Integrated Research Rocket Off Automatic Docking Connector

Domestic launch vehicles’umbilical connectors are mainly independent with diverse points of connection. Most of the connectors are undocked from the rocket automatically, but there is no function of automatic docking. In order to simplify the connections between rocket and ground, reduce the preparing time of launch and improve security and reliability, the present article studies the integrated umbilical connector which has the function of automatic docking and undocking. According to design requirement, the integrated umbilical connector, actuating mechanism and compliant mechanism are designed. Working process of the whole system is simulated and the simulation results are analyzed.The design of integrated umbilical connector includes LOX connector, nitrogen connector, locking mechanism, layouts of the pipes, connector panel, guiding mechanism,etc. In order to achieve automatic docking and undocking, actuating mechanism and compliant mechanism are designed. Hydraulic cylinder powered translational3-UPU mechanism is adopted in actuating mechanism. The positive and negative solutions of mechanism are obtained based on position analysis. The compliant mechanism is consisted of metal rubber shock absorbers and pendulum spring. The ground part connector is connected to actuating mechanism by compliant mechanism. Main performance parameters of the design scheme are selected preliminarily by computing.The multi-body dynamic model of the whole system is built to simulate and analyze the automatic docking process, locking process and follow-up process. As for docking process, influences from swing frequency of rocket, speed of docking, stiffness coefficient of compliant mechanism, flexibility of hydraulic cylinder and delay of actuating mechanism on docking process are analyzed. It is also verified that the connector will dock successfully under the limit condition of the position and angle difference between moving platform and rocket. As for locking process, the locking mechanism has uniform force and reliable operation. The rationality of the layouts of the pipes is verified by contrast of locking effect of different layouts. Finite element analysis of the locking mechanism is carried out to test its stiffness and strength. The quantity of steel balls is determined at the same time. As for follow-up process, the actuating mechanism gets good follow-up results, and the load of rocket is quite small.