Assessing the motorized momentum exchange tether's operational lifetime: the multidimensional casualty area concept

C.H. Draper, M.P. Cartmell

Research output: Contribution to conferenceOtherpeer-review

Abstract

This paper introduces the use of a multidimensional casualty area (MDAc) model for assessing the motorized momentum exchange tether (MMET) concept's operational lifetime and provides results of an example MMET casualty area computation. Because the MMET, a tether system with two, counter-rotating halves, is not stationary in the assumed inertial frame nor are its dimensions constant over its entire duty cycle, the simplifications and assumptions used to produce the currently accepted spacecraft lifetime equations prevent the equations from being easily applied to the MMET system. The multidimensional casualty area concept presented here provides a susceptibility-based casualty area that can be straightforwardly used in an analysis to assess the MMET concept's operational lifetime. Furthermore, the MDAc analysis offers both a mean estimate of the MMET concept's %-failure value and presents evidence that a diameter of a tether strand, whether configured as a multi-strand configuration or as a single-cored cable, is efficiently sized between the values of 0.8 cm and 1.0 cm.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2004
Event40th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit - Fort Lauderdale, FL., United Kingdom
Duration: 11 Jul 200414 Jul 2004

Conference

Conference40th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityFort Lauderdale, FL.
Period11/07/0414/07/04

Keywords

  • counter rotating
  • duty cycles
  • inertial frames

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