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AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorFrank J. Nola
Estimating the term…
An energy storage system for a spacecraft is provided which employs a solar powered flywheel arrangement including a motor-generator which, in different operating modes, drives the flywheel and is driven thereby. A control circuit, including a threshold comparator, senses the output of a solar energy converter, and when a threshold voltage is exceeded thereby indicating the availability of solar power for the spacecraft loads, activates a speed control loop including the motor-generator so as to accelerate the flywheel to a constant speed and thereby store mechanical energy, while also supplying energy from the solar converter to the loads. Under circumstances where solar energy is not available and thus the threshold voltage is not exceeded, the control circuit deactivates the speed control loop and activates a voltage control loop that provides for operation of the motor as a generator so that mechanical energy from the flywheel is converted into electrical energy for supply to the spacecraft loads.
An energy supply system for a spacecraft for supplying energy to at least one spacecraft load, said system comprising:
An energy supply system for a spacecraft for supplying electrical energy to at least one spacecraft load, said system comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.