On-Ground Testing of Dual-Sided Release Mechanism of TianQin Test Mass Using a Pendulum
The high-precision gravitational reference sensor, which hosts a heavy test mass (TM) surrounded by electrodes with a relatively large gap, is crucial in all high-sensitivity drag-free sensors. Consequently, a dedicated locking mechanism is needed to securely hold the TM during the launch phase. Aft...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/9/2878 |
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| Summary: | The high-precision gravitational reference sensor, which hosts a heavy test mass (TM) surrounded by electrodes with a relatively large gap, is crucial in all high-sensitivity drag-free sensors. Consequently, a dedicated locking mechanism is needed to securely hold the TM during the launch phase. After reaching the intended orbit, the TM is released to a free-falling state and subsequently captured by electrostatic actuation, which demands that the transferred momentum and angular momentum to the TM do not exceed <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mn>10</mn><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>5</mn></mrow></msup><mspace width="4pt"></mspace><mi>kgm</mi><mo>/</mo><mi mathvariant="normal">s</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mn>10</mn><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>7</mn></mrow></msup><mspace width="4pt"></mspace><msup><mi>kgm</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>/</mo><mi mathvariant="normal">s</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, respectively. This paper introduces a three-level structural design of the locking-and-release mechanism. In order to investigate the release requirement, a pendulum system has been developed for on-ground testing. The mock-up of the TM is entirely consistent with the size and mass of TianQin TM, and the dual-sided release tips constrain the TM and then rapidly retract simultaneously, after which the transferred momentum and angular momentum are estimated from the free oscillations as <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>0.38</mn><mrow><mo>(</mo><mn>21</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow><mo>×</mo><msup><mn>10</mn><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>5</mn></mrow></msup><mspace width="4pt"></mspace><mi>kgm</mi><mo>/</mo><mi mathvariant="normal">s</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>0.15</mn><mrow><mo>(</mo><mn>14</mn><mo>)</mo></mrow><mo>×</mo><msup><mn>10</mn><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>7</mn></mrow></msup><mspace width="4pt"></mspace><msup><mi>kgm</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>/</mo><mi mathvariant="normal">s</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> with a preload force of 0.3 N. This proposes a feasible scheme for validating the release mechanism conducting impulse testing for the TianQin project. |
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| ISSN: | 1424-8220 |