Towards developing a multidisciplinary design optimization framework of microsatellites
Project Description
Multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) has been the current state-of-the-art framework for designing complex systems such as aircraft. One of the key benefits of an MDO framework is that it can efficiently and automatically model the interdisciplinary coupling and tradeoffs within the system, which enables the modeling and optimization of the system more realistically.
In this project, we will work towards developing an MDO framework that is suitable to designing microsatellite configurations, i.e., how they are configured and deployed. Students might also need to consider the deployment of smart sensing systems for different purposes (e.g., communication, weather observation, etc).
Programming and applying computational methods are key components in this project, and the student needs to feel comfortable with it.
In this project, we will work towards developing an MDO framework that is suitable to designing microsatellite configurations, i.e., how they are configured and deployed. Students might also need to consider the deployment of smart sensing systems for different purposes (e.g., communication, weather observation, etc).
Programming and applying computational methods are key components in this project, and the student needs to feel comfortable with it.
Supervisor
LIEM Rhea Patricia
Quota
1
Course type
UROP1100
UROP2100
Applicant's Roles
1. Perform an extensive literature review on microsatellite design and configuration
2. Identify the relevant subsystems
3. Find/derive suitable models for those subsystems
4. Formulate the optimization problem
5. Develop the corresponding MDO framework, potentially using OpenMDAO (an open-source MDO platform)
This project is still at an exploratory stage. The student needs to be proactive in learning new things -- both on microsatellite configurations and computational techniques/programming. If done well, the student will help establish this project at HKUST, which would lead to more extensive research and educational potentials.
2. Identify the relevant subsystems
3. Find/derive suitable models for those subsystems
4. Formulate the optimization problem
5. Develop the corresponding MDO framework, potentially using OpenMDAO (an open-source MDO platform)
This project is still at an exploratory stage. The student needs to be proactive in learning new things -- both on microsatellite configurations and computational techniques/programming. If done well, the student will help establish this project at HKUST, which would lead to more extensive research and educational potentials.
Applicant's Learning Objectives
1. Learn about microsatellite configuration
2. Learn about computational methods and appreciate their importance in solving/handling modern engineering problems
3. Learn about MDO and complex engineering system design
4. Learn about project leadership and management
5. Improve programming proficiency (and its appreciation)
2. Learn about computational methods and appreciate their importance in solving/handling modern engineering problems
3. Learn about MDO and complex engineering system design
4. Learn about project leadership and management
5. Improve programming proficiency (and its appreciation)
Complexity of the project
Challenging