Are you an EPFL student and looking for a semester credited, Bachelors or Masters Project ? Look no further! We have something for you!
If you can’t find your dream project down here, but have an idea or would like to suggest your own project to do with us, we are open to suggestions! Feel free to contact us and we can talk about it.
COMPETITON PROJECT
RECOVERY
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In rocketry, the rocket is recovered using parachutes. Two parachutes are usually used, a small drogue parachute is deployed at the apogee and the big main parachute is deployed closer to the ground (often around 400m of altitude). This reduces the drift during descent which allows the rocket to be picked up closer to the launch site.
The EPFL Rocket Team has developed a different method to recover the rocket using a reefed parachute. It consists of one parachute which changes its canopy shape during the descent, varying the descent velocity. The shape of the canopy is controlled by the reefing line at the bottom of the parachute. The loads applied on the reefing line mainly depend on the shape of the parachute. The goal of this semester project would be to develop a system which can measure the tension in the reefing line throughout the recovery procedure.
The system would be located on one of the reefing lines (towards the bottom of the parachute) and would measure the tension on the reefing line during the deployment and the descent of the parachute. The goal of this project is to design, manufacture and test the measurement system.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
- [2 weeks]: Concept and documentation
- [4 weeks]: Design
- [8 weeks]: Manufacturing and testing
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
- Electronics
- Programming
- PCB Design
Contact: ryan.svoboda@epfl.ch
Supervisor: Guillermo Villanueva
Number of students: 0/1
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In rocketry, the rocket is recovered using parachutes. Two parachutes are usually used, a small drogue parachute is deployed at the apogee and the big main parachute is deployed closer to the ground (often around 400m of altitude). This reduces the drift during descent which allows the rocket to be picked up closer to the launch site.
The EPFL Rocket Team has developed a different method to recover the rocket using a reefed parachute. It consists of one parachute which changes its canopy shape during the descent, varying the descent velocity. The shape of the canopy is controlled by the reefing line at the bottom of the parachute. In order to fully open the parachute, the reefing line is cut by an electronically activated line cutter. Given that the line cutter is attached at the bottom of the parachute it undergoes substantial forces throughout the recovery procedure.
The goal of this semester project is to design, manufacture and test a system which would be attached to a parachute near one of the line cutters in order to measure the accelerations and vibrations applied to the line cutter.
SEMESTER UNFOLDING
- [2 weeks]: Research
- [4 weeks]: Design
- [8 weeks]: Manufacturing and testing
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
- Electronics
- Programming
- PCB Design
Contact: ryan.svoboda@epfl.ch
Supervisor: Guillermo Villanueva
Number of students: 0/1
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In rocketry, the rocket is recovered using parachutes. Two parachutes are usually used, a small drogue parachute is deployed at the apogee and the big main parachute is deployed closer to the ground (often around 400m of altitude). This reduces the drift during descent which allows the rocket to be picked up closer to the launch site.
The EPFL Rocket Team has developed a different method to recover the rocket using a reefed parachute. It consists of one parachute which changes its canopy shape during the descent, varying the descent velocity. The shape of the canopy is controlled by the reefing line at the bottom of the parachute. In order to fully open the parachute, the reefing line is cut by an electronically activated line cutter.
The goal of this semester project would be to design, manufacture and test an alternative reefing line cutter which can be activated either by a pull tab or electronically.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
- [2 weeks]: Reading documentation
- [5 weeks]: Design
- [6 weeks]: Manufacturing and testing
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
● Programming
● Electronics
● PCB Design
Contact: ryan.svoboda@epfl.ch
Supervisor: Sébastien Soubielle
Number of students: 0/1
STRUCTURE
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
ERT is aiming to build a rocket which competes in the 9km bi-liquid category at EuRoc for 2025. Such a vehicle represents new challenges which have not been tackled yet within the association. Its engine will be fueled with liquid-oxygen and ethanol and it will enable the rocket to do a supersonic flight.
