Week 7: New Post, New Theme?
As some of you may, or may not, know, Blogger came out with new themes that are also mobile friendly and super-attractive. In light of this, I have decided to choose a theme with a cool new back ground that celebrates the fact that I am working with stuff related to space. This theme is so ...
O=('-'Q) . I can't even...
**Cue applause**...*Applause and Cheers**
This week, we have finally established a timeline in which we can build the model satellite. The task order will be the following:
O=('-'Q) . I can't even...
**Cue applause**...*Applause and Cheers**
This week, we have finally established a timeline in which we can build the model satellite. The task order will be the following:
- A burn-wire release mechanism. A paper describing what the burn-wire release mechanism can be found here. Eric's TL;DR version of that paper is that burn wires are pretty useful for CubeSats. As you can tell from the linked website, sometimes the military comes out with pretty cool and useful technology (The internet was also derived from a military invention).
- The Cubesat structure. This is simply a 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm frame. We're not sure how thick we want each angle frame to be, but this will be the simplest task, if I can find a machine shop :(
- I will not be building the inflatable because it is sort of difficult and prone to mistakes. My mentor will handle that. Head to space.asu.edu to see a picture of my mentor, Aman Chandra, testing an inflatable inside the vacuum chamber.
- Speaking of which, I finally got to see and touch the vacuum chamber for the first time !! It was as magical as being a kid in candy shop.
- The vacuum chamber isn't really imposing. But it is in a (sort of) clean room, so shoe covers and special white jackets are required. In a room adjacent to the one containing the vacuum chamber, it is actually a clean room that requires hairnets and goggles and stuff.
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| Image Taken from NASA Techbriefs The above image is the burn wire mechanism. This is attached to a polyester loop with holding down a door with torsion spring hinges. When the heating element heats the polyester, the polyester will melt, and the door will spring open because the loop will be melted, so nothing can oppose the forces from the torsion spring. Sorry, unlike Brian, I'm not generous with pictures... |
Jumping Jumbalaya? No, it's hopping ball-robots.
I just received the task to simulate the forces and rotational momentum of the ball-hopping system with a primary focus on simulating the situation where the ball-robots scale a 90 degree cliff. I haven't made much headway into this task.
Also, my mentors have been busy with a project called SwimSat, a satellite that is supposed image meteors as they fall to the Earth. Now, they are back to full-force.
Lastly, I have decided on creating a meme every week.
Hi, Eric. What a chic theme! It sounds like your project is humming along. Could you explain how vacuum chambers work?
ReplyDeleteVacuum chambers work by constantly sucking out the air inside the vacuum chamber, much like a vacuum cleaner. As air is being sucked out, the number of air particles decrease, thus decreasing the pressure within the vacuum chamber. In the vacuum chamber I'm working with, there are two holes from which the pump can extract air. In my case, it is particularly important because the inflatable would pop if it had an internal pressure that is much larger than the vacuum pressure.
DeleteI really like the new theme! Looks great! Will you be observing your mentor construct the inflatable, or will you just focus on the Cubesat structure?
ReplyDeleteThe theme fits much better with space and the front picture looks really cool! Would the burn wire release mechanism inflate the antenna in the CubeSat?
ReplyDeleteThe burn-wire mechanism gives the inflatable space to expand. The inflatable relies on a chemical sublimate powder that is released to gain shape.
DeleteLove the new theme! Do the ball robots have some form of suction system that allows them to scale the cliff, or do they do it some other way?
ReplyDeleteSuction cups are a viable method, but they would be most useful on a smooth surface and less useful on a rough surface. These ball-robots use extremely small spines that grip onto the irregularities in the material.
DeleteHey Eric, loving the new theme! Why are you making the burn-wire release mechanism first?
ReplyDeleteThe burn-wire mechanism is the easiest component to make, so it takes precedence.
DeleteHey Eric, the new theme looks great. It seems like you are really making good progress. I like the memes too, I expect an even better one next week
ReplyDeleteHow long do you think it would take to construct these different components?
ReplyDelete