Vous êtes étudiant à l’EPFL et vous cherchez un projet de semestre crédité, de bachelor ou de master ? Ne cherchez pas plus loin ! On a quelque chose pour vous !
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COMPETITON PROJECT
RECOVERY
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The EPFL Rocket Team wants to test its electronics hardware in a simulated flight environment. Toward this objective, a vacuum centrifuge was designed to simulate the
pressure and acceleration changesoccuring during the flight of a rocket.
In this project, you will work with the designer of this centrifuge in the Recovery (RE) subsystem and the Flight Dynamics (FD) subsystem in order to implement a regulation and Human Machine Interface for the aforementioned apparatus.
On this test bench are three motors and controllers, one accelerometer and a barometer. Your goal will be to follow pressure and positive acceleration profiles given by the FD subsystem in order to
simulate the environment of a predefined trajectory.
The expected outcome of this project is to develop a human machine interface for this centrifuge, as well as a regulation algorithm to be able to match the pressure and acceleration asked for by the user.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
● [2 weeks]: Concept understanding
● [6 weeks]: Regulation
● [4 weeks]: Human Machine Interface Design
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
● Programming
● Regulation
● (Physics)
Contact: alexandre.chappuis@epflrocketteam.ch
Supervisor: TBD
Number of students: 0/1
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The EPFL Rocket Team has set itself the goal to reach space by 2027. The team would like to recover the launch vehicle, or at least to recover the payload depending on the mission. For this objective to be satisfied, it might be needed to develop a supersonic parachute to slow the rocket during its reentry from space. For the future teams to have all the options on the table, a preliminary study is required to ensure that the option to deploy a parachute at a lower altitude at a compressible velocity, meaning above Mach 1, is feasible.
The objective of the project is to gain knowledge in supersonic parachutes. It will consist of reading some documentation to find the appropriate material, find the maximal Mach number at which a deployment is possible and the different constraints to obtain a preliminary design for a given preliminary rocket. It would be also needed to develop a model to size any supersonic parachute according to the need of the future teams.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
● [3 weeks]: Documentation
● [6 weeks]: Model Writing
● [5 weeks]: Preliminary Design
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
● Compressible Flows
● Matlab, Python
● Parachute Knowledge
Contact: alexandre.chappuis@epflrocketteam.ch
Supervisor: TBD
Number of students: 0/1
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In rocketry, the rocket is recovered using parachutes. Two parachutes are usually used, one small called “Drogue” deployed at the apogee and a big parachute called “Main” deployed closer to the ground often around 400m of altitude. This allows to recover the rocket close to the launch site and ease ground recovery operations.
Currently, the EPFL Rocket Team is developing another method to recover the rocket using a reefed parachute. It consists of one parachute which canopy changes shape during the descent, varying the descent velocity.
To fully deploy the parachute, a rope has to be cut at the right time. There is a system, either below the parachute or inside the rocket, measuring the altitude and triggering the full deployment. Currently, it is done using a cable going from the rocket to the parachute, which is not an optimal solution as the cable could be ripped or destroyed during the deployment for example.
The goal of the project is to develop a system able to trigger the deployment of the parachute without using any electrical cables, meaning a stand-alone system at the parachute or a reliable wireless system to transmit the signal from the rocket. The objective is to have a fully functional system by the end of the semester, which has been tested through a rocket launch or a drone test. This system could be implemented in the 2024 main competition rocket.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
● [2 weeks]: Documentation
● [5 weeks]: Design of the system
● [4 weeks]: Building of the system
● [3 weeks]: Testing
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
● Programming
● Electronics
● PCB Design
Contact: alexandre.chappuis@epflrocketteam.ch
Supervisor: TBD
Number of students: 0/1
STRUCTURE
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Bi-liquid high performance rockets often use liquid oxygen as oxidizer. It needs to be kept at a low temperature to avoid vaporizing inside the rocket’s tank.
In this project, you’ll work with the ST subsystem to design a propellant tank’s system capable of isolating the oxidizer from the environment and from the rocket’s other subsystems. This design is intended to fly on our 2023-2024 competition rocket.
This project is in the continuation of a previous semester project, researching on cryogenic tank designs.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
● [3 weeks]: Documentation
● [8 weeks]: Design
● [3 weeks]: Design Wrap up
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
● Mechanical understanding
● Thermodynamics
Contacts: antoine.marchand@epfl.ch
Supervisor: TBD
Number of students: 0/2
FLIGHT DYNAMICS
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Wind tunnels are used to simulate aerodynamic effects that would affect an object. To do so, a flow of gas is accelerated from a rest state to a velocity simulating the one the object will experiment during its movement.
Supersonic wind tunnels are rare in Switzerland (and in Europe). For this reason, the EPFL Rocket Team decided to build one in-house. A first feasibility study was performed in the Spring semester 2022.
