Performance of the High-Altitude Balloon Experiment Roto-lok drive gimbal systems

Marcus R. Schulthess; Andrew Asim Ardaman; Steven Baugh; Donald G. Carson

doi:10.1117/12.178970

5 July 1994 Performance of the high-altitude balloon experiment Roto-lok drive gimbal systems

Marcus R. Schulthess, Andrew Asim Ardaman, Steven Baugh, Donald G. Carson

Proceedings Volume 2221, Acquisition, Tracking, and Pointing VIII; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.178970
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Engineering and Photonics in Aerospace Sensing, 1994, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

This paper presents and discusses laboratory performance measurements of a Roto-Lok drive system for the HABE azimuth and elevation gimbals. The HABE system is a 7,000 lb acquisition tracking and pointing (ATP) balloon-launched vehicle. The primary azimuth and elevation drive systems are zero-backlash torque multipliers referred to by the trade name Roto-Lok rotary drive and designed by Sagebrush Technology, Inc. The Roto-Lok used in the azimuth gimbal has a limited 320 deg of angular travel; therefore, it is supplemented with a secondary drive element to provide unlimited travel. This secondary drive is used to counteract the gross angles resulting from the freely rotating nature of the untethered balloon system. The Roto-Lok drive is used for the fine tracking and pointing of the gimbals. Both the azimuth and elevation Rota-Lok drives are tandem drives with an end-to-end ratio of 72:1. Performance specifications developed from the mission requirements are compared against the actual system performance measurements. The entire gimbaled azimuth and elevation systems are required to point in inertial space to less than 250 (mu) rad RMS over the band DC to 100 Hz for each axis. Performance measurements better than the specification were measured. The primary gimbal base-motion disturbances, however, are due to the motor cogging torque or torque ripple. A brief discussion of the measurement methods and the control system used to drive the gimbals is presented. Several system anomalies, such as the structural compliance between the drive element and the inertial rate sensors and the coarse gear backlash, are discussed in terms of their impact on the gimbal control system.

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Marcus R. Schulthess, Andrew Asim Ardaman, Steven Baugh, and Donald G. Carson "Performance of the high-altitude balloon experiment Roto-lok drive gimbal systems", Proc. SPIE 2221, Acquisition, Tracking, and Pointing VIII, (5 July 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.178970

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KEYWORDS

Control systems

Gyroscopes

Sensors

Acquisition tracking and pointing

Electroluminescence

Electronics

Kinematics

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