Team 3: Spirit of the Koala

Team 3: Spirit of the Koala Project VOLT

Thomas Jeffries Anthony Anglin Dylan Cooper Dustin Fishelman Colin Harkins Joao Mansur Starteya Pais Andrew Trujillo Table of Contents

Sectio Section Title Pg n Project VOLT 2012 1.0 Overview and Mission Statement 2.0 General Mission Requirements 2.01 Mission Requirements 3.0 Technical Overview 3.01 Structure 3.02 Experimental Power Generation 3.03 Environmental Sensing 3.04 Imaging 3.05 Testing 3.06 Special Features 3.07 Launch and Recovery 3.08 Data 3.09 Hardware 3.10 Safety 4.0 Management and Cost Overview 4.01 Team Members 4.02 Schedule 4.03 Cost List

1.0 Overview and Mission Statement

Mission Statement: It is the mission of Spirit of the Koala (SOK) to send a balloon satellite to an altitude near 30 kilometers, an altitude well into the stratosphere, bearing multiple experiments such as ones that will provide helpful insight into the feasibility of generating power from the rotational velocity of the BalloonSat. The data will be recorded onboard the satellite, stored until the mission is successfully recovered and subsequently analyzed. Mission Objectives: 1.1 To design and test a BalloonSat that will function in the upper reaches of the stratosphere and be ready to launch on December 1st, 2012 1.2 To record pictures and video of the entire flight 1.3 To measure various variables of the surrounding environment at altitude 1.4 To confirm the feasibility of wind power on balloon satellites 1.5 To meet all requirements of the process of designing the balloon, such as budgeting and scheduling SOK feels the need to perform this experiment due to the fact that it will contribute largely to our understanding of how we can make power systems on BalloonSat’s better designed. With the current state of technology, power is often the downfall of many experiments operating in conditions similar to that of ours. To find a means to generate the electricity needed to sustain systems for the duration of the flight in a simple and reliable way could contribute a great deal to the types and length of experiments we can perform in the upper atmosphere. Over the course of the flight we expect to see a large difference in the amount of power generated over altitude. As the density of the air around the balloon goes down through the

2 Spirit of the Koala Project VOLT 2012 flight up, there will be less wind and less spin of the satellite to power the generator. [1] In addition to this we expect to find that the initial turbulence of the balloon after takeoff will decrease over time. As a result of this, we need to maximize the amount of energy that can be generated throughout the flight through the troposphere, where the air is denser and there is more wind and turbulence. [2] By looking at the data obtained and comparing it to how much power is consumed in the entire flight, we plan to discover how feasible it is to power a BalloonSat (or at least some of its systems) from the power that can be obtained through this method of generation. If this is in fact a plausible method for obtaining power, it could be used in subsequent flights of balloons with different designs to supply a longer lasting and safer source of energy. Overall, we hope to see that a system of self-generation of power needed for satellite systems could be well implemented in future flights.

[1] "Earth's Atmosphere - Zoom Astronomy." Earth's Atmosphere - Zoom Astronomy. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. . [2] "Wind Speed vs Altitude." Wind Speed vs Altitude. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. .

2.0 General Mission Requirements 2.01 Mission Requirements The following chart details the location within this proposal of how all requirements listed in the RFP will be fulfilled.

# Requirement Section 1 Our balloonsat will generate electricity, powered by the rotation of the 3.02 balloonsat 2 A GO PRO video camera will be used to image the flight 3.04 3 Balloonsat will be recovered 3.07 4 Flight String will attach to the balloonsat through a PVC pipe 3.01 5 Temperature will remain above -10 degrees Celsius 3.03 6 Weight will not exceed 1125 grams 3.09 7 A three axis accelerometer will be used to measure acceleration during the 3.03 flight 8 Design will allow for an Arduino UNO and related components 3.03 9 External temperatures will be measured 3.03 10 Canon A570IS will be used to image the environment 3.04 11 An active heater system will be used to maintain interior temperature 3.03 12 Balloonsat will be constructed with foam core 3.01 13 Parts list shall be comprehensive 3.09 14 US Flag and contact information will be visible on the outside of the balloonsat 3.10 15 All measurements shall be in metric n/a

3 Spirit of the Koala Project VOLT 2012 16 All team members will be present for launch 3.07 17 No one will get hurt 3.10 18 All property will be returned to the Gateway to Space at semester’s end with 3.09 the exception of the GO PRO camera (Individually supplied) 19 All parts will be ordered using Chris Koehler’s CU Visa. Detailed records and n/a receipts will be turned in with a copy of the Gateway order form within 48 hours of purchase. 20 All individual purchase receipts will be submitted within sixty days of purchase n/a 21 Engineering is Fun n/a 22 No living payloads will be present on the balloonsat 3 23 A final team report will be submitted, possibly with a team video n/a 24 A visual indicator on the exterior of the balloonsat will allow SOK to confirm 3.05 that the payload ready for launch

