High-Level Project Summary
Magnetism allows for attraction between two or more ferromagnetic materials. In this system, a host spacecraft has a ferromagnetic plate attached to the outside edge. A docked object would also have a ferromagnetic plate where the two are attached using magnetism. The object can be released without high shock forces by reducing the current passing through the electromagnet. The system can also be miniaturized for use at any size with proportional force output.
Link to Project "Demo"
Link to Final Project
Detailed Project Description
What exactly it does
- A magnetic docking system to hold two spacecraft or objects together in space
How it works
The system uses two magnetic plates, one on the host spacecraft and one on the spacecraft to be released. The plates are designed to operate using electromagnets to provide a magnetic field where interaction between the host electromagnet and the object’s ferromagnetic plate produces a tangential force holding the two spacecraft together. When releasing spacecraft the magnetic field can be reduced by reducing the current supplied to the host spacecraft inductors which power the electromagnet holding the two spacecraft together. In addition, solenoids can be fitted with springs similar to solenoid valves which are also electrically driven so that when there is no force between the two magnetic plates and the two spacecraft are touching but not held together, the solenoids can be slowly activated with controlled supplied current increase to gently push the object away from the host spacecraft, releasing it into space without any debris. After the object is released, the solenoids can be withdrawn inside the host spacecraft by reversing the current supplied to them.
Benefits
- No debris
- Reusable and resettable
- No high shock forces, gradual increase or decrease of current proportional to the magnetic field produced and force of attraction
- Electrically driven, fine control can be used
Future achievements
A more efficient docking in space with fewer moving parts or expendables so less space debris on future missions.
Tools
Drawings used paint 3D for quick mock-ups. In the future adobe illustrator or Solidworks could be used to create more detailed and visually appealing designs. Also, COMSOL could be used to simulate the possible force of attraction between the two spacecraft through electromagnetic modeling, and MAGNET software could be used to analyze any weak spots in magnetic fields produced and lead to a more reliable design to reduce outages and failures.
Space Agency Data
Looked at open source NASA ISS docking designs and the force produced from their analysis.
Hackathon Journey
Fun journey and interesting to research and learn about existing spacecraft docking designs. I chose this challenge due to its ease in design since coding takes much more time to design algorithms and work with computer architecture to reduce errors. I used conceptual drawings to help illustrate my ideas and develop them with an iterative design process by easily editing as I go along. I would like to thank the space apps platform for all the resource help and opportunity to produce a solution to the challenge.
References
Engineering mindset youtube
· How solenoid valves work – basic actuator control
· Solenoid basic explained – working principle
Astroscale ELSA-d mission
NASA Docking system https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWYpVfhvsak
· Active and passive components
· Active on the incoming spacecraft
· Passive on the ISS
· Mini AERCam nanosatellite docking demonstrator
· Simply space how the NASA docking system works
University of Surrey
Tags
Space, Magnetism, Magnetic plating, Coupling, Solenoids
Global Judging
This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.