Multi-objective optimisation of low-thrust trajectories

Zuiani, Federico (2015) Multi-objective optimisation of low-thrust trajectories. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This research work developed an innovative computational approach to the preliminary design of low-thrust trajectories optimising multiple mission criteria.
Low-Thrust (LT) propulsion has become the propulsion system of choice for a number of near Earth and interplanetary missions. Consequently, in the last two decades a good wealth of research has been devoted to the development of computational method to design low-thrust trajectories. Most of the techniques, however, minimise or maximise a single figure of merit under a set of design constraints. Less effort has been devoted to the development of efficient methods for the minimisation (or maximisation) of two or more figures of merit. On the other hand, in the preliminary mission design phase, the decision maker is interested in analysing as many design solutions as possible against different trade-off criteria.
Therefore, in this PhD work, an innovative Multi-Objective (MO), memetic optimisation algorithm, called Multi-Agent Collaborative Search (MACS2), has been implemented to tackle low-thrust trajectory design problems with multiple figures of merit. Tests on both academic and real-world problems showed that the proposed MACS2 paradigm performs better than or as well as other state-of-the-art Multi-Objective optimisation algorithms.
Concurrently, a set of novel approximated, first-order, analytical formulae has been developed, to obtain a fast but reliable estimation of the main trade-off criteria. These formulae allow for a fast propagation of the orbital motion under a constant perturbing acceleration. These formulae have been shown to allow for the fast and relatively accurate propagation of long LT trajectories under the typical acceleration level delivered by current engine technology.
Various applications are presented to demonstrate the validity of the combination of the analytical formulae with MACS2. Among them, the preliminary design of the JAXA low-cost DESTINY mission to L2, a novel approach to the optimisation under uncertainty of deflection actions for Near Earth Objects (NEO), and the de-orbiting of space debris with low-thrust and with a combination of low-thrust and solar radiation pressure.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Multi-objective optimisation, orbital dynamics, space trajectory optimisation, low-thrust propulsion, evolutionary computation, robust design, preliminary space mission design, space debris
• Subjects: Q Science > Q Science (General); Q Science > QA Mathematics; Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Computer software; Q Science > QC Physics; T Technology > T Technology (General); T Technology > TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery; T Technology > TL Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics
• Colleges/Schools: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Autonomous Systems and Connectivity
• Supervisor's Name: Vasile, Dr. Massimiliano
• Date of Award: 2015
• Depositing User: Dr. Federico Zuiani
• Unique ID: glathesis:2015-6311
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 01 May 2015 15:03
• Last Modified: 15 Apr 2020 16:19
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.6311
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/6311