Kinematics Control of Electromagnetic Formation Flight Using Angular-Momentum Conservation Constraint

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Takahashi, Yuta, Sakamoto, Hiraku, Sakai, Shin-ichiro
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Takahashi, Yuta
Sakamoto, Hiraku
Sakai, Shin-ichiro
author_facet Takahashi, Yuta
Sakamoto, Hiraku
Sakai, Shin-ichiro
contents Electromagnetic formation flight (EMFF) uses the electromagnetic force to control the relative positions of multiple satellites without using conventional fuel-based propulsion. To compensate for the electromagnetic torque generated alongside the electromagnetic force, in most previous studies, all satellites were assumed to have reaction wheels (RWs) besides electromagnetic coils. However, the RW-loaded angular momentum becomes non-uniformly distributed among the satellites, because the electromagnetic torque usually differs between satellites. Without a proper control scheme, this deviation increases over time, and the RWs become saturated quickly, preventing the attitudes of the satellites from being controlled. In this study, a new controller is proposed that enables the electromagnetic force and torque to be controlled simultaneously. The EMFF kinematics derived from the conservation of angular momentum are used for the controller design. This controller can control $n$ satellites without saturating the RWs, and only one set of RWs is required among all satellites. The combination of the proposed controller with a simple unloading control exclusive to the chief satellite results in the elimination of the accumulation of angular momentum in the entire system. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is demonstrated through numerical simulations of the formation maintenance and formation reconfiguration of a five-satellite system.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_08949
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Kinematics Control of Electromagnetic Formation Flight Using Angular-Momentum Conservation Constraint
Takahashi, Yuta
Sakamoto, Hiraku
Sakai, Shin-ichiro
Systems and Control
Electromagnetic formation flight (EMFF) uses the electromagnetic force to control the relative positions of multiple satellites without using conventional fuel-based propulsion. To compensate for the electromagnetic torque generated alongside the electromagnetic force, in most previous studies, all satellites were assumed to have reaction wheels (RWs) besides electromagnetic coils. However, the RW-loaded angular momentum becomes non-uniformly distributed among the satellites, because the electromagnetic torque usually differs between satellites. Without a proper control scheme, this deviation increases over time, and the RWs become saturated quickly, preventing the attitudes of the satellites from being controlled. In this study, a new controller is proposed that enables the electromagnetic force and torque to be controlled simultaneously. The EMFF kinematics derived from the conservation of angular momentum are used for the controller design. This controller can control $n$ satellites without saturating the RWs, and only one set of RWs is required among all satellites. The combination of the proposed controller with a simple unloading control exclusive to the chief satellite results in the elimination of the accumulation of angular momentum in the entire system. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is demonstrated through numerical simulations of the formation maintenance and formation reconfiguration of a five-satellite system.
title Kinematics Control of Electromagnetic Formation Flight Using Angular-Momentum Conservation Constraint
topic Systems and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.08949