WELCOME TO

PRESENTATION OF
ELECTRO DYNAMIC TETHER
INTRODUCTION

 An ELECTRODYNAMIC tether provides a

simple and reliable alternative to the convention
rocket thrusters.
 EDTs are basically made of aluminum alloy.
 When direct current is sent through it, it exerts a
force and the tether accelerates the spacecraft.
 By reversing the direction of current in it, the
same tether can be used to de-orbit old satellites.
PRINCIPLE

 The basic principle of an

electrodynamic tether is
Lorentz force.
 It is the force that a
magnetic field exerts on a
current carrying wire in a
direction perpendicular to
both the direction of
current flow and magnetic
field.
PRINCIPLE

 For a charged particle

moving with velocity
V in a magnetic field
B the resultant is in
the direction of the
force F – Fleming’s
left hand rule.
WORKING

 An EDT can be used either to accelerate or

brake an orbiting spacecraft.
 When direct current is passed through the
tether, it exerts a force against there magnetic
field and the tether accelerates the spacecraft.
 The gravity gradient field will tend to orient
the tether in a vertical position.
WORKING

 In an EDT drag system such as the terminator

Tether, the tether can be used to reduce the
orbit of the spacecraft.
 The electrons are collected t one end of the
tether nd expelled at the other end.
 This current interacts with the earth’s
magnetic field and causes a force which
opposes tether.
 This decreases the orbit of the tether.
WORKING

 In an electro dynamic propulsion system, the

tether can be used to boost the orbit of the
spacecraft.
 If a power is added to the tether system and
current is driven in the opposite direction.
 Then the tether can push against the earth’s
magnetic field to raise the spacecraft's orbit.
WORKING

 The Lorentz force acts on the electron in

tether.
 A hallow cathode causes the tube to heat up
and produce xenon gases.
 Electrons electrons interact with heat gas to
create a plasma.
 Due to this effect electrons are discharged
rapidly.
WORKING

 Earth’s magnetic field

exerts drag force on the
current carrying tether.
 This leads to the
lowering of the orbit.
TETHER STABILIZATION

 Electro dynamic tether are inherently unstable.

 The electro dynamic forces also vary and so a
pendulum motion is developed.
 Further this motion turns in to complex librations
in both the in-plane and out-of-plane direction.
 The “Tether configuration” feedback algorithm
calculates a gain factor based upon the network
that the electro dynamic forces will perform on
the tether dynamics.
TETHER STABILIZATION

 The second algorithm requires only periodic

measurements of the acceleration of the tether
end mss called “End mass acceleration”
feedback method.

 These enable EDTs to provide long term

propellant less propulsion while maintaining
tether stability and efficiency.