ESA - Mechanisms - Development of dampers for deployment of appendages

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Dampers development

Deployable Booms Electrical Motors Electric Propulsion Pointing Mechanisms (EPPM)High Accuracy Position and Scanning Mechanisms Hold-Down and Separation Systems Launch Vehicle actuators Micro Electro Mechanical Systems Multibody Dynamics Multi-purpose Rotary and Linear Actuators Solar Array Drive Mechanisms (SADM)Sampling Devices for Planetary Exploration Tribology

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	Fluid damper developed by ESA with Ruag (Austria)

Development of dampers for deployment of appendages

When deploying appendages, it is important to ensure that the shock at the end of the deployment is limited to avoid any damage. The attenuation of the shock is achieved with deployment dampers. The main dampers are:

Fluid dampers
Eddy-current dampers
Deployment regulators (based for example on a low melting point metallic alloy)
Magneto-rheologic fluids dampers


Deployment regulator developed by ESA with Sener (Spain)

Whatever deployment damper technology, the basic concept is to dissipate the shock energy in a certain manner (through a fluid, through generation of electrical energy …).

Last update: 18 January 2011

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