Tenders Are Invited For Integrated Control Of Multi-Actuated Launcher Stages - Expro+

Tenders are invited for Integrated Control of Multi-Actuated Launcher Stages - Expro+ Price Range : 200-500 KEURO Objective: To design and implement control methodologies for multi-actuated launcher stages, targeting applications that can only be achieved by controlling multiple actuators in an integrated fashion.Description: Current launcher GNC design processes rely on anarchitectural simplification under which engine throttling and thrust vector control (TVC) are managed independently. With the new generation of reusable launchers, new GNC challenges are arising, rendering the aforementioned separation impractical if not unfeasible. These challenges are related to much tighter dynamical attitude/trajectory couplings (especially during re-entry, descent and landing) and to interactions between actuators including aerodynamic surfaces and thrusters (required for control during ballistic and exo-atmospheric phases). Linked to the development of reusable launchers, clustered engine configurations are frequently used because very advantageous in terms of versatility and reliability, but only when all the actuators and their interactions are jointly addressed in the GNC design. In the scope of the activity is therefore to investigate the improvements that can be achieved by the newgeneration of multi-actuated vehicles including clustered, gimballed engines, grid or planar fins and thrusters. This investigationshall cover topics from control design and allocation up to architectural design and adaptive configuration management. A special focus shall be placed on applications that can only be enabled via an integrated system-level multi-actuated approach. Examples of these applications are the following: - Aerodynamic load relief during launch using uniform and differential throttling, TVC and fin deflections; - Precise retro-propulsive landing; - Optimal allocation of thrusters, differential throttling, TVC and fin deflections;- Exo-atmospheric maneuvers, such as stage flip-over and detumbling. This activity will entail the following tasks: - Define requirements and scenarios that are illustrative of multi-actuator launcher GNC, including the applications above as a minimum; - Investigate what types of models, design techniques and algorithms are more suitable for this problem; - Perform a preliminary prototyping of different candidate control architectures and functions, following the traditional and integrated approach; - Execute a trade-off analysis between the various architectures and functions; - Design, implement and verify the control algorithms based on the trade-off analysis, including on a representative processor; - Establish way forward for the deployment of the developed methodologies, including required sensing capabilities.Read more Tender Link : https://esastar-publication-ext.sso.esa.int/ESATenderActions/filter/open