The goal of this project is to work on a second iteration of the wind tunnel’s design taking into account practical considerations. Several improvements should be implemented so that the flow of air through the tunnel is as representative as possible as the one the rocket will face during its flight. Moreover, the data retrieved from tests in the tunnel should be as accurate as possible.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
● [4 weeks]: General research
● [5 weeks]: Improvement of current design
● [3 weeks]: Implementation of new elements
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
● Fluid Mechanics (compressible flows)
● CFD Simulations
Contact: theodore.maradan@epfl.ch
Supervisor: TBD
Number of students: 0/1
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Fin flutter is an aeroelastic instability which can affect fins in certain flight regimes. This phenomenon occurs when the structure in question reacts to a deformation caused by aerodynamic loads, ultimately creating an oscillation. This oscillation can reach critical levels leading to fracture or instability. Moreover, the aerodynamic properties of the fin are altered by its oscillatory movement.
For the reasons stated above, it is critical for us as a team to make sure that the fins used on the competition’s rocket are designed in such a way to avoid fin flutter, as it would result in a complete mission failure and could be dangerous for
operators during launch.
The goal of this project is to establish a methodology to investigate fin flutter and apply it to an existing set of fins.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
● [3 weeks]: Familiarization with the phenomenon
● [8 weeks]: Methodology definition
● [3 weeks]: Application of the methodology
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
● Fluid Mechanics (Aerodynamics)
● Simulations (CFD, FEA)
● Structural Mechanics
Contact: theodore.maradan@epfl.ch
Supervisor: TBD
Number of students: 0/1
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Attitude control is the process of controlling the orientation of the rocket during its flight. Until now, only passive attitude control has been implemented on the competition’s rocket by the use of fins. However, such elements show their limits in certain flight regimes where phenomenons such as pitch-yaw-roll coupling may appear.
The long term goal of the team is to send a rocket into space. In this context, the development of active attitude control elements for future rockets is essential for the team.
The goal of this project is to design active attitude control elements and their implementation in an experimental rocket. Sensors will have to be chosen to detect the apparition of dynamical instabilities during the flight. The active attitude
control systems should, then, be able to correct it. This project will focus on aerodynamic attitude correction methods.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
● [3 weeks]: Research about attitude control
● [4 weeks]: Choice of sensors
● [7 weeks]: Design of active attitude control elements
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
● Mechanical Design
● Aerodynamics
● Control
Contact: theodore.maradan@epfl.ch
Supervisor: TBD
Number of students: 0/1
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Wind tunnels are used to simulate aerodynamic effects that would affect an object. To do so, a flow of gas is accelerated from a rest state to a velocity simulating the one the object will experience during its movement.
During the design of the competition’s rocket, the EPFL Rocket Team relies heavily on simulations (structural & aerodynamic). Indeed, the launch windows are limited in Switzerland.
The association is sponsored by Sauber Group and, in this context, has the opportunity to perform a Wind Tunnel Test in their facilities. Given the timeline and the data it hopes to collect from this test, the Rocket Team is looking for 1 or 2 students working on a full-scale mock-up of this year’s rocket that will be tested in Sauber’s facility.
The students taking part in this project should also provide an analysis of the data given by Sauber Group after the Wind Tunnel Test.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
● [2 weeks]: Familiarization with the design of this year’s rocket and Sauber Group’s requirements
● [4 weeks]: Mock-up Design
● [6 weeks]: Mock-up Manufacturing
● [2 weeks]: Data Analysis
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
● Mechanical Design
● Aerodynamics
● Control
Contact: theodore.maradan@epfl.ch
Supervisor: TBD
Number of students: 0/1-2
IMPORTANT NOTE : THIS IS A GM BACHELOR PROJECT
This project cannot be taken as a regular Master semester project.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Bi-Liquid Rocket engine cooling defines the runtime of the engine, thus it impacts the overall performance of the rocket that the engine is mounted on. On our upcoming competition rocket the engine cooling relies only on thermal absorption, limiting the engine runtime.
Since our competition sounding rockets fly mainly inside the lower parts of the atmosphere, ambient air might be a good solution to passively cool the combustion chamber of the engine.
While cooling the combustion chamber, the system shall minimize drag using aerodynamic effects.
The goal of this project is to study the feasibility and theoretical efficiency of such a cooling device for our upcoming competition rockets equipped with bi-liquid engines.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
● [3 weeks]: Familiarization with the phenomenon
● [4 weeks]: Methodology definition
● [7 weeks]: Application of the methodology
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
● Fluid Mechanics (Aerodynamics)
● Simulations (CFD, FEA)
Contact: antoine.marchand@epfl.ch
Supervisor: TBD
Number of students: 1/3
PAYLOAD
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Project Nordend’s payload is a plasma in a liquid experiment, studying how streamer plasmas in water behave when in contact with quasi-static air bubbles in near zero gravity. In such a context, a reliable, light, small-size and electrically safe high voltage pulsed power supply is needed.
