Electrostatic space accelerometers with adaptive preload control

Spacecraft will be subject to a number of unpredictable micrometeoroid strikes during its mission, and it is unfavorable to apply a high preload voltage on the proof mass of electrostatic space accelerometer (ESA). The high preload will result in larger electrical disturbing torques and larger power consumption of electrostatic suspension system. This paper presented an adaptive preload control algorithm (APCA) for ESA, which was developed as a solution to the conflict between the steady-state disturbance environment and the occasional large plant disturbances. The consistent performance was obtained despite the change of preload voltage. The experimental results for APCA operation showed that the preload voltage and the power consumption of high-voltage amplifiers were decreased by 57% and 45% respectively by compared with that of the conventional fixed preload scheme.