Mechanism for mounting and actuating a momentum wheel with high vibration isolation

摘要

An apparatus for mounting a momentum wheel assembly (10) to a spacecraft (54). The momentum wheel assembly (10) includes a momentum wheel which has a primary spin axis coinciding with the primary spin axis of the spacecraft and spins in a direction opposite that of the spacecraft (54). Suspension isolation struts (20) attach the momentum wheel assembly (10) to the spacecraft (54) and provide substantial vibration isolation between the spacecraft (54) and the momentum wheel assembly (10). Voice coil actuators (40) attach to an adaptor ring (14) which in turn attaches to the spacecraft (54). The voice coil actuators (40) magnetically interact with a magnetically conductive element (42) attached to the momentum wheel assembly case (12). Interaction between the voice coil actuators (40) and the magnetic element (42) provides forces which displace the momentum wheel assembly case (12) in two axes orthogonal to the primary spin axis. <IMAGE>