In this project, you will work with the payload subsystem to develop such a product. The input voltage will be a 15V high performance LiPo battery, capable of delivering up to 78A, and the output should be of 30 kV. The output will have the form of a PWM signal with a 1 microsecond on-time for a 1 millisecond off time, or equivalently with a 0.1% duty cycle at 1kHz.
Here are some problems that will have to be solved:
● Measuring the output voltage.
● Dealing with heat ; the circuit must be able to be turned on for up to a minute without excessive heating
● Having an electrical insulation between the low-voltage and high-voltage parts
● (Optional) The circuit must be able to turn itself off extremely fast (< 1 microsecond).
PROJECT UNFOLDING
● [4 weeks]: Documentation
● [4 weeks]: Design
● [4 weeks]: Testing
● [2 weeks]: Integration in the Payload
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn)
● Power Electronics
● High Voltage Electronics
Contact: pierre.sintre@epfl.ch
Supervisor: Prof. Dujic
Number of students: 0/2
RESEARCH PROJECTS
ICARUS
MOTIVATION
The EPFL Rocket Team aims for building thrust-vector-controlled rockets that can be reused by controlling them to land upright at a specific location. We develop algorithms that guide and control the rocket.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In this project, we would like to develop algorithms for safely adapting drone and rocket controllers online, i.e., during the flight. First, we will establish a baseline method, i.e., an adaptation approach based on conventional model identification/controller design. One approach could be to recursively fit a linear model and update controller gains based on it. Second, we will develop a Machine Learning method that tunes the existing controller, and/or models a physical submodule, and/or directly approximates a feedforward control law. Eventually, we will compare the performance of the two developed methods.
Participating students will be able to continue their projects through the second semester at EPFL Rocket Team.
SKILLS NEEDED (or that you are willing to learn)
- Understanding of flight mechanics, modelling, and identification
- Classical and/or Optimal Control (LQR/PID/MPC)
- Machine Learning methods (Neural Networks/Gaussian Processes)
- Familiarity with Python/PyTorch (for Machine Learning)
- Experience in C++
- Significant experience in coding projects
- Familiarity with ROS (Robot Operating System) is a plus
Contact: samuel.wahba@epflrocketteam.ch
Supervisor: Laboratoire d’Automatique (Johannes Waibel)
Availability: Not available this semester
MOTIVATION
The EPFL Rocket Team aims to build thrust-vector-controlled rockets that can be reused by controlling them to propulsively land. We develop our own Hopper style rocket featuring landing legs to absorb the landing impact.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In this project, we would like to size, build and test a prototype of a new retractable leg design that can be seamlessly integrated into the main structure. Retractable legs will improve control capabilities by reducing the hopper’s intertia. This project is based on previous projects wherein non-retractable designs were proposed. The participating student is asked to commit to the EPFL rocket team for the entire year.
The ultimate goal is to create a scalable solution capable of accommodating vehicles of diverse masses, up to 100kg. The student is expected to iterate on the design based on the lessons learned in testing and in simulation. The student is asked to commit to the EPFL rocket team for the entire year.
Preliminary design of the Hopper Vehicle
SKILLS NEEDED (or that you are willing to learn)
- Proeficiency in computer-aided design [CAD] (Solidworks).
- Previous experiences in leading the design, manufacturing and testing of a product.
- Experiences in Finite Element Method Simulation
Contact: samuel.wahba@epflrocketteam.ch
Supervisor: Pierre-Alain Mäusli
Availability: Unavailable
MOTIVATION
The EPFL Rocket Team aims to build thrust-vector-controlled rockets that can be reused by controlling them to propulsively land. We develop our own Hopper style rocket featuring using a gimbal module to control the pitch and yaw and are looking to develop a system to regulate and control the roll of the vehicle.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In this project, we would like to research and develop a state of the art mechanism to control the rotation along the vertical axis of the vehicle. This may involve a phase of research to evaluate and benchmark the different technical solutions followed by a preliminary design phase with appropriate simulations of the mechanism.
The ideal outcome of the project is a well-documented selection of the technical solution with a first full iteration of the design sized for a 70kg rocket Hopper. The resulting design could be later adapted in a prototype to be thoroughly tested and flown into the Hopper vehicle. The student will have the opportunity to continue his project through the second semester at EPFL Rocket Team.
Preliminary design of the Hopper Vehicle
SKILLS NEEDED (or that you are willing to learn)
- Proeficiency in computer-aided design [CAD] (Solidworks).
- Previous experiences in leading the design, manufacturing and testing of a product.
- Proficiency in Matlab/Python
Contact: samuel.wahba@epflrocketteam.ch
Supervisor: Pierre-Alain Mäusli
Availability: 1/1
EPFL ROCKET TEAM
ASSOCIATION
No Association wide project this semester!