3.0 Technical Overview 3.01 Structure: SOK will use foam core to create the outer cube, as well as all interior divisions needed. Additionally, foam core will be used to support the copper wire coils used in the experimental generator. Tape, Velcro, and glue will be used to bind the structure together. Tape, Velcro, and glue will also be used to hold the interior components together. The balloonsat will be attached to the flight string through a PVC pipe through the center of the balloonsat. The balloonsat will be attached using the provided flight string attachment technique. 3.02 Experimental Power Generation: SOK intends to generate power using the rotation of the balloonsat about the rope during the accent of the balloon. Ceramic bearings will attach the PVC pipe, around the string, to the balloonsat. This will allow the balloonsat to rotate independently of the rope. Or, more appropriately, this will allow the PVC pipe to rotate independently of the balloonsat, relative to the rope. Attached to the PVC pipe, on the inside of the balloonsat, will be magnets. These magnets poles will be oriented together, perpendicular to the length of the tube. Copper wire will be coiled vertically, parallel to the length of the tube. These coils will connect to a voltage sensor, which will measure and record the levels of current produced. Current will be induced in the copper wire by the spinning magnets inside the coils. 3.03 Environmental Sensing: SOK will measure both the internal and external temperatures of the balloonsat using thermometers. One thermometer will be attached to the exterior of the balloonsat, while a second will be secured within the balloonsat. Additionally, SOK will use a three-axis accelerometer to measure the movement of the balloonsat throughout its journey. Also, a pressure sensor will be used to track the pressure during the flight. Moreover, a humidity sensor will be used to track humidity levels during the course of the flight. All sensors will interface into an Arduino Uno

4 Spirit of the Koala Project VOLT 2012 and will be recorded on a 2GB Micro-SD card. An active heater system shall be used to maintain a temperature above -10 degrees Celsius inside the balloonsat. 3.04 Imaging: SOK will attempt to image the environment the balloonsat passes through throughout its entire flight. A Canon A570IS Digital Camera will be used to capture lower quality images. A GOPRO HERO HD video camera will be used to capture high definition video and images during the flight. Images will be recorded on 32G Micro-SD card. 3.05 Testing: SOK will use various tests to determine the readiness of the balloonsat for flight. These tests will include drop tests, cooler tests, subsystems tests, functional tests, whip tests, and mission simulation tests. The drop tests with mass models will allow SOK to determine the structural integrity of the balloonsat during impacts. Drop tests will be conducted in a variety of manners, these will include dropping the balloonsat off of balconies between seven and ten meters high, and launching the balloonsat down staircases. Whip tests allow us to test structural integrity at speeds over Mach 1. Whip tests will be conducted by attaching the balloonsat to a rope, and spinning or twirling it at high speeds. Cooler tests will allow us to test the balloonsat in a subzero environment. Cooler tests will be conducted using dry ice. Subsystems tests will allow us to identify any issues within a particular subsystem with greater clarity. Subsystems will be tested individually to identify errors. Functional tests will allow us to confirm that all functional systems are working properly. Additionally, a LED will be visible on the exterior of the balloonsat that will be illuminated when all systems are connected and working properly. 3.06 Special Features: A special feature used by SOK will be fins on the exterior of the balloonsat to enhance the spin of the balloonsat during accent. 3.07 Launch and Recovery: All members of SOK will be present for launch. One member of Team SOK will participate in the recovery of the balloonsat following the flight. 3.08 Data: Data will be recorded by the variety of sensors in the balloonsat onto a 2G Micro-SD card during flight. During the drop and whip tests data will be obtained visually. During all other tests data will be obtained either by ringing with a voltmeter, or by connected the balloonsat to our computers. After flight data will be obtained by connecting the 2G Micro-SD card to our computers.

