Attitude control device for space vehicle

Batsch, F. F.

Laub, J. H.

Mitchell, F. R.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 
WASIIINGTON. D C 20546 
REPLY TO 
ATTN OF: J u l y  27 ,  1970 
TO : USI /Sc ien t i f i c  & Technical  Information Div is ion  
At ten t ion :  M i s s  Winnie M e  Morgan 
FROM: GP/Office of A s s i s t a n t  General 
Counsel f o r  Pa ten t  Mat te rs  
SUBJECT: Announcement of NASA-Owned 
U.S.  Pa t en t s  i n  STAR 
I n  accordance wi th  t h e  procedures contained i n  t h e  Code GP 
t o  Code U S 1  memorandum on t h i s  s u b j e c t ,  dated June 8, 1970, 
i t h e  a t t ached  NASA-owned U.S .  p a t e n t  i s  being forwarded f o r  
a b s t r a c t i n g  and announcement i n  NASA STAR, 
The fol lowing information 3s provided: 
I 
1 
U.S .  Pa t en t  No. : 3,178,883 
Corporate Source : Cal i fo rn ia  I n s t i t u t e  of Technology 
Supplementary 
Corporate Source : Jet  Propulsion Laboratory 
NASA Pa ten t  Case No,: XNP-00294 
Please note  t h a t  t h i s  p a t e n t  covers  an invent ion  made by an 
employee of a NASA c o n t r a c t o r .  Pursuant  t o  Sec t ion  305(a) of 
t h e  Nat ional  Aeronautics and Space A c t ,  t h e  name of t h e  
I Adminis t ra tor  of NASA appears  on t h e  f i r s t  page of t h e  p a t e n t ;  
however, the name of t h e  a c t u a l  i nven to r  (author)  appears  a t  
t t h e  heading of Column No. 1 of t h e  S p e c i f i c a t i o n ,  following the  
words . ., wi th  respect t o  an  inven t ion  of .  e e . ' I  
Gayle Parker  
Enclosure: 
Copy of Pa ten t  
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19700027622 2020-03-17T02:12:57+00:00Z
A ~ ~ i ~  20, 1965 JAMES E. WEBB 3J 78,88 
ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL A E ~ O N A ~ ~ 6 ~ ~  
AND SPACE ADMINISTRATI.ON 
ATTITUDE CONTROL FOR SPACECRAFT 
Fi led  April 20, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 
INVENTORS 
Frank F Batsch 
Francis R. Mitchell 
John H. Laub 
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0 -  .o ~~AC&SSlON UMBER) (THRU) 
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(CODE) 
April 20, 1965 JAMES E. WEBB 3,178,883 
ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS 
AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 
ATTITUDE CONTROL FOR SPACECRAFT 
2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1951 
JNVENTORS 
Frank F. Batsch 
Francis R. Mitchell 
John H.Laub 
* y .  Jd&&-. 
CdArx 80 
,..... 
3,198,883 
TUDE CONTROL FOR SPACEC 
James E, Webb, Administrator of the National Aeronantks 
and Space Adminiishation, with respect to an invention 
of pizank P. ~atsch, J o b  ~ a u b ,  and ~ r m h  R. Mitehen 5 
Piled Am. 20. 1961. Ser. No. 182.696 
1 
filter 11 has a diameter less than the diameter of the 
bore BO so as to form therewith an annular entrance 
cavity 13 which is intersected by a radially extending inlet 
opening 14. Air or other gas for operation of the attitude 
control unit is admitted through the inlet opening 14. 
The central portiorl of the diaphragm 9 supports a hub 
~ 3aCcla&s1 (C1. 6Q-35.5) 15 having ports 16 connecting the portions of the cavity 
8 on opposite sides of the diaphragm. The hub 15 ex- 
This invention relates to space vehicle attitude con- tends into the bore 10 and filter 11 and terminates in a 
trols and included in the objects of this invention are: 10 yoke 17 which receives a head 18 connected by a neck 
First, to provide a space vehicle attitude control which 19 to an armature 20. The armature extends beyond the 
includes a compact jetting device adapted to expel small filter 11 and into a solenoid 21. A spring 22 is inter- 
puffs of air or other gas on command from the space ve- posed between the solenoid 21 and a flange 23 on the 
hicle on which it is mounted or from a remove station, armature 20 so that the armature normally occupies an ex- 
a set of the devices being mounted on the space vehicle 15 tended position with respect to the solenoid 21. 
