A WUT graduate receives an award from the Polish Space Agency
Konrad Aleksiejuk during the testing campaign of the filter wheel built for the Proba-3 mission run by the European Space Agency; photo: as received
Mgr inż. Konrad Aleksiejuk, who graduated in Applied Automation and Robotics from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology, came in second in the Master’s Thesis category.
His thesis entitled: “A power electronics converter with SiC transistors for a planetary penetrator” was prepared under the supervision of dr. inż. Mariusz Zdanowski.
Its aim was to build a power supply system for a planetary penetrator. Planetary penetrators are devices which penetrate the surface of the studied celestial body, such as a comet, Mars or the Moon. They can deposit sensors or collect samples from up to several meters below the surface. An example of such a device is the HP3 penetrator, which is currently operated on Mars as part of the InSight mission.
“I developed a power supply system for a new type of penetrator – fitted with a magnetic drive, rather than a traditional spring wound up by a motor,” explains mgr inż. Konrad Aleksiejuk. “In this way, the operating parameters of the device can be adjusted to the conditions prevailing on the astronomical object. An important component of the project was an analysis of the use of semi-conducting elements made of silicon carbide in space. The power supply I devised is also based on SiC connectors.
When he studied at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology, he was an active member of the Robotics Student Research Group and as such, he contributed to many interesting space-related projects. He also took part in international competitions, such as the University Rover Challenge organized in a desert in Utah, USA.
Konrad Aleksiejuk at the US University Rover Challenge, photo: as received.
He currently works as an Electronic Engineer at the Centre for Space Research where he specializes in testing and designing power supply units for space missions. He admits that the knowledge he gained during lectures and practical classes on electronics, converters and power supply systems now comes in handy in his everyday work.
As part of the competition for the Scientific Award of the President of the Polish Space Agency, diploma theses on space research could be submitted. The Award is intended to promote individual and collective accomplishments of Polish university students. This year, the Award was granted for the third time.
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