Patents by Inventor Andrew Wolahan

Andrew Wolahan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Magnetic damping for space vehicles after end-of-life
    Patent number: 11192666
    Abstract: A space vehicle includes one or more magnetorquers operable to change an attitude of the space vehicle in an external magnetic field, each magnetorquer comprising a coil, and a switching circuit for short-circuiting the coil of at least one of the magnetorquers so that a closed electric circuit comprising said coil is formed, for damping tumbling motion of the space vehicle in the external magnetic field. The switching circuit is configured to short-circuit the coil of the at least one magnetorquer upon occurrence of a condition indicative of end-of-life or failure of the space vehicle. The application further relates to a corresponding method of operating a space vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: European Space Agency
    Inventors: Tiago Soares, Antonio Caiazzo, Andrew Wolahan
  • MAGNETIC DAMPING FOR SPACE VEHICLES AFTER END-OF-LIFE
    Publication number: 20200407083
    Abstract: A space vehicle includes one or more magnetorquers operable to change an attitude of the space vehicle in an external magnetic field, each magnetorquer comprising a coil, and a switching circuit for short-circuiting the coil of at least one of the magnetorquers so that a closed electric circuit comprising said coil is formed, for damping tumbling motion of the space vehicle in the external magnetic field. The switching circuit is configured to short-circuit the coil of the at least one magnetorquer upon occurrence of a condition indicative of end-of-life or failure of the space vehicle. The application further relates to a corresponding method of operating a space vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Tiago Soares, Antonio Caiazzo, Andrew Wolahan