Transcript Slide 1

High Altitude Payload Design – A Mechanical Aspect
Kaysha Young and Emily Bishop – Montana State University - Bozeman
Advisor: Dr. Brock J. LaMeres
Payload Design Requirements
Mechanical System : Configuration and Testing
Mechanical System : Performance
Background: In this project, 6 female engineering students (Student Team) worked as part of an
interdisciplinary team to design a high altitude balloon payload. The payload collected
environmental information during a high altitude flight. This data was used by a Graduate Design
Team (HASP Team), to ensure that their experiment could indeed be carried out safely.
The
Mechanical Design Team designed an enclosure that was thermally suitable and structurally stable
enough to withstand the harsh conditions of the atmosphere and rough flight conditions. The team
was required to design for both the Student and HASP Teams, creating one enclosure to accomplish
both teams needs.
Final Enclosure Configuration
BOREALIS Flight
The final configuration for this enclosure
consisted of ½” expanded polystyrene
insulation, wrapped with fiberglass cloth and
resin, and coated with non –reflective Krylon
Flat White Paint .
Corner Brackets secured with screws were
used as the attachment mechanism to the
HASP Plate.
System Requirements
Total External Dimensions: 5.875 x 5.875 x 6 in3
Total Interior Volume : 130.7 in3
Below: Interior of the open
enclosure - Stability corner
brackets are in view
Mechanical
System
Enclosure
Attachment
Below: The enclosure with the
electronics assembled and
ready for flight
Thermal
Considerations
Impact
Material
Structure
Temperature
Structural System
Thermal Considerations
i. Enclosure
i. Materials: Similar to the MSU HASP Research
1. The external volume may not exceed 5.875 in x 5.875 in x 11.8
2. The internal volume must be at least 111.6 in3
ii.Attach Enclosure Structure
1. HASP
1. Enclosure must securely attach to HASP Plate and not be
disconnected for the duration of the flight
2. Must be easily attached and unattached from the HASP plate for
ease of assembly and disassembly
2. BOREALIS
1.Must attach to the BOREALIS rope connection system
iii. Impact Forces
1. Must withstand a vertical impulse force of 10 G’s
2. Must withstand a horizontal impulse force of 5 G’s
Team structure materials
1. Polystyrene must be used for the insulation
(approx. 1 cm thickness)
2. A non-reflective outer coating should be applied
3. Additional material or support structures will be
needed to make the structure strong
ii. Temperature
1. The internal temperature of the payload must be
kept between -40 C and 60 C
Above: The final enclosure that
the Graduate Design Team flew
on the High Altitude Student
Payload
Cold Chamber Test
HASP Integration
Cold Chamber Test :
Started the test at -60C. The temperature
was slowly raised up to 20C. Data was
collected during the duration of the test,
proving that the electronics were kept within
operating temperature.
Temperature profiles collect during flight can
be seen in the performance section.
Impact Test
A drop test was completed to test the
ability of the enclosure to withstand
an impact load.
Above: This figure displaces the results for the tests that the HASP Team had to pass before their payload
was accepted to fly on the High Altitude Student Payload in September 2012.
Below: Horizontal Test - Maximum Load :
X- 8G
Y – 10 G
Interdisciplinary Design Team Members
Jennifer Hoff (EE)
Kate Ferris (ME
Alison Figueira (CS)
Makenzie Guyer (CS)
Emily Bishop (ME)
Kaysha Young (ME)
Above and Left: Environmental
data collected by the payload during
the July 27, 2012 flight in Livingston
Montana. The results from this flight
proved that the enclosure is capable
of keeping the interior temperature in
the acceptable range of -40C to 60C,
this enclosure was deemed safe to
carry the HASP Team’s electronic
system.
Enclosure Assembly
Above: Exterior of the box
before it was coated with the
non-reflective paint
Structural
System
Above: The BOREALIS Balloon that the
Student payload was launched on.
Conclusion
The results show that the enclosure preformed it’s task completely. The electronics for both flights were indeed kept
at an acceptable temperature and were safe from the elements of the atmosphere. The box showed little to no
deformation after decent, proving that the enclosure was structurally adequate.
Above: Vertical Test : Max Force –
15 G
The enclosure showed no signs of
wear or tear after these impact
tests. The enclosure will withstand
the G loads required by HASP
Above: The over all acceleration :
Max : 20 + G
The vertical load reached 19 G.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to the wonderful Student Design Team – This was one of the best learning experiences. Thanks to the Graduate HASP Team for
trusting us to design the enclosure for your very important project. Thank You Brock for all of your patience and for making this project possible. Thank you Robb
Larson for all of your Mechanical Advise when we needed it. Thank you BOREALIS Team for letting our payload ride up on your balloon. Thank you to Montana Space
Grant Consortium for funding this project.
**U.S. Department of Education TRIO Ronald E. McNair Post baccalaureate Program under Grant Award No. P217A090198