JP3044934B2 - Separation method of drop-type zero-gravity experimental device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for separating a drop-type zero-gravity experimental device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a drop-type zero-gravity experiment apparatus has been used to simulate a zero-gravity state in a space environment on the ground and perform various experiments.

[0003] As a fall-type zero-gravity experimental device of this kind,
Conventionally, by keeping the inside of the falling tower in a vacuum over its entire length, by dropping the capsule body loaded with experimental equipment inside, the influence of external forces such as air drag is eliminated,
Some tried to obtain a highly accurate weightless state.

However, if the interior of the falling tower is maintained in a vacuum over its entire length as described above, if the falling distance is long, the equipment cost and the maintenance cost are enormous, while the so-called so-called "rotation" caused by the rotation of the earth is required. By Coriolis force,
It is known that the capsule body that has dropped is going to the east side.Although the capsule body is designed symmetrically, the actual capsule body has surface irregularities and a shift in the center of gravity, However, the longer the falling distance, the more unstable the posture and course of the capsule body, which may adversely affect the experimental device inside the capsule body, or in the worst case, the capsule body may come into contact with the inner wall of the falling tower. There was also.

Further, in the case of the above-mentioned device, no braking device or the like for deceleration and stopping is provided, and the capsule body which has been dropped is simply made to protrude into a tank filled with a cushion material such as polypropylene beads. Therefore, the impact becomes very large, and it is necessary to give the capsule body sufficient strength to withstand the impact, and to select a device to be mounted that is strong against the impact.

Further, when collecting the capsule body after the fall, the degree of vacuum inside the falling tower is reduced to almost the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the inside of the falling tower must be evacuated every time the experiment is performed. However, there are drawbacks in that it takes time and effort, and the cost increases.

As shown in FIG. 3, a guide rail 1 extending in the vertical direction is laid in a vertical shaft of a coal mine, and the capsule body 2 is extended along the guide rail 1 as shown in FIG. Is separated from the state of being suspended from the suspension device 4 and is disposed so as to be able to be dropped.
Inside, the inner capsule 3 on which the experimental device is mounted is connected to the electromagnet 5
The capsule body 2 is separated from the suspended state and controlled so as to be able to fall freely after the attitude control by the magnetic bearing 10 utilizing the electromagnetic attraction force. An air drag compensating device 9 composed of a thruster nozzle 8 for jetting through the valve 7 is provided, and the air drag received when the capsule body 2 is falling is compressed by the compressed air jetted from the thruster nozzle 8 of the air drag compensating device 9. A drop-type zero-gravity experimental device designed to compensate with thrust has been devised.

Since the capsule body 2 is quite heavy, the suspended unit 4 is not an electromagnet but a gripping member 11 protruding from the upper surface of the capsule body 2 by a hydraulically expandable and contractable gripper 4a. By holding the capsule body 2, the capsule body 2 can be separated from the suspended state, and the side surface of the inner capsule 3 always faces the magnetic bearing 10 in the suspended state. The magnetic journal plate 12 is attached, and the inner capsule 3
On the upper surface of the device, a seat 13 made of a paramagnetic material that can be attracted to the electromagnet 5 is attached.

In the case of the drop-type zero-gravity experimental apparatus, only the inside of the capsule body 2 needs to be kept in a vacuum, and the capsule body 2 falls vertically along the guide rail 1 in a stable posture, and is dropped. The capsule body 2 can be decelerated and stopped by a braking device (not shown), and the impact can be greatly reduced.

[0010]

However, in the above-described drop-type zero-gravity experimental apparatus, when the current of the electromagnet 5 is simply cut to separate the inner capsule 3, the sticking due to the back electromotive force occurs, and the inner capsule is attracted. Thus, there is a problem that the separation of the inner capsule 3 is not performed smoothly, an unnecessary rotational force or the like acts on the inner capsule 3, and it is difficult to accurately detect the separation of the inner capsule 3.