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3.09 Hardware:

Hardware Piece Use Available from Copper Wire Used in coils on generator electricalwire.biz Neodymium Magnets Used to generator current apexmagnets.com from copper wire Ceramic Bearings Allow the balloon sat to vxb.com rotate independently of the central tube that connects to the string Voltage sensor (integrated Used to measure the voltage Provided with Arduino with the Arduino) produced by the generator at set intervals PVC Pipe Central tubing Home Depot Temperature Sensors Used in measuring internal Provided and external temperature

6 Spirit of the Koala Project VOLT 2012 Hardware Piece Use Available from Accelerometer Used to measure the Provided acceleration of the BalloonSat along the X, Y and Z axes. Pressure Sensor Used to measure the Provided atmospheric pressure of the environment the balloon sat is operating in Humidity Sensor Used to measure the humidity Provided of the BalloonSat environment Arduino Uno Used to interface all sensors Provided and record experimental data

Arduino Uno Protoshield Used to provide more space Provided for the user to solder and assemble sensors and other devices on the Arduino

2GB Micro-SD Card Used for recording all Provided experimental data from the Adruino 32GB Micro-SD Card Used to store recorded Provided by Andrew Trujillo Images and Video from the GOPRO Hero HD Canon A570IS Modified Used to take lower quality Provided Digital Camera photos of the environment at set intervals GOPRO Hero HD Used to take high definition gopro.com video and pictures of the environment

Dry Ice Used in cooler tests King Soopers Rope Used in Whip Test Home Depot Rocks Used as mass models for drop The ground testing Foam Core Material used for structural Provided components of the balloonsat Tape Bind balloonsat structure Provided together/ hold components in place Velcro Bind balloonsat structure Provided together/ hold components in place

7 Spirit of the Koala Project VOLT 2012 Hardware Piece Use Available from Glue Bind balloonsat structure Provided together/ hold components in place

3.10 Safety: SOK will use many techniques to ensure both the safety of ourselves, as well as the safety of any onlookers during our tests. During flight the balloonsat will be securely fastened to the string of the balloon, preventing the balloonsat from falling separately from the balloon apparatus. During all drop tests team members will station themselves about the drop area to prevent any persons or items from entering the landing area. Whip tests will only be conducted in open spaces with all nearby persons warned of the possibility of whip test failures and pieces or all of the balloonsat launching through the air. During cooler tests we will ensure that the cooler is not sealed, allowing a pressure release so that CO2 will not buildup and violently rupture the container. Additionally, SOK will place an American flag sticker onto the outside of the balloonsat. University of Colorado Boulder’s contact information will also be written on the side of the balloonsat. These two measures will help if the balloonsat is recovered by a non-SOK team member. 4.0 Management and Cost Overview 4.01 Team Members

Name Class Major Task Skill Andrew Truillo Senior Astrophysics

Starteya Pais Freshman Aerospace Engineering Joao Mansur Freshman Aerospace Solder Engineering Thomas Jeffries Freshman Aerospace Team Leader Engineering Colin Harkins Freshman Open Option Engineering Dustin Freshman Aerospace Fishelman Engineering Dylan Cooper Freshman Aerospace Programmer Engineering Anthony Anglin Freshman Aerospace Coordinator Engineering

4.02 Schedule:

 September 28th – Turn in proposal (4:00 pm)

8 Spirit of the Koala Project VOLT 2012  September 30th - Team Meeting  October 2nd – CoDR Presentations Due (7:00 am)  October 3rd – Team Meeting  October 4th – Order all the hardware  October 5th – Authority to Proceed by appointment with Chris (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)  October 7th – Finalize design + Team meeting  October 10th – Team meeting  October 13th – (Hopefully) Have acquired all hardware  October 14th – Begin construction + Team meeting  October 17th – Team meeting  October 18th – Design Document Rev A/B (7:00 am) + pCDR Slides Due (7:00 am)  October 21st – Team meeting  October 24th – Team meeting  October 28th – Testing Day + Team meeting  October 31st – Team meeting  November 4th – Finalize programming + Team meeting  November 7th – Team meeting  November 11th – Team meeting  November 13th – In-Class demo (Mission Simulation Test)  November 14th – Team meeting  November 16th – Design Document Rev C (7:00 am)  November 18th – Team meeting  November 21st – Team meeting  November 25th – Finalize satellite and prep for launch + Team meeting  November 27th – LRR Slides Due (7:00 am)  November 28th – FINAL Team meeting  November 30th – Final Weigh-in  December 1st – Launch day  December 8th – ITLL Design Expo + Design Document Rev D Due (7:00 am) + Extra Credit Video Due  December 11th – Final Presentations and Reports (7:00 am) 4.03 Cost List (Out of $250):

 5 x 10 x 4 mm Ceramic Ball Bearings (1) – $19.95 o Vxb.com  Solid Copper wire 100ft (1) – $18.00 – 34.8 grams o Electricalwire.biz  1 x ½ x ½ in Neodymium Magnets (2) - $9.99 o Apexmagnets.com  Current Sensor (1) - $10.00 o Sparkfun.com  Voltage Sensor (1) - $.50 o Sparkfun.com

9 Spirit of the Koala Project VOLT 2012  1 lb Dry Ice (10) - $20.00 o King Soopers  9v Batteries (12) - $25.00 o Costco/Sam’s Club

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