Take-Off of a Solar-Driven High-Altitude Platform Using a Take-Off Vehicle

Enter the fascinating world of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V.; DLR) and help shape the future through research and innovation! We offer an exciting and inspiring working environment driven by the expertise and curiosity of our 11,000 employees from 100 nations and our unique infrastructure. Together, we develop sustainable technologies and thus contribute to finding solutions to global challenges. Would you like to join us in addressing this major future challenge? Then this is your place!

Vacancy-ID: 4133
Place of work: Braunschweig
Starting date: immediately
Career level: Graduates; Student research project and final thesis
Type of employment: Part time; Full-time
Duration of contract: 6 months
Remuneration: Remuneration is in accordance with the Collective Agreement for the Public Sector – Federal Government (TVöD-Bund)

Welcome to the Institute of Flight Systems Engineering. Our work centres on the interaction between aircraft configuration, pilots and modern flight system technology. From flight dynamics to unmanned aerial vehicles, from simulation to real flight tests – we analyse, test and develop innovations that will shape the flying of the future.

What we offer you

DLR (German Aerospace Center) is currently developing a solar-driven high-altitude platform, which is supposed to be used for Earth observation missions in the context of the project HAP (High-Altitude Platform). Due to high weight restrictions the aircraft is designed without classical landing gear. Instead, a take-off vehicle is intended to be used. It consists of a movable carrier mounted on a car trailer. This Master’s thesis deals with simulations of the take-off process. For this purpose, the already existing flight dynamic model of the high-altitude platform (MATLAB/Simulink) should be used und extended. Here, special emphasis is put on modeling of the take-off vehicle as a multibody system. This includes the trailer (longitudinal and vertical motion only) and the above-mounted carrier. Contact between ground and trailer and carrier and aircraft are supposed to be modeled using spring-damper systems. The motor vehicle towing the take-off vehicle is modeled with a simple point mass.

Your tasks

Literature research
Extension of the flight dynamic model by implementing a carrier. At this stage the trailer, where the carrier is mounted on, is modeled as an accelerated point mass.
Simulation and investigation of the take-off process at different wind conditions and perturbations applied to the carrier.
Extension of the model by implementing the trailer as a multiple-masses system.
Simulation, analysis of the results and comparison for both modeling approaches
Documentation

Your profile

Bachelor’s degree of Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering or a comparable field of studies
Basic understanding of modeling and simulation of dynamical systems
Interest in flight dynamics
Experiences using MATLAB/Simulink

We offer
DLR stands for diversity, appreciation and equality for all people. We promote independent work and the individual development of our employees both personally and professionally. To this end, we offer numerous training and development opportunities. Equal opportunities are of particular importance to us, which is why we want to increase the proportion of women in science and management in particular. Applicants with severe disabilities will be given preference if they are qualified.

We look forward to getting to know you!

If you have any questions about this position (Vacancy-ID 4133) please contact:

Yasim Julian Hasan
Tel.: 0531/295 3361