Colorado Space Grant Consortium
Gateway to Space
Fall 2012
Design Document
Team Honey Badger
R.A.H.D.
Written by: Josh Whipkey, Karyn Perdue, Logan Harrop, Annie Kelly, Kyle Daniels,
Jason Leng, Gabe Frank, Zach McConnel
Friday November 16, 2012
Revision C
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R.A.H.D.
Revision Log
Revision
Description
Date
A/B
Conceptual and Preliminary
Design Review
Critical Design Review
Analysis and Final Report
10/22/12
C
D
11/16/12
12/8/12
Table of Contents
1.0 Mission Overview.........................................................................................................3
2.0 Requirements Flow Down............................................................................................3
3.0 Design...........................................................................................................................5
4.0 Management .................................................................................................................8
5.0 Budget...........................................................................................................................9
6.0 Test Plan and Results..................................................................................................10
7.0 Expected Results.........................................................................................................13
8.0 Launch and Recovery………………..………………………………………………14
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1.0 Mission Statement and Overview
The mission of Radiation and High Definition (R.A.H.D) is to ascend to
approximately 30km via balloon, while collecting gamma radiation data through the
utilization of a geiger counter. This data will confirm that ionizing radiation increases as
a function of altitude due to the dissipation of atmosphere. We chose to measure gamma
radiation because it penetrates matter more easily than alpha and beta radiation because it
is composed of photons (massless and chargeless). Onboard R.A.H.D. will also be an
optical dust sensor, which will measure dust particle composition in the atmosphere.
Simultaneously, R.A.H.D. will be recording 2D high definition video with a GoPro HD
Hero 2 Outdoor Edition for utilization in a public outreach project that Team Honey
Badger will conduct in order to interest aspiring students in science, technology,
engineering and math (S.T.E.M).
Objectives:
 Measure and record the trends of gamma radiation during the ascent.
 Measure and record particle dust composition of the atmosphere during the
ascent.
 Produce 2D high definition video for use with outreach.
 Measure environmental factors: temperature, pressure, and humidity.
 Collect acceleration engineering data.
 Meet all RFP requirements.
While the balloon satellite is at 30 km, it will be above ninety percent of the
Earth’s atmosphere and will be able to read the amount of radiation entering the Earth’s
atmosphere. Radiation from space can alter atoms and molecules, which can cause
damage to living cells. We will study the recorded levels of gamma radiation in
conjunction with the altitudes, in order to prove our hypothesis correct. We plan to find
that the radiation levels will increase as the altitude increases,2 proving that depletion of
the atmosphere leads to a greater exposure of radiation to Earth’s living organisms. The
atmosphere’s gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone) absorb and/or reflect many
radiation waves. Therefore, it is difficult to study radiation from the ground since most of
it does not reach us.1 Using a Geiger counter, the satellite will track and record the
varying intensity of gamma radiation in the atmosphere during the ascent until R.A.H.D.
reaches maximum altitude. The Geiger counter will record the number of ionizing
particles which it will come in contact with. The counter works off a standard Geiger
tube. The tube functions as the cathode, while a wire going through the center of the tube
functions as the anode. The tube has a potential voltage difference of 100V+. When
ionizing radiation enters the tube, inert gas molecules are ionized into positively charged
atoms and single electrons. The flow of these atoms and electrons through the cathode
and anode is measured and outputted to the Arduino4.
During the ascent, we plan to find that atmospheric dust composition increases as
a function of altitude. We will be testing this prediction via an optical dust sensor. The
sensor has an infrared emitting diode in one corner, with a photo-transistor in the corner
diagonal to the diode.3 The transistor measures light-reflecting dust as it passes through
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the radiation path. The dust sensor can distinguish between different types of dust, such
as cigarette smoke and standard house dust, by measuring the difference of the pulse
patterns of the device’s voltage outputs.
R.A.H.D will record high definition video with audio through the implementation
of a GoPro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition system. By recording this video, Team Honey
Badger hopes to procure a full flight time lapse that can be broken down into shorter clips
and still shots. This will be incorporated into a public outreach effort that the team will
conduct in order to spark the interest of young students in science, technology,
engineering, and math (S.T.E.M.).
Works Cited:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Science Mission Directorate. "Introduction to The Electromagnetic Spectrum" Mission:Science. 2010.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 26 Sep. 2012
http://missionscience.nasa.gov
/ems/01_intro.html
http://mysite.du.edu/~etuttle/weather/atmrad.htm. 29 May 2007.
http://airqualityegg.wikispaces.com/file/view/SHARP+GP2Y1010AU0F+-+Dust+Sensor.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geiger_counter
2.0 Requirements Flow Down
The Requirement Flow Down is made up of two different levels of
requirements. The first level, Level 0, is made up of broad requirements for completing
our mission. The next level, Level 1, branches off of level 0 and goes more in depth into
the different individual tasks we must perform for a successful mission. By using two
levels, we are able to provide both a very broad look at our mission followed by a very
detailed and thorough description of the tasks we will perform.
LEVEL 0, MISSION OBJECTIVES
#
Objective
Origin
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
0.10
0.11
Reach 30 km altitude
Be ready to launch by 12/01/12
Stay under weight and monetary budgets
Keep internal temperature above -10 C
Record atmospheric dust readings during entire flight
Record environmental data during entire flight
Record HD video during entire flight
Record gamma radiation during entire flight
Store all recorded data on SD card
R.A.H.D. must be able to fly again
Ensure safety of all team members
RFP
RFP
RFP
RFP
MS
MS
MS
MS
RFP
RFP
RFP
LEVEL 1
1.1
1.2
Attach R.A.H.D. to centralized string on hydrogen balloon
Follow team schedule
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0.1
0.2
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1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
1.10
1.11
R.A.H.D.
