: Prevention of risks related to spacecraft charging, J. P. Catani, ed., Cepadus, Toulouse, France, 515–533.
Sanmartín, J. R., et al. (2006a). “Floating bare tether as upper atmosphere probe.” J. Geophys. Res., A11, A11310.
Sanmartín, J. R., et al. (2010). “Electrodynamic tether applications and constraints.” J. Spacecraft Rockets, 47(3), 442–456.
Sanmartín, J. R., Elaskar, S., Estes, R., and Lorenzini, E. (2006b). “Efficiency of electrodynamic tether thrusters.” J. Spacecraft Rockets, 43(3), 659–666.
Sanmartín, J. R., and Estes, R. (1999). “The orbital-motion-limited regime of cylindrical Langmuir probes.” Phys. Plasmas, 6(1), 395–405.
Sanmartín, J. R., Estes, R., and Lorenzini, E., (2001). “Efficiency of different types of ED-tether thrusters.” Proc., Space Technology and Applications International Forum (STAIF), American Institute of Physics, Melville, NY, 479–487.
Sanmartín, J. R., and Lorenzini, E. (2005). “Exploration of the outer planets using tethers for power and propulsion.” J. Propul. Power, 21(3), 573–576.
Sanmartín, J. R., Martínez-Sánchez, M., and Ahedo, E. (1993). “Bare wire anodes for electrodynamic tethers.” J. Propul. Power, 9(3), 353–360.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 28 • Issue 6 • November 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 28, 2014
Accepted: Nov 6, 2014
Published online: Dec 15, 2014
Discussion open until: May 15, 2015
Published in print: Nov 1, 2015
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.