Team Up, Up, and AwayFinal Presentation
Trevor Arrasmith, Ty Bailey, Cameron Coupe,
Samuel Frakes, Brandon Harris,
Carolyn Mason, Soo Park, Peter VanderKley
12/10/12
Mission Overview
– The objective of team Up, Up, and Away is to prove the possibility and efficacy of a balloon-mounted mechanism for cloud seeding
• Introduce a particle to clouds to induce precipitation• Normally done by plane or fireworks
– Given the proper conditions and cloud seeding substance, a balloon-mounted system will prove a cost-efficient alternative to traditional methods
Design Overview
Design Overview
Design Overview
Functional Block Diagram
- We flew two Arduino Unos instead of one
- Increased the size of the box
- Location of the batteries and heater
- Added wind gauge and chutes to direct salt
Original Design Final Design
Differences from Original Design:
Recovery
Launch Events• Power on: 7:08 AM• Launch 7:10 AM• Burst: 8:57 AM• Landing: 9:30 AM (extrapolated from EOSS data)• Recovery: 12:13 PM
• Flight time to apogee: 107 minutes• Average ascension rate: 326 m/min• Max Height: 30308.7 meters
Altitude During Flight
Apogee
Launch
Acceleration During Flight
Internal and External Temperature
Tropopause
Pressure and Humidity
Cloud Layer
Spinning quickly at launch
Air too thin to get accurate readings
Re-entry to thicker air
Wind Voltage During Flight
Servos
(14,500 meters)
Battery Voltage
Voltage for Start and End of Flight
System Start End Functions after flight?
Sensor Arduino 9 8.3 yes
Servo Arduino 9 8.02 yesExternal Power for Servos 6 2.35 no
Heater Battery 1 9 8.16 yesHeater Battery 2 9 8.16 yesHeater Battery 2 9 8.16 yes
Failure Analysis
What failed:• Servo 2 did not open• Both Arduino 1 and 2 stopped recording data for
a given time
Failure Analysis
Why it failed:• The battery supplying power for Servo 1 and 2
lost power during flight• Loose wiring during decent caused power
supply failure
Failure Analysis
How we know:• After recovery the power supply to the Servos
had dropped from 6 volts to 2.4 volts• Determined from the GoPro audio, Servo 1 was
stuck and drained power from battery by trying to re-position itself
• Both Servos worked properly when given new power supply
• We were able to recreate the Servo jam in ground testing
Failure Analysis
How we know:• During decent we had small, zero-second files
indicating power supply shorts• Power came back to the Arduinos after decent• All switches were still on at recovery and
batteries could supply power• Other teams recorded their Arduinos working in
cold temperatures, so failure due to cold internal temperatures was ruled out
• Our mechanism for cloud seeding was successful and it is also reusable
• We saw the release of the salt on the GoPro footage
• We saw that the program wrote the Servo events to the SD Card
• We discovered that it is possible to cloud seed from a balloon-mounted device
• Our mechanism was very cost-effective
Conclusions
• Our data told us that it is possible to relate the release of the salt to humidity, time and altitude
• We saw that the salt did not clump due to condensation
• Environmental data was what we expected
Conclusions
• Fresh batteries• Re-secure wiring and power connections
– In particular the environmental data Arduino
• Clear SD cards• Refill salt funnels• Re-seal box• Should be stored upright in a dry, room-
temperature environment• Activated by external switches and camera buttons
(activated with the “Activation Stick”
Ready to Fly Again
Lessons Learned
General Lessons:•Secure and re-secure each component•Even LEDs need resistors•Don’t be afraid to use both Arduinos•Don’t confirm mass budget last minute
For Results:•Test and retest all components
– Ensure that the programming runs consistently
Compliance with RFP
• All required sensors recorded flight data• Additional sensor (anemometer)• Digital camera• Switches to turn on power• Lights to indicate power is running• Exceeded original mass budget but with prior approval• Did not exceed budget of $250• American flag sticker and contact information• Returned in working condition• Inside of box stayed above -10 degrees Celsius
Requirement 0.0: Prove the possibility and efficiency of a balloon-mounted mechanism for cloud seeding
# Requirement Compliance
0.0.0Test the effectiveness and reliability of the funnel dispersing system of B.O.S.S.
One system was successful during flight;
one wasn’t0.0.1 Integrate the Servos to the Arduino Successful
0.0.2Set the servos to disperse the salt powder in the funnels to at 20 minutes and 30 minutes, respectively.
Successful
0.0.3 Use cameras to monitor and confirm salt dispersal Successful
0.0.4Optimize the weight of the satellite such that the amount of salt that can be carried is maximized
Successful
0.0.5Compare the cost and the reliability data of B.O.S.S. to other conventional cloud seeding methods
Successful; our method was far cheaper than traditional methods
0.1.0Integrate the digital camera and the GoPro to B.O.S.S. (charged and memory cards cleared)
Successful
0.1.2Perform duration tests in order to ensure functionality for entire flight
Testing was successful
Mission Requirement Matrix
Mass and Money BudgetsItem Quantity Cost Weight Place of Purchase
9V batteries 5 - 190 g Wal-MartMighty Mini Servo(HS-225MG)
4(2 Backups)
$85.94 62 g Servocity.com
Aluminum Bare Sheet 0.5 meters2 - 20 g Space GrantTin Funnels(8996T12)
2 $8.62 61.9 g Mcmaster.com
Sodium Chloride Powder 108.5 grams - 100g King SoopersMathmos Wind Light (Part # not available)
1 $25.20 11.5 g Lamplust.com
GoPro 1 - 150 g Provided (by student)Canon Camera 1 - 130 g ProvidedArduino Unos (2) 2 - 158 g ProvidedHeater 1 - 30.4 g ProvidedFoam Core and Insulation 2 sheets - 245 g ProvidedU.S. Flag 1 - 0.7g ProvidedHot Glue 2 sticks - 6g ProvidedAluminum Tape 2 meters - 26g ProvidedPaperclips 2 - 5g Provided
Total $119.76 1,240g
Messages to Next Semester
• Be prepared to do a large amount of work• Be creative with your design but keep it simple• Make a detailed test plan, the earlier the better• Get help from Tim May and from Space Grant• Leave lots of time for failures with your satellite• Work as a team
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