Author: Dodia, I.A.
Paper Title Page
MO3AO04 Modelling and Control of a MeerKAT Antenna 131
 
  • I.A. Dodia
    SARAO, Cape Town, South Africa
 
  This paper presents a comprehensive approach to modeling for control system design for a MeerKAT antenna. It focuses on dynamic modeling using time and frequency domain techniques, and lays the foundation for the design of a control system to meet the telescope’s stringent pointing and tracking requirements. The paper scope includes rigid body modelling of the antenna, system identification to obtain model parameters, and building a system model in Simulink. The Simulink model allows us to compare model performance with the measured antenna pointing, under various environmental conditions. The paper also integrates models for pointing disturbances, such as wind and friction. The integrated model is compared to the existing control setup. Wind disturbance plays a significant role in the pointing performance of the antenna, therefore the focus is placed on developing an appropriate wind model. This research will conclude by providing a well-documented, systematic control system design that is owned by SARAO and can be implemented to improve the pointing performance of the telescope.  
slides icon Slides MO3AO04 [6.441 MB]  
DOI • reference for this paper ※ doi:10.18429/JACoW-ICALEPCS2023-MO3AO04  
About • Received ※ 06 October 2023 — Revised ※ 07 October 2023 — Accepted ※ 14 November 2023 — Issued ※ 18 November 2023
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