Honeywell International Inc.

Pietro Dileonardo

Paul Buchele

Terence J Marshall

Theodis Johnson

James T Hanks

Terence Marshall

Reaction wheel assemblies having relatively compact and lightweight form factors (referred to as 'small scale' RWAs) are disclosed. Such small scale RWAs are well-suited for deployment onboard relatively small satellites, but are not restricted to usage within any particular device or platform. In one embodiment, the small scale RWA includes a primary support platform to which a rotor is coupled for rotation about a spin axis. An axially-expanded face-to-face (DF) duplex bearing pair is disposed between the rotor shaft and the support platform. The DF duplex bearing pair includes first and second rolling element bearings positioned around an intermediate portion of the rotor shaft. The first and second rolling element bearings have first and second bearing load lines, respectively, which are spaced by a tailored bearing load line separation (SLL).

Small scale reaction wheel assemblies

An integrated Reaction Wheel Assembly Array (RWAA) includes a multi-rotor chassis having a plurality of bearing locating features. A plurality of rotor assemblies is mounted to the multi-rotor chassis. Each rotor assembly includes a rotor having a rotor shaft, a spin motor coupled to the rotor and configured to drive rotation of the rotor about a spin axis, and a first spin bearing assembly disposed around an end portion of the rotor shaft. The first spin bearing pilots to one of the bearing locating features to position or locate the spin axis of the rotor assembly in a predetermined fixed spatial relationship relative to the spin axes of the other rotor assemblies.

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Glendale, AZ, United States of America

Pietro Dileonardo