The aim of the project is to design a tank compatible with liquid oxygen, which means that it can withstand temperatures colder than -183°C. Designing such a cryogenic tank requires an insulation system to keep the oxygen in liquid state while protecting surrounding parts from cryogenic temperature. Moreover, the tank must be integrable in the rocket being built for the next competition, with coupling points and plumbing access. In short, the project involves designing a functional tank ready for production.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
- [3 weeks]: Documentation
- [8 weeks]: Design
- [3 weeks]: Design Wrap up
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
- Mechanical design (CAD)
- Thermal engineering
- FEM knowledge
Contacts: michael.fuser@epfl.ch
Supervisor: Eric Boillat
Number of students: 2/2
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The EPFL Rocket Team is an interdisciplinary project and an association, whose goal is to be the first student team to reach the Karman line (100km) with a rocket propelled by a bi-liquid engine by 2027.
This semester project aims to study and develop the global structure of a supersonic rocket reaching space, based on past competition and research projects. The structure must be modular, reliable, and as efficient as possible. The rocket shall respect constraints such as the integration of the different subsystems, for example the engine or the electronics.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
- [4 weeks]: State of the art, analysis
- [4 weeks]: Part dimensioning, FEM study
- [3 weeks]: Material selection
- [10 weeks]: CAD design, manufacture & testing
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
- CAD/Mechanical design
- Knowledge in materials
- FEM
- Assembly and testing
Contacts: michael.fuser@epfl.ch
Supervisor: Philippe Bonhôte
Number of students: 1/1
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
ERT is aiming to build a rocket which competes in the 9km bi-liquid category at EuRoc for 2025. Such a vehicle represents new challenges which have not been tackled yet within the association. For EuRoC 2023, the team has built a rocket which can be assembled/disassembled as much as needed thanks to a threaded coupling system. Other coupling systems were present on the previous rockets and can be a starting point for the semester project.
The student will design or choose a coupling system that can be used for all the rocket’s modules and be scalable from a 8 inch rocket to a 10 inch rocket. It shall provide a tradeoff between mass, integration diameter, integration difficulty, part count, cost and machining difficulty.
PROJECT UNFOLDING:
- [3 weeks]: Literature review
- [8 weeks]: Design
- [3 weeks]: Design wrap-up
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn):
- Mechanical design (CAD)
- FEM analysis
- Optimization
Contacts: michael.fuser@epfl.ch
Supervisor: Sébastien Soubielle
Number of students: 1/1
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: michael.fuser@epfl.ch
Supervisor: TBD
Number of students: 0/1
AVIONICS
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The objective of this semester project is to design and manufacture a standalone, battery powered camera module which can be placed anywhere on the rocket and captures footage of the rocket during each of its flight stages. The EPFL Rocket Team has not had a working version of a camera module on the rocket yet, and its integration would be interesting for testing and analysis purposes, for visual feedback of the objectives aimed for by the team, and for promotional and communication purposes. Additionally, if time permits, the project will explore the integration of real-time streaming of the video feed over WiFi to the ground segment during the rocket flight, which would give the added benefit of direct feedback to the team and additional enthusiasm for promotional purposes.
PROJECT UNFOLDING
- [1 week]: Choice of components
- [6 weeks]: PCB Design
- [3 weeks]: Device programming
- [3 weeks]: Testing and Debugging
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn)
- PCB design
- Electronics
- Software design
Contact: ryan.svoboda@epfl.ch
Supervisor: Ties Kluter
Number of students: 0/1
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The EPFL Rocket Team’s semester project aims to improve the performance of the existing WiFi antenna used for rocket telemetry and communication. Currently, the team uses a patch antenna, but it suffers from limited bandwidth, restricting the data transmission capabilities. The primary goal of this project is to extend the antenna’s bandwidth to fully utilize the WiFi channel spectrum. Additionally, if time permits, the project will explore the addition of a passive element to the patch antenna to redirect the gain pattern towards the bottom, compensating for the angle of transmission at high elevations during rocket flights.
PROJECT UNFOLDING
- [5 weeks]: Design
- [5 weeks]: Fabrication
- [4 weeks]: Performance tests
SKILLS NEEDED (or willing to learn)
- Electromagnetism
- Antenna simulation, fabrication
- Antenna testing
Contact: ryan.svoboda@epfl.ch
Supervisor: TBD
Number of students: 0/1
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
HYPERION
EPFL ROCKET TEAM
ASSOCIATION
No Association wide project this semester!