Institutional Repository
Technical University of Crete
Technical University of Crete
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| URI: | http://purl.tuc.gr/dl/dias/7210C193-B280-45F0-84D1-92E859F54806 | ||
| Year | 2025 | ||
| Type of Item | Diploma Work | ||
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| Bibliographic Citation | Nikolaos Kontonikolis, "Energy management system of vehicles for space missions", Diploma Work, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece, 2025 https://doi.org/10.26233/heallink.tuc.102093 | ||
| Appears in Collections |
The exploration of the lunar south pole has emerged as a prime objective for space agencies and companies, driven by the need to develop long term operations in the Moon. A critical component of this endeavor is the efficient utilization of lunar resources, particularly volatiles, which can support the production of propellant and oxygen. Permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), known for their extremely low temperatures, are promising locations for volatile deposits. However, these areas present significant operational challenges for robotic missions due to perpetual darkness and harsh environmental conditions. Conventional photovoltaic-battery systems are often inadequate, requiring disproportionally large batteries or frequent mission downtime for recharging, while radioisotope-based systems pose environmental and technical risks. This thesis introduces SELAS (Solar Energy Lightweight Adjustable Station), a solar-powered charging rover designed to operate in illuminated regions of the lunar south pole and recharge prospecting rovers working in PSRs. SELAS features an advanced energy management system (EMS) and an optimized power architecture developed using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, minimizing system mass while ensuring reliability. By exclusively employing components of high technology readiness, SELAS adopts a pragmatic approach. A custom algorithm optimizes SELAS's daily traversing and charging schedules. The capabilities of SELAS were tested through MATLAB simulations considering varying power consumption scenarios and operational conditions of missions in Henson Crater. Two configurations were evaluated: a 1:1 setup, where one SELAS charges a single rover, and a 2:1 setup, where one SELAS charges two rovers. Results demonstrated SELAS's superior performance compared to conventional power solutions, particularly in robotic swarm operations, where it effectively supports multiple rovers.
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