CONSULTANCY FOR THE HIGH TECH INDUSTRY

Mill House Engineering and Management Consultancy has over 15 years experience in supporting state-of-the art technology projects. Activities include product development, systems engineering, mechanical engineering, project management and marketing & sales support.

 P R O J E C T      O V E R V I E W  : 

Proposal writing (2003-2009)

Proposal writing for TNO. Mill House made a vital contribution to a large number of winning proposals:

• Gaia Basic Angle Monitoring Opto Mechanical Assembly (EADS-Astrium contract)

• E-ELT M1 prototype actuator (ESO contract)

• Darwin Breadboard Cryogenic Delay Line (ESA contract)

• Several NRT/PEP proposals for Darwin, Gaia and SPICA SAFARI (NIVR/NSO contracts)

Guest editor for NVR 'Ruimtevaart' magazine (April 2009)

Guest editor for the Space Telescope special of the NVR Ruimtevaart (Spaceflight) magazine.

A 72 page glossy about the past, present and future of the Netherlands involvement in Space Telescopes and Astronomy. With editorial contributions from Astron, Marianne Besselink, Gerard Cornet, Dutch Space, Fred Kamphues, Kennislink, Sander Koenen, Mariska Kriek, Leiden Observatory, NOVA, Michel van Pelt, Govert Schilling, Space Horizon, SRON, TNO, TU Delft and Prof. Tim de Zeeuw.

The magazine is also available online on the NVR website.

Cover NVR 'Ruimtevaart'

GAIA Basic Angle Monitoring system (2003-2009)

Consultancy for TNO for the development of a Basic Angle Monitoring Opto Mechanical Assembly for GAIA. The Gaia mission will create an extraordinarily precise three-dimensional map of more than one billion stars in our Galaxy. Part of ESA's Cosmic Vision programme, the Gaia spacecraft is being built by EADS Astrium and is scheduled for launch in 2011. TNO is developing the all Silicon Carbide Basic Angle Monitoring Opto-Mechanical Assembly (BAM OMA) for this mission.

GAIA spacecraft

illustration: ESA/Medialab

Nano-actuator for E-ELT (2006)

Development of a breadboard nano-actuator for TNO. A prototype actuator has been built and tested. The prototype actuator is designed to accurately co-phase the 906 hexagonal segments of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT).

European Extremely Large Telescope

illustration: ESO

Cryogenic Optical Delay Line (2003 - 2006)

Consultancy for the development of a cryogenic optical delay line for DARWIN, based on magnetic bearing technology, under the responsibility of TNO. The work was performed under ESA contract in preparation for use in future space interferometry missions such as ESA's Darwin and NASA's TPF-I.

The breadboard delay line is representative of a flight mechanism. The delay line has a single stage voice coil actuator for Optical Path Difference (OPD) control, driving a two-mirror cat’s eye. Magnetic bearings provide frictionless and wear free operation with zero-hysteresis.  The delay line has an OPD stability of 0.9 nm rms. The delay line was successfully tested in vacuum at 40 K.

DARWIN Optical Delay Line

photo: Mill House/Fred Kamphues

courtesy of TNO

Advanced Optical Delay Line demonstrator for ground based astronomy (2004)

Consultancy for the development of an advanced optical delay line for ground based astronomy, under the responsibility of TNO. The ODL has a single linear motor actuator for Optical Path Difference (OPD) control, driving a two-mirror cat’s eye with SiC mirrors and CFRP structure. Magnetic bearings provide frictionless and wear free operation with zero-hysteresis. The delay line has an OPD stability of 5 nm rms.

Advanced Optical Delay Line demonstrator

photo: Mill House/Fred Kamphues

courtesy of TNO

Organisation of 4WD expeditions through remote areas around the world for Mill House Photography. The expeditions are equipped with the latest satellite technology, including GPS satellite navigation, Iridium satellite phone and EPIRB technology.

Eye On Australia expedition

photo: Mill House/Fred Kamphues

Overall mechanical design and Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) of the first three Delay Lines for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) for ESO, under the responsibility of Fokker Space (see also ESO press release).

The work consisted of the design of highly accurate mechanical components, with strong links to other disciplines (optics, electronics and software), as well as final adjustment of mechanical components of the first VLTI Delay Line at the VLT facility in Paranal, Chile.

VLTI delay lines in the tunnel at Cerro Paranal

photo: Mill House/Fred Kamphues

Component development and production for Benetton Formula Ltd. Technical details are classified.

Mill House made an important contribution to 35 podium finishes, including 12 Grand Prix victories, one Driver Formula One title (Michael Schumacher in 1995) and one Constructor Formula One title.

