UN Patent Office, Luna
| Patent No. | UNPO-L/2166/0317 |
| Application No. | UNPO-L/2164/0892 |
| Filed | 22 March 2164 |
| Granted | 14 June 2166 |
| Applicant and Inventor | Pietro Galli, Pallas, Asteroid Belt |
Abstract
A superconducting magnetic decoupling collar for mounting a rotating habitation module on a non-rotating structural rod of a spacecraft. The collar comprises a plurality of superconducting field coils disposed circumferentially about the rod in a plurality of sectors, a cryogenic system maintaining the coils below their critical temperature, and a control system energizing opposing coil pairs to maintain a contact-free magnetic gap and to transmit axial thrust magnetically across the gap. Rotation of the module relative to the rod is thereby permitted without mechanical contact, and axial thrust loads are distributed across the sectors. The specification further claims a method of operation.
Field of Invention
This specification relates to rotating habitation modules for long-duration crewed spacecraft, and to the magnetic suspension of rotating structures on non-rotating structural members.
Background
Rotating habitats are conventionally supported on their structural members by mechanical bearings. In vessels designed for sustained low-thrust acceleration, the bearing must carry the full axial thrust load of the habitation mass while the habitat continues to rotate. Mechanical bearings under this regime concentrate the load in a rolling-contact patch, are subject to wear over multi-decade operating lives, and cannot be inspected or replaced in flight without loss of the interface they support. Prior magnetic bearing designs have not been rated for the combination of habitation masses in the range of 10^11 kg and operating lives measured in centuries. A coupling that carries the full thrust load of the drive stack while decoupling rotation without mechanical contact is therefore required.
Summary of Invention
In a first aspect, a superconducting magnetic decoupling collar is provided comprising a plurality of superconducting field coils disposed in sectors about a non-rotating structural rod, a cryogenic system, and a control system, wherein opposing coil pairs maintain a contact-free magnetic gap and transmit axial thrust magnetically across the gap while rotation is decoupled.
In a second aspect, a method of mounting a rotating habitation module on a non-rotating structural rod is provided, comprising contact-free levitation on a magnetic gap, magnetic transmission of axial thrust under active control, and distribution of the thrust load across coil sectors such that de-energization of a plurality of sectors does not exceed rated capacity.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Drawings 1 through 4 accompany this specification.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the collar assembly disposed about the structural rod.
FIG. 2 is a circumferential arrangement of the coil sectors.
FIG. 3 is a schematic of the axial position control loop.
FIG. 4 is a load-sharing diagram under partial sector de-energization.
Detailed Description
In the described embodiment, the collar comprises twenty-four coil sectors disposed circumferentially about the structural rod. Each sector carries two superconducting windings on the module side and two on the rod side. The windings are high-temperature superconducting coils maintained below 90 K by closed-cycle cryocoolers, one cryocooler per sector.
The opposing coil pairs are energized to maintain a contact-free magnetic gap of between 20 and 40 mm between the module side and the rod side. Axial thrust is transmitted magnetically across the gap: axial displacement of the module produces a restoring force in the axial coils, and the control system maintains the axial position of the module within ±2 mm of a reference position by active control of the axial coil current.
The collar is rated for an axial thrust load of not less than 1.5×10^11 N, corresponding to a module mass of 3×10^11 kg under sustained axial acceleration of at least 0.05 g. The thrust load is distributed across the sectors. The collar remains within rated capacity with any four sectors de-energized.
Each sector is provided with quench detection and is individually disconnectable. Upon detection of a quench in a sector, the sector is de-energized and disconnected without loss of levitation or of rated thrust capacity, subject to the four-sector margin stated above.
Claims
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A superconducting magnetic decoupling collar for mounting a rotating habitation module on a non-rotating structural rod of a spacecraft, the collar comprising:
- a plurality of superconducting field coils disposed circumferentially about the rod in a plurality of sectors;
- a cryogenic system maintaining the coils below their critical temperature; and
- a control system energizing opposing coil pairs on the module side and the rod side to maintain a contact-free magnetic gap therebetween;
- wherein the coils are arranged to transmit an axial thrust load magnetically across the gap while permitting rotation of the module relative to the rod without mechanical contact.
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The collar of claim 1, wherein the axial thrust load is distributed across the sectors such that the collar remains within rated capacity with any four sectors de-energized.
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The collar of claim 1, wherein the coils comprise high-temperature superconducting windings maintained below 90 K.
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The collar of claim 1, wherein each sector comprises an independent closed-cycle cryocooler and quench detection means, the sector being individually disconnectable upon detection of a quench.
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The collar of claim 1, wherein the control system maintains the axial position of the module within ±2 mm of a reference position by active control of axial coil current.
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The collar of claim 1, wherein the magnetic gap is between 20 and 40 mm.
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The collar of claim 1, wherein the collar is rated for an axial thrust load of not less than 1.5×10^11 N.
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A method of mounting a rotating habitation module on a non-rotating structural rod of a spacecraft, comprising:
- levitating the module on a contact-free magnetic gap by superconducting coils disposed in sectors about the rod;
- transmitting axial thrust magnetically across the gap by opposing coil pairs under active control; and
- distributing the thrust load across the sectors such that de-energization of any four sectors does not exceed rated capacity.
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The method of claim 8, further comprising detecting a quench in a sector and disconnecting the sector without loss of levitation.
Sources
- UN Patent Office, Luna, Patent Register: UNPO-L/2166/0317 (filed 22 March 2164, granted 14 June 2166)
- Related: Martian Radio “Iron Orbit”: The Ark Publishes Its Specification (2168) — identifies Galli as author of the Ark’s ARK-TS-2168-04 hull specification
Backlinks
- UN Patent Office
- The Ark
- Era II: UN Interplanetary Governance (2100–2199 ES)