Hey Everybody,
Tim here with some news on the structure. When the spacecraft lands on the surface, there will be a lot of loads on the structure. Tyler and I are worried about the "dynamic" loads, or the ones caused by motion. Specifically, we want the structure to be strong enough to touch down, but also stop the motion. In structures on Earth, we use shock absorbers, which are a type of damper. Most shock absorbers on Earth use fluids such as oil to create a resistance to motion (actually a resistance to velocity!) Because the temperatures on the moon are so extreme (-300F to +300F) we cannot use fluids. Here are soem alternatives that Tyler and I are investigating:
- Memory Shape Alloys
- Magnetic Damping
- Gaseous Damping
- Heated Fluid Shock Absorbers
Memory shape allows would deform as the craft lands, but with a current or temperature change, return to their original form. Magentic damping has to do with eddy currents cause by magnetic flux. Gaseous damping would implement a gas whose viscosity does not depend on temperature greatly, but similar to shock absorbers. Lastly, the heated fluid shock absorbers would be similar to those used on Earth, but maintained at a constant working temperature.
These are just some preliminary ideas. Let us know if you have any questions or comments!
Tim
0 comments:
Post a Comment