Experimental test and numerical validation for evaluating the dynamics of the In-Line Damper for the E.T.PACK-F project

The E.T.PACK-F project, funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC), seeks to investigate and to advance electrodynamic tether technologies (EDT) by developing two flight modules connected through an aluminum tether to demonstrate space debris deorbiting. In this context the In Line Damper (ILD) plays an important role for the stability of the entire system during the deployment of the tether and the deorbiting phase. In this paper we want to present a study on the ILD behavior when subjected to an external load, due to the initial separation of the two modules. In particular, we tested the device at the SPARTANS facility of the University of Padova, utilizing a low-friction glass table which can accommodate the experimental setup. The collected data were correlated and studied numerically using an optimization process, which enables to tune the parameters needed for describing the ILD motion, using a 2D model. In conclusion, the results successfully demonstrate modeling of the ILD dynamics, enabling the extraction of characteristic parameters, revealing non-linear tendencies and providing more insights into the mechanical response of the device.