Rock Sat-CConceptual Design Review

The New Jersey Space Grant Consortium at Stevens Institute of Technology 

and Rutgers UniversityMike Giglia, Ethan Hayon, Robert Hopkins, Jenny

Jean, Mark Siembab, Sean Watts

09/30/2011

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CoDR Presentation Contents

• Section 1: Mission Overviewo Mission Overviewo Theory and Conceptso Mission Requirements (brief, upper level)o Concept of Operationso Expected Results

• Section 2: Design Overviewo Design Overviewo Functional Block Diagramso Payload Layouto RockSat-C 2012 User’s Guide Complianceo Shared Can Logistics (if applicable)

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CoDR Presentation Contents

• Section 3: Managemento Scheduleo Budgeto Mentors (Faculty, industry)

• Section 4: Conclusions

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Mission Overview

• Experiments:o Atmospheric

O3

CH4

CO2o Vibration

Piezo vibration of sensor plateo Temperature

Infrared beam pointed on inside skin of rocketo Rotational Frequency

Gyroscope to measure rockets rotational frequency

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Mission Overview: Theory and Concepts

• Ground level ozone (O3) - a key constituent of the troposphere. It is also a constituent of certain regions of the stratosphere commonly known as the Ozone layer. At abnormally high concentrations brought about by human activities (largely the combustion of fossil fuel), it is a pollutant, and a constituent of smog.

• As our payload ascends to an apogee of 72 miles, air will flow across our sensors allowing for readings of various gasses at different altitudes

 • Collection of this data will provide an

understanding of what instruments can be exposed on a payload due to possible contact with gasses that may cause malfunction or interference.

• The earth's atmosphere comprised of 70% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 8% CO2, and 1% of various other gases.

• Top 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) are Ozone (O3), Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4).

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Mission Overview: Theory and Concepts

• Methane (CH4) - a hydrocarbon that is the primary component of natural gas as well as a very potent and important greenhouse gas, which is a very efficient GHG which contributes to global warming. Both air pollution and global warming could be reduced by controlling emissions of methane gas. 

• Carbon dioxide (CO2) - a colorless, odorless, non-toxic greenhouse gas associated with ocean acidification, emitted from sources such as combustion, cement production, and respiration.

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Mission Overview: Mission Requirements

• Minimum success criteriao If the payload records partial atmospheric readings of the various

gasses (CO2, CO, SO2, O3) the payload will be considered a success.  

o The AVR data acquisition board records sensor measurements into on-board flash memory storage.

 o Infrared temperature readings vary throughout flight

o Pressure of the atmospheric containment vessel varies throughout flight.

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Mission Overview: Concept of Operations

o Payload will take different sensory data throughout the flight, atmospheric tests will conclude shortly after apogee while temperature tests will not conclude until power failure or memory overflow. 

 o Results will include all sensory data per unit time once

converted from the payload. 

o Example on following 2 slides.

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Example ConOps

t ≈ 1.3 minAltitude: 75 km

t ≈ 15 minSplash Down

t ≈ 1.7 minAltitude: 95 km

-G switch triggered-All systems on-Begin data collection

t = 0 min

t ≈ 4.0 minAltitude: 95 km

Apogeet ≈ 2.8 min

Altitude: ≈115 km

End of Orion Burnt ≈ 0.6 min

Altitude: 52 km

t ≈ 4.5 minAltitude: 75 km

Altitude

t ≈ 5.5 minChute Deploys

Atmospheric tests begin - When does NASA open the static/dynamic ports?

-Infrared temperature readings begin 

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Atmospheric tests conclude. Close redundant input valve.

Mission Overview: Expected Results

• Expected Results:o A steady increase in infrared temperature due to heat

from exhaust gas and atmospheric friction is expected during lift off.

o Instant High-Z acceleration and low levels of X and Y acceleration.

o Gyroscope readings around 7 Hzo Change in pressure when atmospheric port is openedo Pollution level gradient during ascent

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Design Overview

• Electronics and atmospheric hardware will be mounted on a conventional makrolon plate using screws and brackets.

• Crucial components consist of:o Thyristor-based activation circuit o Sensor boards for each type of pollutanto Check valve and solenoid pinch valve for

redundant splashdown protectiono Air sampling Vessel

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Design Overview: Functional Block Diagrams

• The payload has mechanical, electrical and software interactions within parts of the payload itself.

 • Next two slides show the Functional Block

Diagrams of the electrical and mechanical components.

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FBD (electrical)

Microcontroller

G-Switch RBF (Wallops)

ADC

Power

SD card

Pressure Sensor

Infrared Thermometer

Gyroscope 

PowerData

CO Sensor

CO2 Sensor O3 Sensor

SO2 collector

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FBD – Mechanical / System (rough diagram)

AVR Board

Power                             

                Makrolon plate

Atmospheric Sample

Handling Unit

All other sensors

Mounts to bottom of AVR plate with standoffs

Mounts to top canister with standoffs

Connected to each other with standoffs

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Design Overview: Payload Layout

Top Plate: 

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Design Overview: Payload Layout

• We plan to use 2 plates in our half-canister. • Top plate: 

o AVR Data Acquisition Boardo Batteries

 • Bottom plate:

o Air sampling vessel (with sensors inside)o Redundant safety valves o Pressure sensoro Infrared temperature sensoro Accelerometers (x, y, z => high range)o Gyroscopic sensor

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Design Overview: RockSat-C 2012 User’s Guide Compliance

• Predicted mass – payload - ~5 lbs. • Predicted volume – 1/2 Canister 

 • Types of activation:

o G-Switch with thyristoro Activation to close atmospheric valveo RBF Switch 

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Design Overview: Shared Can Logistics

• We do not have a partner team yet o To collect and analyze data for future space research

operations through various experiments designed and implemented on the payload.

• Plan for collaborationo We are open to any kind of consistent open

communication between teamso If the partner team's school is

reasonably close we are open to a fit check

• Structural interface o The team will opt for standoffs

but will take other ideas into consideration

• Our team will use both a dynamic and static atmospheric port

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Preliminary Fall Semester Schedule19

Preliminary Fall Semester Schedule20

Preliminary Fall Semester Schedule21

• Missiono To collect and analyze data for future space research operations

through various experiments designed and implemented on a payload. 

 • Issues, concerns, any questions

o When does NASA open and close the static and dynamic atmospheric ports?  Is there any information from previous flights regarding airspeed and pressure through the dynamic ports?

• Plan for where you will take your design from here?o Anything you need to investigate further?o Are you ready make subsystem and lower level requirements to come

up with a rough-draft design for PDR?

Conclusion

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