Solar Concentrator Demonstrator for PocketQubes

Deployable systems for small satellites appear as an innovative solution to enhance the performance capabilities and enlarge the mission range of this category of spacecraft. Embedded within the research line in Solar Thermal Propulsion and the new mission Delfi-PQ, this project tackles the design, analysis, production and testing of a solar...

Thermal characterization of a gas-gap heat switch for satellite thermal control

A heat switch is a variable thermal conductance device that can act as a thermal conductor or a thermal insulator. A gas-gap heat switch, which is currently in its third design iteration, has been developed by University of Twente in collaboration with the European Space Agency. This device is filled with a gas, whose thermal conductivity varies...

Regenerative cooling analysis of oxygen/methane rocket engines

Methane is a promising propellant for future liquid rocket engines. In the cooling channels of a regeneratively cooled engine, it would be close to the critical point. This results in drastic changes in the fluid properties, which makes cooling analysis a challenge. This thesis describes a two-pronged approach to tackle this problem. Simple and...

Turbulence modelling of cavitating flows in cryogenic turbopumps

Robust turbulence modelling of cavitating flows is essential for physically accurate predictions of the performance characteristics of cryogenic rocket turbo-pump inducers. Numerical modelling of such flows complement experiments and are comparatively inexpensive, but they lack accurate predictive capabilities. This work focuses on the...

Design, Implementation and Verification of the Attitude Determination and Control Algorithms for the DelFFi Satellites

Systems Engineering for University Satellite Projects

Many universities have ventured into the design of satellites as educational projects. The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) has a rich history in this ?eld with the Del?-C3 and Del?-n3Xt projects. Currently the Del? programme is working on its third project DelFFi. Applying and researching systems engineering has been a major part of...

Micro - Thruster Development: Propulsion System for the DelFFi Mission

The format and size specifications of the CubeSat platform require highly miniaturized subsystems, one of the most challenging ones being the propulsion system. Up to date, according to the authors' knowledge, only two CubeSats have successfully operated a propulsion system in space: CanX-2 in 2008 and Defil-n3Xt in 2013. The importance of a...

Thermal modelling and design of the DelFFi satellites

The DelFFi mission’s satellites employ a variety of subsystems, whose temperature ranges need be controlled. Thermal design for DelFFi is challenging because of its body mounted solar cells and high heat dissipation internal components, such as the thruster and inter-satellite link device. The goal of this thesis was summarized in the research...

Design of a Solar Thermal Power-Propulsion System for a Small Satellite

Collision analysis and mitigation for distributed space systems

Collision analysis and mitigation performed for the QB50 mission. The aim of this thesis report is to identify which mitigation strategies are most suitable for a network of uncontrollable satellites. Furthermore, the aim is to set-out a method to determine the collision probability for a network of uncontrollable satellites, and identify the...

Buoyant Aerobot Design and Simulation Study: BADS

Aerobots, and more specifically buoyant aerobots, are not that common in space or planetary exploration. There is however a small community of scientists and engineers who are exploring these technologies. “Aerial vehicles used in planetary exploration bridge the scale and resolution measurement gaps between orbiters, which have global...

Design, manufacturing and characterisation of a water fed CubeSat micro-resistojet (Dondersteen)

To further the applicability of nano-satellites in large scale relevant missions, it is necessary that they have their own propulsion system for manoeuvring. Multiple nanosatellites flying in formation or even a constellation, with a distributed network of instruments can obtain simultaneous, distributed and guided measurements, which are not...

Design, Verification and Validation of a Micropropulsion Thrust Stand

At the chair of Space Systems Engineering, students and staff work on the development of small propulsion systems in a wide thrust capability. Especially in recent years low thrust propulsion systems have gained an increased amount of interest in the entire department of Space Engineering. To support the development of these propulsion systems,...

Detailed design and verification of a structure and mechanisms for Delfi-n3Xt

The objective of this thesis is to perform systems engineering, detailed (re-)design and testing of the structural and mechanisms subsystems and facilitate the production of components.

Design, Integration and Verification of the Delfi-n3Xt Reaction Wheel System

To improve the pointing capabilities of nanosatellites a fast response attitude control system is required. Reaction wheels are an effective solution and rely on the simple principle of conservation of angular momentum. Also they can be developed within the stringent budgets of nanosatellites with current technologies. The Delfi-n3Xt satellite...

Electrodynamic Tether Experiment onboard the Delfi-1 Satellite

Space debris is becoming an increasing problem requiring a low cost propulsion system capable of disposing non operable satellites and spent rocket stages. To this end electrodynamic tethers have been proposed as a viable alternative to conventional propulsion. Aside from a de-orbit system electrodynamic tethers have a wide range of applications...