A Novel Approach for Optimal Trajectory Design with Multiple Operation Modes of Propulsion System, Part 2

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new optimal control framework for spacecraft trajectory design that efficiently manages multiple electric engines with different modes, enabling fuel-efficient paths from Earth to a comet.

Contribution

It presents the Composite Smooth Control (CSC) framework, a novel method for solving complex multi-engine, multi-mode trajectory optimization problems as a two-point boundary-value problem.

Findings

CSC reduces complex problems to a manageable TPBVP.

The method successfully optimizes operation of large engine clusters.

Results demonstrate promising application to realistic spacecraft propulsion scenarios.

Abstract

Equipping a spacecraft with multiple solar-powered electric engines (of the same or different types) compounds the task of optimal trajectory design due to presence of both real-valued inputs (power input to each engine in addition to the direction of thrust vector) and discrete variables (number of active engines). Each engine can be switched on/off independently and "optimal" operating power of each engine depends on the available solar power, which depends on the distance from the Sun. Application of the Composite Smooth Control (CSC) framework to a heliocentric fuel-optimal trajectory optimization from the Earth to the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is demonstrated, which presents a new approach to deal with multiple-engine problems. Operation of engine clusters with 4, 6, 10 and even 20 engines of the same type can be optimized. Moreover, engine clusters with different/mixed electric engines are considered with either 2, 3 or 4 different types of engines. Remarkably, the CSC framework allows us 1) to reduce the original multi-point boundary-value problem to a two-point boundary-value problem (TPBVP), and 2) to solve the resulting TPBVPs using a single-shooting solution scheme and with a random initialization of the missing costates. While the approach we present is a continuous neighbor of the discontinuous extremals, we show that the discontinuous necessary conditions are satisfied in the asymptotic limit. We believe this is the first indirect method to accommodate a multi-mode control of this level of complexity with realistic engine performance curves. The results are interesting and promising for dealing with a large family of such challenging multi-mode optimal control problems.