Further, unless the inner capsule 3 is quickly and reliably detected to be detached and the capsule main body 2 is not immediately separated from the suspension device 4, the space inside the capsule main body 2 is not necessarily large enough. In addition, since the acceleration capability of the air drag compensator 9 is limited, the inner capsule 3 immediately lands inside the capsule body 2 and the time required to simulate a zero gravity state is reduced. If the capsule body 2 is separated from the suspension device 4 simultaneously with or before the inner capsule 3 is separated from the electromagnet 5, the journal plate 12 attached to the inner capsule 3 contacts the magnetic bearing 10. There is a risk that the timing of the separation of the inner capsule 3 and the separation of the capsule body 2 may be too late or too early. Constant was very difficult.

In view of such circumstances, the present invention can prevent sticking due to back electromotive force at the time of detaching the inner capsule, can accurately detect that the inner capsule has been detached, and, after detaching the inner capsule, obtain a desired one. Simulate a highly accurate weightless state by allowing the inner capsule to reach a desired position where there is no risk of contact with the magnetic bearing inside the capsule body in a desired time by causing a time delay to cause the capsule body to be separated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for separating a drop-type zero-gravity experimental device that can be performed.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, an electromagnet is attracted into a capsule body which is suspended by a suspension device, is capable of holding the inside thereof in a vacuum, and capable of injecting compressed air upward from an air drag compensator. The inner capsule is suspended by a force through the thin-film coating layer of a non-magnetic material, the load of the inner capsule is detected, and the current supplied to the electromagnet suspending the inner capsule is gradually reduced, and the inner capsule is suspended. When the detected value of the load becomes a desired ratio from the state before the current decrease, the detection signal is taken out as an optical signal to the outside, a desired time delay is caused, the capsule body is separated from the suspension device, and the capsule body is moved along the guide rail. And drop it.

[0014]

[Action] Therefore, the capsule body is suspended from the suspension device,
In addition, if the current supplied to the electromagnet is gradually reduced instead of being suddenly reduced to zero in a state where the inner capsule is suspended from the electromagnet, sticking due to the back electromotive force does not occur, and furthermore, the electromagnet and the inner capsule are not connected to each other. Since the thin film coating layer is formed between the inner capsule, the inner capsule is cut off very smoothly, and unnecessary rotational force or the like does not act on the inner capsule. At this time, the load of the inner capsule is detected, and It is determined that the inner capsule has been disconnected when the detected value reaches a desired ratio from the state before the current decrease,
The detection signal is taken out to the outside as an optical signal, causing a desired time delay, the capsule body is separated from the suspension device and falls along the guide rail, and the inner capsule is separated from the electromagnet, and then the capsule body is separated. At the time when the posture of the inner capsule is controlled by the magnetic bearing while falling inside, and the relative position of the inner capsule with respect to the capsule body reaches a desired position where there is no risk of contact with the magnetic bearing, the capsule body of the inner capsule is The compressed air is injected upward from the air drag compensator of the capsule body so that the inner capsule is held at a desired position in the capsule body from this state, so that the inner capsule is held at a desired position in the capsule body. An accurate weightless state will be simulated.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of an apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, portions denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. Figure 3
The feature of this embodiment is that, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the surface of the seat 13 attached to the upper surface of the inner capsule 3 has a thin-film coating layer of a non-magnetic material such as Teflon. When the inner capsule 3 is cut off, the current to be supplied to the electromagnet 5 suspending the inner capsule 3 is not suddenly reduced to zero, but is gradually reduced. When the load of the capsule 3 is detected, and when the inner capsule 3 is separated, the detection value is a desired ratio (about 85%) from the state before the current decrease.
At this point, a load detecting device 16 is provided which determines that the inner capsule 3 has been separated and outputs the detection signal 15 as an optical signal to the outside. Based on the detection signal of the load detecting device 16, the separation of the inner capsule 3 is completed. Thereafter, a control device 18 for generating a desired time delay (approximately 0.035 seconds) and outputting a command signal 17 for disconnecting the capsule body 2 to the suspension device 4 is provided outside the capsule body 2.