and oriented in the three axes of movement, namely, the Extending from the hub 15 into the cap structure 5 is 
yaw, roll and spin axes. a valve stem 24 terminating in a valve head 25 having 
Second, to  provide a jetting device for space vehicle opposed sealing faces 26 and 27. The distal sealing face 
attitude controls which, on each command, jets an accu- 26 engages a valve seat element 28 which may be in the 
rate and predetermined quantity of air or gas. 
Third, to provide a device for space vehicle attitude The valve seat element 28 is fitted within a recess 
control which requires a minimum of electrical energy formed in a valve seat holder disk 29 which bears against 
to effect operation. the closed end of the cap structure 5. A seal ring 30 
Fourth, to provide a device which, while primarily interposed between the disk 29 and the closed end of the 
designed for attitude control of spacecraft, may be adapted 25 cap structure 5. 
for use in various environments which require a device re- The closed end of the cap structure is provided with an 
sponsive to a low energy signal that will trigger a cocked internally screwthreaded bore which receives a retainer 
mechanism allowing a predetermined volume of pressur- ring 31. Clamped between the retainer ring 31 and the 
ized gas or liquid to be discharged whereupon flow is ter- disk 29 is a nozzle member 32 having a nozzle bore which 
minated and the energy in the pressurized gas or liquid 30 is in coaxial relation to, and communicates with, the open- 
is utilized to re-cock the device for a repeated operation ing through the valve seat element 28. 
on subsequent command. - Seated on the valve seat holder disk 29 is a bearing 
With the above and other objects in view as may appear ring 33, the periphery of which is engaged by a retainer 
hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying ring 34 which engages screwthreads within the cap struc- 
drawings in which: 
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a spacecraft showing Sealingly connected by one axial end to the bearing 
two of a set of attitude control units mounted thereon. ring 33 is a corrugated flexible bellows 35. The other 
FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatical view in longitudinal extremity of the bellows 35 is sealingly attached to  a 
section showing an attitude control unit in its closed but movable valve seat disk 35 having a bore 37 which loose- 
ready condition. 40 ly receives the stem 24. One end of the disk 36 confronts 
FIGURE 3 is a similar sectional view showing diagram- the sealing face 27 and is provided with a mating valve 
matically the attitude control unit in operation. seat 38. 
FIGURE 4 is a greatly enlarged longitudinal sectional The end of the retainer ring 34, which defines one wall 
view of the attitude control unit with the parts in a posi- of the cavity 5, is provided with an internal flange 39 
tion corresponding to the diagrammatical view, FIG. 2. 45 which overlies the movable valve seat disk 36 so as to 
The attitude control is intended for installation on a limit expansion of the bellows 35. However, the bellows 
space vehicle such as the type represented in FIG. 1. are capable of limited contraction which has the effect 
However, it may be mounted on any type of space ve- of moving the valve seat 38 toward the valve seat element 
hicle in which it is desired to control attitude. The 28. Ports 40 are provided in the internal flange 39 so 
amount of force required to change the attitude of a 50 that the annular space between the bellows 35 and the 
space vehicle, even one of substantial size, is quite small. retainer ring 34 is a t  all times in communication with 
With reference to FIG. 1, a space vehicle 1 is illustrated the cavity 8. 
and two attitude control units 2 are indicated. In practice The region within the bellows 35 and between the 
two attitude control units are utilized to control attitude movable valve seat disk 36 and the valve seat holder disk 
about each of the three axes of rotation. 55 29 form a jetting chamber 41 from which air or other gas 
Each attitude control unit includes a body 3 having a is jetted through the nozzle member 32. 
