USLI Critical Design Review

Harding University Flying Bison 2010 USLI Rocket Team

Harding Flying Bison Team

Team made up of 16 members with diverse educational backgrounds:

Greg Libby ElizabethHunter Matt G. AprilJosh Lisa DarahChi Patrick Matt I.Meredith Cortney ShailerEd

Organization

Seven Divisions

Airframe Greg, Mgr.Motor Matt G., Mgr.Science Payload Darah, Mgr.Avionics Chi, Mgr.Launch Operations Matt I., MgrRecovery Patrick, Mgr.Outreach Elizabeth, Mgr.Team Official & Safety Officer EdProject Progress Cortney

Mission Statement

• Design, build, test and fly a hybrid rocket• Achieve an altitude of exactly 1.00 mile• Measure gamma radiation as a function of altitude• Measure temperature and pressure• Measure x-, y-, z- acceleration during flight• Done safely with no injuries, no damage to property • Rocket recovered without damage

Airframe

Length 90.3 inches 7.5 feetDiameter 4.0 inchesSpan Diameter 12.0 inchesEstimated Mass 246.4 ounces 15.4 pounds

Airframe

Center of Pressure 65.5 inCenter of Gravity 52.0 inMargin of Stability 3.40 body calibers over stable

AirframeScale Model Test

• Test planned for middle of February

Motor

Contrail Rockets Certified K-888-BM Hybrid MotorDiameter of motor 75 mmLength of Motor 40.0 inchesNozzle mediumFuel Grain Used Black Smokey

Motor

Exit end of nitrous tank showing fill and overfill lines

Motor

Ingnition -- Pyrodex Pellets Ignited with Resistors

MotorMotor

ManufacturerContrail Rockets Test Date 22 May 2005

Motor Designation K-888-BM-P Certified Until Indefinitely

TMT Metric Designation

K896(87%) Samples per second 480

Metric Dimensions 76 mm x 1016 mm Burn Time 2.67 seconds

Total Weight 4173 g Total Impulse 2400 Ns

Recovery Weight 3992 g Maximum Thrust 3024.8 N

Fuel Grain Weight 625 g Average Thrust 896 N

Nitrous Oxide Volume

2050 cm3

Tripoli Rocketry Association, Inc., Certification

Motor

Payload

• Science payload consists of:

– Flight computer number 1– Flight computer number 2– Embedded microcomputer system– Radiation counter– Temperature sensor– Pressure sensor– x-, y-, z- accelerometers– Battery power supply

Payload

• Science instruments, flight computers, recovery transmitter and batteries fit inside 3.78 in diameter by 12.0 inch long phenolic coupler tube

• Switches ,status LEDs, computer connectors mounted on ring in the middle of the coupler

Payload

Side profile of science payload with circuit boards and batteries mounted

Payload

9-Volt Battery Pack on left Pefectflite Computer on bottom rightG-WIZ FlightComputer on top right

Payload

Geiger counter and x-, y- accelerometers on rightZ- accelerometer in middleEmbedded controller, temperature and pressure sensors on right

Payload

• Science Payload Objectives.• Test and calibrate a Geiger-Mueller radiation counter• Interface Geiger counter to embedded controller to operate

the instrument and collect and store the data.• Test the complete instrument mounted in the airframe using

laboratory alpha, beta and gamma radiation sources.• Test and calibrate pressure sensor• Test and calibrate a temperature sensor• Test and calibrate a low sensitivity and a high sensitivity 3-axis

accelerometer

Payload

• State the payload success criteria

Payload success will be achieved if all the sensors perform satisfactorily and data from each is collected and stored in the on-board computer memory.

Avionics

The recovery subsystem is composed of the following components:

• PerfectFlite MiniAlt/WD to measure and store altitude and deploy drogue and main parachutes.

• DT2x Data Transfer Kit for connecting MiniAlt/WD to computer• G-Wiz MC-2.0 Flight Computer to provide redundant backup of

the PerfectFlite• Nine pin female to female cable with subminiature D

connectors to connect G-Wiz MC-2.0 to computer

Avionics• Software to download data from G-Wiz

• Ejection charges with electric matches to deploy parachutes

• SkyAngle Main Parachute with 57 square feet

• SkyAngle Drogue Parachute with 6.3 square feet

• Shock cord – to be determined

• Walston Retrieval System with Rocket Transmitter, 3-Channel Receiver, and 3-element Antenna

AvionicsDual Deployment Avionics Test

• Test planned for middle of February

PerfectFlite MiniAlt/WD Official USLI Altimeter and Flight Computer

Avionics

G-WIZ MC-2 Backup Altimeter and Flight Computer

Launch Operations

• We plan to assemble the motor ahead of time, so that all we have to do is load the nitrous

• Draft Launch Plan in Appendix A in CDR, Page 29

RecoveryEjection Charge Amount Test

• Test planned for middle of February• Walston Retrieval System for Rocket Locating• SkyAngle 24 in for Drogue• SkyAngle Large Cert-3 for Main

Outreach

The timeline with major milestones is on page 5• The milestones accomplished are grayed out in

the table• We are behind in launching scale model rocket • We are slightly behind in the construction of the

airframe• We are behind in writing procedures needed• We are behind in outreach with the Girl and Boy

Scout Programs.

Outreach

We are excited about a rocket display in the Harding University Library in late February

We have applied to be introduced with a program in Harding University Chapel that could potentially reach more than 5000 students

We will be giving talks and posters on the USLI Program at Arkansas Undergraduate Research Conference and Sigma Xi Poster

Outreach

Funds have been obtained to do an excellent job on this project.

We acknowledge the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium for funding all 4 years of participation