In this embodiment, the current supplied to the electromagnet 5 is not suddenly reduced to zero while the capsule body 2 is suspended from the suspension device 4 and the inner capsule 3 is suspended from the electromagnet 5. If it is gradually decreased, no sticking due to the back electromotive force occurs, and the thin film coating layer 14 is formed on the seat 13 attracted to the electromagnet 5, so that the inner capsule 3 is cut off very smoothly. Unnecessary rotational force or the like does not act on the inner capsule 3.

At this time, the load of the inner capsule 3 is detected by the load detector 16, and the inner capsule 3 is cut off when the detected value reaches a desired ratio (about 85%) from the state before the current decrease. It is determined that the
5 is output to the control device 18 as an optical signal, and the control device outputs a command signal 17 for separating the capsule body 2 to the suspension device 4 after a desired time delay (approximately 0.035 seconds). Then, the capsule body 2 is separated from the suspension device 4 and falls along the guide rail 1.

After the inner capsule 3 is separated from the electromagnet 5, the inner capsule 3
Is performed for about 0.4 seconds, and when the relative position of the inner capsule 3 with respect to the capsule body 2 reaches a desired position shown by a virtual line in FIG. , The relative speed of the inner capsule 3 with respect to the capsule body 2 is about 0.5 m / s, and the thruster nozzle of the air drag compensator 9 is maintained such that the inner capsule 3 is held at a desired position in the capsule body 2 from this state. From 8, compressed air in the tank 6 is injected upward through the electromagnetic valve 7, and a high-precision weightless state is simulated in the inner capsule 3.

In this way, it is possible to prevent sticking due to the back electromotive force when the inner capsule 3 is detached, to accurately detect the detachment of the inner capsule 3, and to cause a desired time delay after the detachment of the inner capsule 3. The capsule main body 2 can be separated by pressing the inner capsule 3 to a desired position where there is no risk of contact with the magnetic bearing 10 inside the capsule main body 2 in a desired time, thereby simulating a highly accurate weightless state. It becomes possible.

The method of separating the drop-type zero-gravity experimental device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The load detecting device detects only the load of the inner capsule, and outputs the detection signal to the control device. It is needless to say that various changes can be made within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention, for example, the control device may determine whether or not the inner capsule is disconnected.

[0022]

As described above, according to the method for separating the drop-type zero-gravity test apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the sticking due to the back electromotive force at the time of separating the inner capsule, and to confirm that the inner capsule is separated. The capsule body can be separated with a desired time delay after the inner capsule is separated, and the inner capsule can be moved to a desired position where there is no risk of contact with the magnetic bearing inside the capsule body. It is possible to achieve an excellent effect that it is possible to simulate a zero-gravity state with a high accuracy which can be reached in time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of an apparatus for performing a method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part showing an electromagnet and an inner capsule in the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a falling-type zero-gravity experimental device currently invented.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Guide rail 2 Capsule main body 3 Inner capsule 4 Suspension device 5 Electromagnet 9 Air drag compensator 10 Magnetic bearing 14 Thin film coating layer 15 Detection signal 16 Load cell 17 Command signal 18 Controller

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-6-16200 (JP, A) JP-A-4-91000 (JP, A) JP-A-6-1200 (JP, U) JP-A-3-3 191900 (JP, U) Hira 4-37100 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B64G 7/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A thin-film coating of a non-magnetic material by an attractive force of an electromagnet inside a capsule body which is suspended by a suspending device, is capable of holding the inside of the capsule in a vacuum, and capable of injecting compressed air upward from an air drag compensator. The inner capsule is suspended through the layer, the load of the inner capsule is detected, and the current supplied to the electromagnet suspending the inner capsule is gradually reduced. The detection signal is taken out as an optical signal at the time when the desired ratio is reached from the state described above, and a desired time delay is caused to separate the capsule body from the suspension device and drop along the guide rail. How to detach the drop-type zero-gravity experiment device.