A combined energy and attitude control system for small satellites

The idea of combining the satellite attitude control system and the electrical power system is investigated in this article. The combined energy and attitude control system (CEACS) concept is based on a double counter rotating flywheel assembly serving simultaneously for the satellite energy storage and attitude control tasks. In the past years, this synergistic system was proposed for larger spacecraft, but until today a comprehensive end-to-end system demonstration for small satellites still has not been performed. On this basis, the investigation is narrowed to the consideration for small satellites at the inception of the study. First, the CEACS architecture is presented along with its mathematical models. Then, numerical treatments with a sufficient magnitude are performed, which allow an assessment of the system's merits. The simulation results pertaining to the ideal and non-ideal test cases indicate that the CEACS is judiciously an attractive synergistic system for future small satellites. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.