Deformability of discs in turbulence

The aim of this study is to investigate experimentally the transition from a rigid regime to a deformed regime for flexible discs freely advected in turbulent flows. For a given disc, the amplitude of the deformation is expected to increase when its bending modulus decreases or when the turbulent kinetic energy increases. To quantify this qualitative argument, experiments are performed where the deformation of flexible discs is measured using three cameras. The amplitude of the deformation has been characterised by the eigenvalues of the moment of inertia tensor. Experimental results exhibit a transition from a rigid regime to a deformed regime that depends on the size, the density and the flexibility of the disc and the turbulent kinetic energy. The modelling of this transition is a generalisation and an extension of the previous models used to characterise the deformation of flexible fibres in turbulent flows.

Mathematical model for determining the design parameters of an inflatable payload-bearing space platform

The development and application of inflatable space structures is of considerable interest in modern space science and technology. Today, these structures enjoy wide application from aerodynamic inflatable deorbit means to inflatable residential sections for the International Space Station. This is because the masses of inflatable structures are smaller in comparison with others, which in turn minimizes the cost of their orbital injection. In view of the considerable interest in orbital constellations, the authors of this article propose the use of an inflatable space aerodynamic system as a platform for a payload. In doing so, we obtain a distributed satellite system on an inflatable space platform. The advantage of this technology is that it assures the maintenance of the relative position of the elements (payload) of a distributed satellite system of this type with minimal energy consumption. In its turn, to analyze the features of the operation of a particular space technology, its mathematical model is required. Because if this, the aim of the article is to develop a mathematical model for estimating the design parameters of an inflatable payload-bearing space platform. The mathematical model of the operation of an inflatable payload-bearing space platform developed in this work consists of three modules: a module of orbital motion, a module of calculation of the thermodynamic parameters of the inflatable platform, and a module of calculation of its variable inertia tensor. The article also identifies four gas modes of operation of the inflatable segment of the space platform and gives the inertia tensor as a function of the ambient temperature, which is necessary for further research. It should be noted that the application of the mathematical model allows a priori analysis of a wide range of inflatable space platform design parameters. On this basis, a design parameter analysis method that uses this model was developed. The application of this method may greatly simplify further research into the synthesis of an angular motion controller for an inflatable payload-bearing space platform, the choice of the design parameters of inflatable segment shell materials, and the study of the platform operation in different gas modes.

Controlled inertia tensor of a transformable spacecraft

A simplified model of a transformable spacecraft is considered, including a rod-type transformation mechanism with movable weights. The mechanism can be used to adapt the dynamic properties of the spacecraft to the environment or the operating conditions of on-board systems, for example, to counter the moments of external disturbances during attitude control and angular stabilization. By changing the position of the transformation mechanism, the spacecraft inertia tensor can be put in diagonal form, which makes it possible to exclude the force interconnections between the channels and to eliminate the constant component of the gravitational moment. For a simplified model of the transformation mechanism, we establish the analytical dependence of the components of the inertia tensor on the parameters determining the position of the transformation mechanism. It is shown that by adjusting the moving mass, which is 0.5% of the entire spacecraft mass, we obtain the spacecraft configuration that ensures the diagonality of the inertia tensor.