An actuator for positioning a solar array to track the sun includes a motor and a single-stage cycloidal gearbox operatively coupled to the motor. The single-stage cycloidal gearbox includes a drive shaft rotationally coupled to the motor to rotate the drive shaft about a drive axis at a first input speed, an input gear coupled to and driven by the drive shaft, and an output gear configured to be engaged and driven by the input gear at a second output speed. The single-stage cycloidal gearbox is configured to reduce the first input speed to the second output speed within a single rotation of the drive shaft. The first speed is reduced to the second speed by a factor of at least 60 within the single rotation of the drive shaft.
Solar array positioning actuator for spacecraft
2020-06-30
Patent
Electronic Resource
English