flange 4 at one end which fits witbin a cup-shaped cap Operation of the space vehicle attitude control is as 
structure 5. A seal ring 6 is interposed between the follows: 
outer margin of the flange 4 and a mating shoulder with- The space vehicle is provided with a set of attitude 
in the cap structure. A screwthreaded retainer ring 7 60 control units so oriented as to cause rotation of the 
engages mating threads within the cap structure acd bears space vehicle about its three axes of rotation. The con- 
against the flange 4 to secure the flange 4 in sealing rela- trol units are spaced from the center of gravity of the 
tion with the cap structure 5. space vehicle and arranged so that they discharge exter- 
The extremity of the flange 4 and the underlying por- nally of the vehicle. 
tion of the cap structure § define a cavity 8 which is 65 Each attitude control unit is connected to a source of 
divided by a spring diaphragm or snap acting diaphragm 9, air or gas pressure through its inlet opening 14. Nor- 
the periphery of which is clamped between the flange mally, each attitude control unit is in the condition shown 
4 and the cap structure. in FIGS. 2 and 4, that is, the valve seat 26 engages the 
The bcdy 3 is provided with a bore 18) in which is fitted valve seat element 28 and the motive fluid fills the cavity 
a cylindrical filter 11 held in place by a screwthreaded 70 8 on both sides of the diaphragm 9 as well as the jetting 
retainer ring 12 which screwthreads into the bore 10 so chamber 44. and the annular chamber surrounding the 
that the filter is clamped axially within the bore. The bellows 35. 
~, - . ~ ~ ~ . .  -
20 form of a small O-ring. 
35 ture 5 and defines a bore continuing from the cavity 8. 
J,1 
When the solenoid 21 is activated, the armature 20 
withdraws the valve head 25 causing the valve face 27 to 
engage the valve seat 38. Tne volume of motive fluid 
within the jetting chamber 4 1  is ejected through the noz- 
zle member 32. 
The air or other gas used as the motive fluid is sup- 
plied to the control unit through a suitable pressure regu- 
lator so that its pressure is always above that of the pres- 
sure outside the control unit. Actually, as the control 
unit is intended for operation on a space vehicle which 
operates in an environment approaching absolute zero 
pressure, virtually fhe entire contents of the jetting cham- 
ber 41 are discharged. As the pressure in the jetting 
chamber 41 drops, a pressure differential is established 
across the movable valve seat disk 36 causing the bellows 
35 to collapse axially and forcing the valve face 26 against 
the valve seat element 28, terminating flow from the jet- 
ting chamber. 
The aiaphragm 9 is formed of spring material and 
when the valve sealing face 26 engages the valve seat 
element 28, it is depressed slightly below center as shown 
in FIGS. 2 and 4 so that tKe force of the diaphragm 9 
is in a direction to hold the valve sealing face 26 against 
the valve seat element 28. When the solenoid 21 is ener- 
gized, the armature 28 need only pull the diaphragm 9 
past center whereupon the diaphragm snaps to its other 
extreme position, that is, the upper position as viewed in 
FIG. 3. It will thus be seen that the only energy required 
of the solenoid 21 is that necessary to snap the diaphragm 
9 past center and to overcome the force of the spring 22. 
The spring 22 need only exert enough force to overcome 
friction as the force available by reason of the pressure 
differential across the valve seat disk 36 is more than 
adequate t o  move the diaphragm from the position shown 
in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 2. The area of 
the bore in the nozzle member 32 is so small that the ef- 
fect of pressure differential across the valve seat element 
28 may be neglected. 
The momentary impulses for operating the solenoid 21 
is supplied by energy contained in the space vehicle or 
generated by apparatus carried by the space vehicle and 
therefore is limited. Consequently, economy in the oper- 
ation of the solenoid 21 is of substantial importance. It 
is, of course, obvious that the signal for operation of the 
solenoid may be supplied by control apparatus carried by 
the space vehicle or may be operated by signals received 
from a remote station. 
While the hereinbefore device has been shown as an 
attitude control device for spacecraft, it should be ob- 
served that the device may be utilized wherever it is de- 
sired to produce controlled impulses by gas or liquid jets 
of relatively short duration and of preselected volumes; 
more particular, whenever it is desired to  effect remote 
control of such impulses. 
