CN105819005A - Space debris removing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a space debris removing device. The space debris removing device comprises a set of high-voltage power grids connected to two satellites, wherein the high-voltage power grids are formed by a number of parallel high-voltage metal conductors, and the metal conductors are directly exposed to the space and are used for attracting, tearing and ionizing the space debris when high voltage is loaded to the metal conductors; the two satellites are used for maintaining the high-voltage power grids stable and providing the high-voltage power grids with high voltage; and each satellite is equipped with a potential controller, and each potential controller is used for maintaining potentials of the satellites and space environment consistent.

Description

A space debris removal device

technical field

The invention relates to the field of on-orbit safety maintenance of spacecraft, and more particularly relates to a device for removing space debris (also called space junk) on-orbit by using a high-voltage power grid.

Background technique

Since humans launched man-made objects into space in the 1950s, there have been more and more abandoned man-made objects in space, which have begun to affect the subsequent use of space by humans. Such space objects are called space debris. Numerical models reported by the US National Research Council show that the amount of space debris is large enough to keep colliding and creating more space junk. These space debris can threaten the safety of spacecraft. Space junk, like greenhouse gases and nuclear waste storage, has little impact on humans in the short term, but if left untreated for a long time, it will have a huge impact on human society.

At present, the main ways to deal with space debris include continuous observation, active prevention and timely avoidance. However, with more and more space debris, adopting a passive treatment method will lead to a sharp increase in the cost of spacecraft development and later operation and maintenance, so active treatment of space debris has become an option that has to be considered. The active treatment of space debris includes using ground lasers to push the debris out of orbit, melting the debris, installing power on the debris, and capturing the debris with metal nets, etc., and the use of high-voltage power grids to decompose and ionize space debris will also become the core of space debris processing. important measures and techniques.

Contents of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a device for clearing space debris by using a high-voltage power grid to solve the problem that the recent increasing space debris poses a safety threat to satellite operations.

In order to achieve the above object, a space debris removal device provided by the present invention includes a set of high-voltage power grids connected to two satellites, wherein: the high-voltage power grid is composed of several high-voltage metal wires in parallel, and the metal wires are directly exposed in space , and are used to attract, tear and ionize space debris when loaded with high voltage; the two satellites are used to maintain the stability of the high-voltage power grid and provide high voltage for the high-voltage power grid; and each of the satellites is equipped with a potential A controller, the potential controller is used to maintain the same potential between the satellite and the space environment.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the surface of the metal wire is cylindrical, so as to avoid violent discharge due to the acute angle of the surface of the metal wire.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the number of said metal wires is not less than two, so as to form a mesh-like clearing area as large as possible.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the metal wire is loaded with a positive voltage relative to the space environment voltage, so as to tear and ionize the space debris more effectively.

The advantage of the invention is that the number of space debris can be reduced by using the space debris removal device of the invention, thereby providing conditions for safe operation of satellites in orbit.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a space debris removal device according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the composition of the electric field distribution of the high-voltage power grid included in the space debris removal device according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the shredding process of space debris under the action of the power grid of the removal device of the present invention.

Reference signs:

1. Potential controller of satellite A 2. Satellite A3, high voltage power grid

4. Potential controller of satellite B5 and satellite B 6. Metal wire

detailed description

The space debris removal device of the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a space debris removal device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 , the space debris removal device of the present invention includes a set of high voltage power grids 3 connected to two satellites 2 and 4 . The high-voltage power grid 3 is composed of several metal wires 6 in parallel, and the metal wires 6 are directly exposed to space, and are used to attract, tear and ionize space debris when loaded with high voltage. The two satellites 2 and 4 are used to maintain the stability of the high-voltage grid 3 and provide high voltage for the high-voltage grid 3 . Each satellite 2 and 4 is equipped with potential controllers 1 and 5 respectively, and the potential controllers 1 and 5 are used to maintain the potential consistency between the satellites 2 and 4 and the space environment.

Preferably, the surface of the metal wire 6 is cylindrical, so as to avoid violent discharge of the metal wire due to the acute angle of the surface. Preferably, the number of metal wires 6 is not less than two, so as to form a mesh-shaped clearing area as large as possible. Preferably, the metal wire 6 is loaded with a positive voltage relative to the space environment, so as to tear and ionize space debris more effectively.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the composition of the electric field distribution of the high-voltage power grid included in the space debris removal device according to the present invention. After the metal wire 6 of the cleaning device of the present invention is loaded with high voltage, the electric field intensity formed in the space becomes stronger as it gets closer to the metal wire 6 , so that the tearing force against space debris is greater. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the high-voltage grid uses six metal wires 6, each of which has a length of 4000 m and is loaded with a high voltage of 10 kV.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the shredding process of space debris under the action of the power grid of the removal device of the present invention. Due to the effect of plasma in the space environment, the surface of the space debris has a small amount of negative charges. When subjected to the electric field formed around the metal wire 6 of the high-voltage power grid, the space debris continues to tear until it is finally ionized.

Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention rather than limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent replacements to the technical solutions of the present invention do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all of them should be included in the scope of the present invention. within the scope of the claims.

Claims (4)

1. a space debris removes device, it is characterized in that: include being connected to one group of high-voltage fence of two satellites, wherein: described high-voltage fence is made up of several parallel high-pressure metal wires, this plain conductor is directly exposed in space, and when being loaded high pressure for attracting, tear and ionization space debris；Described two satellites are used for maintaining this high-voltage fence stable and providing high pressure for this high-voltage fence；And every described satellite is equipped with potentiometric controller, described potentiometric controller is for maintaining satellite consistent with the current potential of spatial environments.

Space debris the most according to claim 1 removes device, it is characterised in that: described plain conductor surface is cylindric.

Space debris the most according to claim 1 removes device, it is characterised in that: the quantity of described plain conductor is no less than two.

Space debris the most according to claim 1 removes device, it is characterised in that: described plain conductor is loaded the voltage that voltage is positive voltage relative to space environment.