A virtual experiment for partial space elevator using a novel high-fidelity FE model

This paper developed a high-fidelity virtual experiment for a partial space elevator using nodal position finite element method with arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian description. The new method is designed to test the effectiveness of the optimal control strategies derived from a simplified two-piece dumbbell model for the orbital transfer of a partial space elevator. In the current work, the partial space elevator is modeled by the nodal position finite element method with arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian description. A novel technique is introduced to describe the movement of the climber along the tether by variable-length elements. The optimal trajectory of the climber’s velocity is derived from the optimal control and then is input to the finite element model to conduct a virtual experiment. The dynamic responses of the elevator resulted from the newly proposed finite element approach and the widely used simple approach are in good agreement. It shows the newly developed nodal position finite element method with arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian description is high fidelity, which can provide an effective virtual experimental environment to verify the effectiveness of libration control strategies based on the simplified two-piece dumbbell model.