On the afternoon of October 31, 2022, the teachers and students from the United Party Branch of the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Chongqing University waited early in the lobby on the first floor of the State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmissions, for watching the live launch of Mengtian Lab Module and participating in their Thematic Party Day Activity. In this activity, Professor Chen Bingkui, R&D director of the constructed tooth pairs transmission for Alpha solar directional drive mechanism used in Mengtian Lab Module, was specially invited to watch the live video with the teachers and students from the Branch and share the scientific research story. Some party members of the Branch participated in the research and development of Alpha solar directional drive mechanism and made great contributions to building China into a major space power. In addition, teachers and students from the Branch expressed that they would implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China through practical actions.
Chen Xiaohui, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, introduced the theme and significance of this Party Day Activity in details. Chen Xiaohui said that Party building led the development of disciplines, which was an inevitable way and also the way to success. The School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering is committed to strengthening the Party building, promoting the development of mechanical engineering as the first-class discipline through overall planning, effectively stimulating the innovation vitality of researchers, giving full play to the role of the Party organization as a fighting fortress and the vanguard and exemplary role of Party member in scientific research and escorting top-ranking scientific research with high-quality Party building. It has been selected into the first batch of "National 100 Benchmark Departments of Party Building", the first batch of "Double-Leader" Teachers' Party Branch Secretary Office of Universities, and the second batch of "100 Postgraduate Model Party Branches" in universities nationwide and won the title of "National 54 Red Flag Youth League Committee". For this successful launch of Mengtian Lab Module, the Party members of the School have taken the lead in tackling difficulties and dared to take responsibility, playing their exemplary and leading role. It is hoped that teachers and students of the United Party Branch will set up the spirit of bravely climbing the peak of science and technology, be determined to serve the country through science and technology, and contribute to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
At 15:37, October 31, Mengtian Lab Module was lifted off by the Long March 5B Telemetry Launch Vehicle at Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, and successfully launched to China Space Station. Warm applause broke out in the lobby on the first floor of the State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmissions. Teachers and students of the United Party Branch of the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering were excited, and listened carefully to Chen Bingkui's story of CQU's participation in scientific research of Mengtian Lab Module, and had a heated discussion.
The successful launching of Mengtian Lab Module and its docking with the core module of China Space Station mark the complete construction of China Space Station and its space labs. After attitude adjustment and system commissioning on the scheduled orbit of Mengtian Lab Module, the Alpha solar directional drive mechanism of its solar cell wing will be put into use. The constructed tooth pairs transmission for this Alpha mechanism and that used in Wentian Lab Module launched on July 24 were independently developed by Chongqing University, and the final product of constructed tooth pairs was delivered with the substantial help of Shanghai Aerospace Systems Engineering Institute, Shanghai Aerospace Equipment Manufacturing Factory, and Zhengzhou Machinery Research Institute.
Affected by solar incident angle and flight attitude of the space station, the power generation efficiency of the solar wings will change with different time periods and different attitudes. In order to keep the flexible solar wings tracking the sun 24 hours a day, maintain the highest power generation efficiency and ensure the power consumption of the space station, the solar directional device---a large-scale revolving space mechanism product with the largest design scale, the longest continuous working life and the highest transmission power in China is used in Wentian Lab Module and Mengtian Lab Module to realize the simultaneous rotation of the solar wings with two degrees of freedom and ensure that every ray of sunlight hits vertically on the solar wings.
The constructed tooth pairs transmission in Alpha solar directional mechanism is a new type of gear transmission proposed by Chen Bingkui. Its invention is inspired by a childhood game "Rolling Iron Ring": the iron ring can roll when it is upright or tilted, but the rolling trajectory has changed. Based on this idea, the contact between curve and surface will have good error adaptability. On the basis of the principle of "rolling iron ring", Chen Bingkui put forward a line-to-surface constructed tooth pairs transmission with good error compensation ability. Its outstanding error adaptability and high bearing capacity allow it to meet the stringent requirements for ultra large space size deformation, high reliability, long service life and other requirements imposed by the alternation of extreme high and low temperature in space on the Alpha mechanism.
Based on the previous theoretical research and industrial application, Chen Bingkui's team has been devoted to R&D of constructed tooth pairs transmission of Alpha mechanism for nearly 8 years, and has resolved key technological problems in theory and method of gear design, digital closed-loop precision machining and measurement of constructed tooth pairs under the action of multiple physical quantities, technology and equipment for accelerated fatigue life test of gear under simulated conditions, and successfully delivered the constructed tooth pairs of Alpha mechanism for Wentian Lab Module and Mengtian Lab Module. The constructed tooth pairs transmission in Wentian Lab Module has been "put into use" successfully, with excellent performance in various indexes, and it is believed that the constructed tooth pairs adopted by Mengtian Lab Module will also live up to expectations.
In recent years, the related technologies developed by the State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmissions of Chongqing University have successively solved the key problems such as inaccurate fault location, insufficient test evaluation means, etc. in major national projects including biological science test loads of Chang'e 4 Lunar Probe, landing verification system of Chang'e 5 Lunar Probe, the first unmanned drilling and collection of rocks from the moon, etc.
Chen Bingkui said that the Report to the 20th CPC National Congress pointed out that we must adhere to the principle that science and technology were the primary productive force, talents were the primary resource and innovation was the primary driving force, and thoroughly implement the strategies of rejuvenating the country through science and education and strengthening the country through talents and innovation-driven development to open up new fields and new tracks of development and constantly shape new kinetic energy and advantages for development. As the pioneer of science and technology in the new era, it is the glory of a scientific and technological worker to let the solar wings collect every ray of sunlight and become the scientific and technological force contributing to Wentian Lab Module and Mengtian Lab Module. I hope that in the future scientific and technological work, we can make more innovative achievements to serve the major national strategies and implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress through practical actions.
Tang Han, majoring in 2020 Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation in the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, said after attending the Thematic Party Day Activity: "I was excited beyond words when the countdown to launch Mengtian Lab Module started and the constructed tooth pairs used in the Module are developed by our school, which makes me even more proud. As the students of the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, we should inherit the spirit of mechanical glory, keep up with the pace of the times, assume the responsibility of our younger generation, hold on to our dreams and keep fighting.
"Today, the launch of Mengtian Lab Module once again announces the scientific and technological strength of China to the world. After listening to Professor Chen Bingkui's story of working continuously for 24 hours, and going to the test site four times a day to conduct experiments, I am deeply impressed by the difficulty of scientific research workers, and also proud of them. I will constantly improve the level of academic research, persist in innovation and development, dedicate the youth to the Party and the people, and make my own contribution to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." said Ma Jun Chi, majoring in 2020 Vehicle Engineering in the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering.
