High Fidelity Dynamic Aeroelasticity Response Analysis and Active Vibration Attenuation and Control of High Precision Ground Antennas Subject to Aerodynamic Gust

甚长基线干涉测量(VLBI)是射电天文学和测地线应用中的一种技术。在射电天文学中，这项技术主要用于在可观测的宇宙中观察和定位自然存在的或发展中的物体。它还被用于许多大地测量应用，如全球定位和地球自转研究等。在目前的VLBI系统中，典型的地面天线有两个主要的定位轴，即方位(一次)和仰角(二次)。每个轴都有一个编码器，用于估计天线指向天空的位置。通常为每个定位轴设计一个独立的控制器系统，考虑到天线组件在运行过程中的多体动力学，而忽略了其结构的灵活性。这种灵活性通常通过开发用于天线系统的超大尺寸和极其僵硬的结构部件来最小化。然而，近年来，随着天线需要通信的数据速率的增加，指向精度已经成为获得高质量图像的关键。为了达到这样的精度，需要适当地估计和抑制热膨胀等动力扰动和阵风等风湍流所造成的影响。InterTronic Solutions Inc.正与卡尔顿大学航空航天结构与材料实验室(ASM-Lab)合作，通过集成高性能的主动减振和控制技术，为新一代VLBI系统开发非常高精度的地面天线，考虑到动态气动弹性效应，并能够达到新的严格设计要求。还将建立天线结构和系统设计的多目标设计优化平台，以实现性能最大化和重量最小化，同时考虑到成本效益和减少环境足迹的制造限制。这项研究的成功结果将使InterTronic Solutions Inc.能够提高其国际竞争力和就业率。

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is a technique used in radio astronomy and geodesic applications. In radio astronomy, this technique is used mainly to observe and position the naturally existing or developing objects within the observable universe. It has been also used for many geodesy applications such as global positioning and earth rotation studies, among others. In the current state of the art VLBI system, a typical ground antenna possesses two main positioning axes, namely, the azimuth (primary) and the elevation (secondary). Each axis, has an encoder that is used to estimate the antenna pointing position towards the sky. An independent controller system is usually designed for each positioning axis taking into consideration the multi-body dynamics of the antenna assembly during operation while ignoring its structural flexibilities. Such flexibilities are normally minimized through the development of an over-sized and extremely stiff structural components for the antenna system. However, in more recent years, with the increased data rate at which the antennas need to communicate, the pointing-accuracy has become critical to obtain high quality images. In order to achieve such precision, the effects caused by dynamic disturbances such as thermal expansion and wind turbulence such as gust, need to be properly estimated and suppressed. InterTronic Solutions Inc., in partnership with the Aerospace Structures and Materials Laboratory (ASM-Lab) at Carleton University are taking on the challenge of developing a very high precision ground antenna for the new generation of VLBI system through the integration of high performance active vibration attenuation and control techniques, accounting for dynamic aeroelastic effects and capable of achieving the new stringent design requirement. A multi-objective design optimization platform for the antenna structural and system design will also be built for performance maximization and weight minimization taking into consideration manufacturing constraints for cost effectiveness and reduced environmental footprint. A successful outcome of this research will enable InterTronic Solutions Inc. to increase their international competitiveness and employment rate.