4 ms·
Forgive the stupid question: what makes the use of reaction wheels and fans preferred over fans installed at different angles? Energy efficiency or fan reliabi
by eeZah7Ux 9y ago
Forgive the stupid question: what makes the use of reaction wheels and fans preferred over fans installed at different angles?
Energy efficiency or fan reliability perhaps?
- Retric 9y agoPrecision and speed, reaction wheels can go from start, rotate you one degree and then stop all motion. With fans your going to end up constantly correcting because you never hit zero rotation.
- eeZah7Ux 9y agoThe robot is exposed to the station airflow so it has to adjust constantly anyways.
- Retric 9y agoWhile non zero, the spherical shape and minimal ISS airflow generally makes this a non issue. You can use those reaction wheels to calibrate very precise adjustments over time, you can also just bump into something to get rid of excess rotation. Note, space telescopes effectively use both approaches.
- venning 9y agoIt may also minimize the impact all of that moving air has on everything else in the station. Without gravity, fans blowing your things around could get annoying.
- wubbfindel 9y agoBeing able to operate with no atmosphere (e.g. outside of the ISS) would be an advantage I suppose.
- eeZah7Ux 9y agoYet, the translation movements are done using fans. Perhaps it's a prototype and future version will operate outside.
- wubbfindel 9y agoYup, I misread. I was thinking you meant what would be the benefit of not using fans at all.
- gozur88 9y agoYou can get really good stability and precision using reaction wheels.