Johny Herbert/Benetton B195

photo: Rick Dikeman

Solar Arrays and Release Mechanisms for satellites (1996 - 1998)

Consultant for the development of a solar array production line at Fokker Space.

Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) manager for the Nilesat and Worldstar 2 & 3 solar arrays at Fokker Space.

Consultant for Fokker Space for the concept definition, mechanical design and AIT for the solar array of the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to the International Space Station.

Consultant for various Holddown and Release Systems for Fokker Space (Quickbird, AXAF, Sciamachy).

Nilesat solar array

photo: Fokker Space

Unicef Flyer (1994 - 1996)

Responsible for the design and development of the tank release system.

The project was one of the attempts to fly non-stop around the world in a hot air balloon.

Unicef Flyer

photo: Mill House/Fred Kamphues

Software development for Motor Racing - F3000 and Indy Cars (1993 - 1996)

1996: Data aquisition engineer for Auto Sport Racing (ASR) with Thomas Biagi in the 1996 International F3000 Championship.

1996: Implementing of spare part logistics and mileage database software for Auto Sport Racing (ASR) in F3000.

1996: Development of car setup database software for Auto Sport Racing (ASR) in F3000.

1994: Implementing of spare part logistics and mileage database software for Arie Luyendyks Indy Car team Indy Regency Racing.

1993: Development of spare part logistics and mileage database software for Crypton Engineering in F3000.

1993: Development of car setup database software for Crypton Engineering in F3000. 

Arie Luyendyk

photo: Mill House/Fred Kamphues

 P U B L I C A T I O N S : 

 2009: 

* Corrective polishing of strongly curved aspheric silicon carbide mirrors (Conference Proceedings Paper), SPIE Optifab, May 2009

Picometer metrologie voor de Gaia missie, NVR Ruimtevaart 2009-2

 2008:

Astronomische Telescopen, article in NVPT Yearbook 2009, November 2008, NVPT 

Pico Meter Metrology for Gaia mission, International Conference on Space Optics (ICSO) 2008, October 2008 

Picometre metrology in space, article in Mikroniek, periodical for precision technology, June 2008

* Picometer metrology for the Gaia mission (Conference Proceedings Paper), Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2008: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter, 12 July 2008, SPIE Volume 7010

* Simultaneous observation of two stars using the Prima Star Separator (Conference Proceedings Paper), Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2008: Instruments, July 2008, SPIE Volume 7013

 2007:

* The development of a breadboard cryogenic optical delay line for Darwin (Conference Proceedings Paper), Cryogenic Optical Systems and Instruments XII, 66920A, 17 September 2007, SPIE Volume 6692

Darwin - Een optische vertragingslijn voor een ruimtetelescoop, NVPT Yearbook 2007, text: Ben Braam, Teun van den Dool, Fred Kamphues

 2006:

* The DARWIN breadboard optical delay line verification programme (Conference Proceedings Paper), Advances in Stellar Interferometry, 62682O, 28 June 2006, SPIE Volume 6268

* The Darwin Breadboard Cryogenic Optical Delay Line, Sixth International Conference on Space Optics, Proceedings of ESA/CNES ICSO 2006, held 27-30 June 2006 at ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Edited by A. Wilson. ESA SP-621. European Space Agency, 2006.

 2005:

* The manufacturing, assembly and acceptance testing of the breadboard cryogenic optical delay line for DARWIN, SPIE  Conference Optics and Photonics [5904- p. 367-377], August 2005, San Diego, USA

The development of a cryogenic delay line for DARWIN, ICMENS  Conference, July 2005, Banff, Canada

2004:

* Magnetic Bearing optical delay line,  SPIE Conference Optical Science and Technology [5528A-37], August 2004, Denver, USA

Metrology concept design of the GAIA basic angle monitoring system,  SPIE Conference Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation SPIE [5495-02], june 2004, Glasgow, UK

* DARWIN cryogenic optical delay line, SPIE Conference Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation [5495-40], June 2004, Glasgow, UK

* Advanced optical delay line demonstrator, SPIE Conference Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation [5495-41], June 2004, Glasgow, UK

 2000:

Test results of the VLTI delay line system verification program, H. Hogenhuis, Fokker Space B.V. (Netherlands), SPIE Conference Astronomical Telescope and Instrumentation [4006-22], March 2000, Munich, Germany

* © COPYRIGHT SPIE - These papers are published in the Proceedings of various SPIE Conferences and are made available as an electronic reprint with permission of SPIE.  One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only.  Systematic or multiple reproduction, distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibited.