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