It will also be observed that by reason of the snap acting 
diaphragm, very little energy is required to move the 
diaphragm past center whereupon the pressure of the gas 
or liquid is utilized not only to expel the predetermined 
quantity of gas or liquid previously stored within the 
bellows 35, but to  reset or re-cock the spring diaphragm 
and re-pressurize the region within the bellows 35 so that 
the device is ready for another cycle of operation. 
While a particular embodiment of this invention has 
been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the 
same to the exact details of the construction set forth, 
and it embraces such changes, modifications, and equiva- 
lents of the parts and their formation and arrangement 
as come within the purview of the appended claims. 
3 
What is claimed is: 
1. An attitude control device for space vehicles, com- 
prising: means defining a supply chamber communicating 
with a source of pressure gas and a jebting chamber, said 
%* - ‘78,883 * I  
5 
10 
15 
2 0  
2 5  
30 
35 
40 
45 
50 
55 
BO 
4 -. 
means including a movable wall therebetween; an inlet 
port in said movable wall; a jet orifice outlet port from 
said jetting chamber disposed in coaxial relation to said 
inlet port; a valve means disposed between said ports and 
alternatively engagable therewith; means normally posi- 
tioning said valve means to close said outlet port and 
open said inlet port thereby to supply pressure gas to said 
jetting chamber; and means for operating said valve 
means to close said inlet port and open said outlet port 
for discharge of said pressure gas from said jetting cham- 
ber through said jet orifice; said movable wall being re- 
sponsive to pressure difference between said supply cham- 
ber and jetting chamber and operable, on discharge of 
pressure gas from said jetting chamber, t o  cause said inlet 
port to urge said valve means into a position closing said 
outlet port thereby terminating flow from said jetting’ 
chamber. 
2. An attitude control device for space vehicles, com- 
prising: means defining a supply chamber communicat- 
ing with a source of pressure gas and a jettkg chamber,. 
said means including a movable wall therebettween$ an 
inlet port in said movable wall; a jet orifice outlet port 
from said jetting chamber disposed in cos$x:’8! relation to 
said inlet port; a valve means disposed betLween said ports 
and alternatively engagable therewith; .an overcenter 
yieldable means engageable with said valve means for 
normally positioning said valve means to close said outlet 
port thereby to supply pressure gas to said jetting cham- 
ber; and momentarily operable means for moving said 
yieldable means past center thereby to cause said yield- 
able means to force said valve means to a position closing 
said inlet port and opening said outlet port for discharge 
of pressure gas from said jetting chamber through said jet 
orifice; said movable wall being responsive to pressure 
difference between said supply chamber and jetting cham- 
ber and operable, on discharge of pressure gas from said 
jetting chamber, to  cause said inlet port to urge said valve 
means into a position closing said outlet port thereby 
terminating flow from said jetting chamber. 
3. Means for producing predetermined jet pulses, com- 
prising: means defining a supply chamber communicating 
with a source of pressure gas and a jetting chamber, said 
means including a readily movable wall therebetween; 
an inlet port to said jetting chamber in said movable wall; 
a jet orifice outlet port from said jetting chamber disposed 
in coaxial relation with said inlet port; a valve means dis- 
posed between said ports and alternatively engageable 
therewith; overcenter snap acting means normally posi- 
tioning said valve means to close said outlet port and 
open said inlet port thereby to supply a pressure fluid t o  
said jetting chamber; and means operative to move said 
snap acting means past center thereby to open said outlet 
port for discharge of said pressure fluid from said jetting 
chamber through said jet orifice; said movable wall being 
responsive to a pressure difference between said supply 
chamber and jetting chamber and operable on discharge 
of pressure fluid from said jetting chamber to cause said 
inlet port to urge said snap acting means past center to its 
initial position and also to urge said valve means into a 
position closing said inlet port thereby terminating flow 
from said jetting chamber. 
References Cited by the Examiner 
UNITED STATES PATENTS 
2,604,316 7/52 O’Brien et al. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  267-1 
2,959,185 11/60 Deutsch _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  137-204 
2,991,027 7/61 Geyling _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  244-1 
3,007,493 11/61 Viale et al. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  121-46.6 
3,073,490 1/63 Dahl et al. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  222-504 
70 
FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner. 


Attitude control for spacecraft Patent

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