Effect of Nonlinear Factors on Disturbance Characteristics of the Solar Array Drive System on Spacecraft

The operational disturbance induced by the solar array drive system (SADS) is a crucial factor affecting the imaging quality and pointing accuracy of spacecraft. A precise system dynamics model of the SADS was proposed and verified by a test in a laboratory environment. The effect of nonlinear factors, such as the current subdivision of the drive controller, varying gear-meshing parameters of the gear reducer, sliding friction between the brush and slip ring and the clearance between the gear teeth, on the SADS’s disturbance characteristics were analyzed in the time and frequency domains. The results show that the current subdivision of the drive controller and varying gear-meshing parameters of the gear reducer can directly cause disturbances, which vary periodically and occur near excitation frequencies and high-order harmonic frequencies. The amplitude of the disturbance increases with a decrease in the number of current subdivisions and an increase in the fluctuation of the gear-meshing parameters. The sliding friction between the brush and slip ring and the clearance between the gear teeth does not change the characteristic frequency of the disturbance but can affect its profile and spectrum distribution.