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Interns / Bachelor or Master Thesis
Enter the fascinating world of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; 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!
For our department of Unmanned Aircraft in Braunschweig we are looking for a
Student Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science or similar (f/m/x)
Modelling and Flight Control Development of a Morphing Trailing Edge Fixed Wing Aircraft
What to expect:
The interdisciplinary research project "morphAIR" aims to enhance flight performance through shape-changing wings and determine their contribution to improving the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft. While morphing technologies have been explored extensively in ground and wind tunnel tests, key measurements such as fuel consumption and changes in flight characteristics, which can only be assessed through flight tests, are missing. Furthermore, the integration of AI-based control with morphing technologies remains relatively unexplored but holds significant potential for advancements in flight control and performance.
To achieve these scientific objectives while minimizing risk, scaled flight tests with an unmanned aerial system (UAS) are planned. The test vehicle, designated "Proteus," features a wingspan of 2.95 m, a maximum take-off weight of approximately 70 kg, and a maximum flight speed of around 300 km/h. Modifications include variable shape leading and trailing edges using compliant mechanisms, hybrid composite materials, and active material systems. Unconventional shape changes, such as alterations to the wing area, wingspan, winglet position, and aspect ratio, will be designed and tested in the laboratory for potential follow-up projects.
We offer opportunities for student research projects in the following areas:
Modeling:
Extension of the flight dynamics model with faster or higher fidelity methods
- Development of a VLM model for morphing wing aerodynamics
- Modeling of wind/turbulence/gust effects
- Modeling of RC size turbojet
- Modeling of sensor noise/drift/etc., from flight experiment data
Simulation:
Extension of the flight simulation with additional functionalities
- Development of an HIL interface to connect the simulation environment with physical hardware components
- Improvement of the visualization framework
- Improvement of computational performance
- Validation and verification against other flight simulations
Reinforcement learning based controller:
Development of a reinforcement learning (RL) controller for a UAV with morphing wing shape
- Safe learning: Ensure safe operations within defined safety constraints and introduce safety layers to maintain stability
- Robustness: Handling of uncertainties with regards to measurements, actuators, and environmental conditions
- Energy consumption: Optimized control strategies to reduce induced drag
- Training and transfer learning: Development of suitable training environments and scenarios as well as transferring trained RL models from simulation to real-world UAVs
What we expect from you:
- current enrollment in a Bachelor’s or Master’s program in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
- strong interest in flight dynamics, control systems, and artificial intelligence
- experience with simulation tools and software for flight dynamics
- good programming skills, particularly in Python or C++
- experience with flight control systems, particularly Ardupilot and PX4
- ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team
What 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.
Further information:
Starting date: 01.09.2024
Duration of contract: TBD
Type of employment: full-time
Duration of contract: TBD
Type of employment: full-time
Vacancy-ID: 95566
Contact:
Lennart Felix Kracke Institut für Flugsystemtechnik
Lennart Felix Kracke Institut für Flugsystemtechnik
Lennart.Kracke@dlr.de
