Development of an advanced nano-satellite (Velox-II) power management system

• Main Author: Koh, Yongjian
• Other Authors: Low Kay Soon
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering::Electric power::Auxiliaries, applications and electric industries
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/61205
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Intra-Satellite wireless communication has the potential to provide many benefits to Satellites. Firstly, wireless communication reduces the need for wired connections, reducing mass and complexity involved in the harnessing process. Secondly, it allows more flexibility to design satellites under space constraints. The first part of the report will be focused on enhancing the firmware of Nanyang Technological University’s Nano-Satellites. Data are transferred between 2 subsystems wirelessly for data monitoring purposes. Parameters are also duplicated from one subsystem to another subsystem, proving the feasibility of command based and settings related wireless communication. The second part focuses on the design and testing of the VELOX-II hardware design. With the works on the VELOX-I Nano-Satellite almost completed, all efforts have been put into the design of the VELOX-II Nano-Satellite. The following report also covers the design of the VELOX-II’s Power Management System. While the architecture is very similar to VELOX-I’s Power Management System, VELOX-II must be designed to accommodate an additional payload with high power consumption (30W). The solar panels, which are twice the size of VELOX-I’s, will be able to provide more energy for the Nano-Satellite. To evaluate the Power Management System’s reliability and performance, an experimental setup is prepared to conduct hardware testing. The results, analysis and conclusion will be covered in the report.