Space Shuttle UHF communications performance evaluation

Computational investigations and experimental measurements were performed to evaluate the Space Shuttle UHF communication system performance for payload bay antenna at the proposed new location. To insure adequate communication coverage at relocated new location, the link margin for the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) astronauts and between Space Shuttle Orbiter and International Space Station (SSO-ISS) during rendezvous were analyzed. The multipath effects from the vehicle structures surrounding the antenna were investigated. The Radio Frequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation to the Orbiter Docking System (ODS) pyrotechnics was also analyzed to ensure the EMC/EMI compliances.     

Quantitative speed control for SRM drive using fuzzy adapted inverse model

Quantitative and robust speed control for a switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive is considered to be rather difficult and challenging owing to its highly nonlinear dynamic behavior. A speed control scheme having two-degree-of-freedom (2DOF) structure is developed here to improve the speed dynamic response of an SRM drive. In the proposed control scheme, the feedback controller is quantitatively designed to meet the desired regulation control requirements first. Then a reference model and a command feedforward controller based on an inverse plant model are employed to yield the desired tracking response at nominal case. As the variations of system parameters and operating conditions occur, the prescribed control specifications may not be satisfied any more. To improve this, the inverse model is adaptively tuned by a fuzzy control scheme so that the model-following tracking error is significantly reduced. In addition, a simple disturbance cancellation robust controller is added to improve the tracking and regulation control performances further.