A bio-inspired spider-like structure isolator for low-frequency vibration

This paper proposes a quasi-zero stiffness(QZS)isolator composed of a curved beam(as spider foot)and a linear spring(as spider muscle)inspired by the precise capturing ability of spiders in vibrating environments.The curved beam is simplified as an inclined horizontal spring,and a static analysis is carried out to explore the effects of different structural parameters on the stiffness performance of the QZS isolator.The finite element simulation analysis verifies that the QZS isolator can significantly reduce the first-order natural frequency under the load in the QZS region.The harmonic balance method(HBM)is used to explore the effects of the excitation amplitude,damping ratio,and stiffness coefficient on the system’s amplitude-frequency response and transmissibility performance,and the accuracy of the analytical results is verified by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta integral method(RK-4).The experimental data of the QZS isolator prototype are fitted to a ninth-degree polynomial,and the RK-4 can theoretically predict the experimental results.The experimental results show that the QZS isolator has a lower initial isolation frequency and a wider isolation frequency bandwidth than the equivalent linear isolator.The frequency sweep test of prototypes with different harmonic excitation amplitudes shows that the initial isolation frequency of the QZS isolator is 3 Hz,and it can isolate 90%of the excitation signal at 7 Hz.The proposed biomimetic spider-like QZS isolator has high application prospects and can provide a reference for optimizing low-frequency or ultra-low-frequency isolators.

Convex optimization of asteroid landing trajectories driven by solar radiation pressure

High-area/mass ratio landers driven by Solar Radiation Pressure(SRP)have potential applications for future asteroid landing missions.This paper develops a new convex optimization-based method for planning trajectories driven by SRP.A Minimum Landing Error(MLE)control problem is formulated to enable planning SRP-controlled trajectories with different flight times.It is transformed into Second Order Cone Programming(SOCP)successfully by a series of different convexification technologies.A trust region constraint and a modified MLE objective function are used to guarantee the convergence performance of the optimization algorithm.Thereafter,the SRP-driven trajectory optimal control problem is converted equivalently into a sequence of convex optimal control problems that can be solved effectively.A set of numerical simulation results has verified the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed optimization method.

Gravity compensation method via magnetic quasi-zero stiffness combined with a quasi-zero deformation control strategy

Gravity compensation refers to the creation of a constant supporting force to fully or partly counteract the gravitational force for ground verification to simulate the spacecraft dynamics in outer space with zero-or micro-gravity. Gravity compensation is usually implemented via a very low stiffness suspension/supporting unit, and a servo system in series is adopted to extend the simulation range to hundreds of millimeters. The error of suspension force can be up to tens of Newton due to the contact/friction in the suspension/supporting unit and the error of the force/pressure sensor. It has become a bottleneck for the ground verification of spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control systems with extreme requirements, such as tons of payload and fine thrust in sub-Newtons. In this article, a novel gravity compensation method characterized by quasi-zero stiffness plus quasi-zero deformation(QZS-QZD) is proposed. A magnetic negative stiffness spring in parallel with positive springs and aerostatic bearing is adopted to form a QZS supporting unit, and disturbance forces, such as contact or friction, can be eliminated. The deformation of the QZS supporting unit is measured via a displacement sensor, and the QZD control strategy is applied to guarantee the force error of gravity compensation to be less than sub-newtons and irrelevant to the payload. The principle of gravity compensation with QZS-QZD is analyzed, and performance tests on a prototype are carried out. The results show that when the spacecraft moves smoothly, the absolute force error is less than 0.5 N, the relative error of gravity compensation is less than 0.1%, and when collisions with other objects occur, the relative errors are 0.32% and 0.65%. The proposed method can significantly improve the gravity compensation accuracy in comparison with conventional approaches.