Follow plan for allotted budgets, and allow for setbacks
Use necessary insulation foam, tape, and heater
Utilize optical dust sensor
Utilize accelerometer, thermometers, pressure sensors
Utilize GoPro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition camera system
Utilize Geiger counter
Utilize two Arduino R3 microprocessors
Create sustainable hardware to endure flight conditions
Use common sense and follow all lab safety protocol
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
0.10
0.11
3.0 Design
Hardware:
R.A.H.D’s mission will be to collect and record gamma radiation data and air quality data
while simultaneously taking high definition video for outreach purposes. R.A.H.D. will
also record all RFP mandated data. We acquired all hardware by November 13, 2012. We
will be using a GoPro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition camera instead of the Canon camera
given to each team because the Canon camera will not provide adequate footage for
public outreach, one of our main mission objectives. Also, due to space constraints, there
is not enough room for both cameras to be onboard. The HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition
camera was purchased directly from GoPro. The Geiger counter (SEN 10742), optical
dust sensor (COM-09689), dust sensor mating connector housing (PRT-09690), and
LED lights (COM-08860) were purchased from Sparkfun.
Functional Block Diagram:
Block diagram 1 represents the independent GoPro Hero camera system. Block
diagram 2 represents the independent heater system. Block diagram 3 represents the
main harness of our balloon satellite, containing the Arduino Uno.
System 1
GOPRO CAMERA
(Internal memory and
power)
System 2
9V
9V
9V
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SWITCH
HEATER
LED
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System 3
SD CARD
Optical Dust Sensor
ARDUINO
GEIGER COUNTER
9V
LED
SD CARD
HUMIDITY SENSOR
EXTERNAL THERMOMETER
9V
SWITCH
SWITCH
ARDUINO
2
LED
INTERNAL THERMOMETER
ACCCELEROMETER
9V
System 1’s primary function is to support the operation of a GoPro HD Hero 2 Outdoor
Edition camera. The HD Hero 2 will record high definition video in 720p for the
duration of the flight. The HD Hero 2 does not require power from an external source
because it contains an internal, rechargeable lithium ion battery with a battery life
estimated at 2 hr 30 min. It will be turned on shortly before launch via its own switch,
and will continue recording until retrieval. The HD Hero 2 can store up to 4 hr 21 min of
720p video recording on an internal memory chip. Upon retrieval of R.A.H.D., the video
file will be extracted from the HD Hero 2.
System 2’s primary function is to support the operation of a small, internal heater. Three
9V alkaline batteries will power the heater. A basic switch will turn the heater on at
launch and off upon retrieval of R.A.H.D. The heater will run for the duration of the
flight.
System 3’s primary function is to support the operation of two Arduino Uno
microprocessors. The Arduinos will be programmed before launch using the Arduino
computer program. The Arduinos will be on for the duration of the flight and will
command the additional components attached to it. Two 9V batteries will power Arduino.
Attached to the first Arduino will be a Geiger counter, a simple LED light, and a switch
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connected to the power, along with and optical dust sensor. The LED light will give us
external verification that the Arduinos are functioning properly. The second Arduino will
be collecting data from an internal humidity sensor, an internal thermometer, an external
thermometer, and an accelerometer. All data recorded on the flight will be logged by
Arduino and stored on the SD cards, and upon retrieval of R.A.H.D., will be extracted
and converted into usable data. We are using a SEN-10742 Geiger counter to record
ionizing radiation in the gamma spectrum. The counter averages 25 binary recordings
per minute, and requires a 5V power input. These binary recordings will be transferred to
the Arduino and stored on the 2GB SD Card. Additionally, the optical dust sensor is a
GP2Y1010AU0F, which outputs an analog voltage proportional to the measured dust
density that it detects. That voltage output will be recorded onto our SD card as well.
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4.0 Management
With eight team members on Team Honey Badger, management is very
important to stay organized and perform all of the required tasks to ensure that the
mission is completed on time in an orderly fashion. Each subsystem is assigned to more
than one person to ensure that all the different areas are covered. This will provide an
extra level of safety if someone on the team is not able to complete their specific task due
to any type of issue. When there is more than one person working on each task there is
always someone on the team available to help others with their assignments.
NAME
Kyle Daniels
Josh Whipkey
ROLE
Team Leader,
C+DH
Organization
Gabe Frank
Structure
Logan Harrop
Annie Kelly
Structure
C+DH
Jason Leng
Structure
Zach McConnel
Support
Karyn Perdue
Organization
Team Honey Badger
EMAIL
kyle.daniels@colorado.edu
PHONE
(720) 345 –
7646
joshua.whipkey@colorado.edu
(303) 746 –
6922
gabriel.frank@colorado.edu
(303) 791 –
8972
logan.harrop@colorado.edu
(972) 838 - 6901
annie.kelly@colorado.edu
(516) 581 –
5805
hongze.leng@colorado.edu
(720) 320 –
9551
zachary.mcconnel@colorado.edu
(303) 668 –
1704
karyn.perdue@colorado.edu
(312) 231 –
4735
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Schedule:
09/26/12
09/28/12
10/02/12
10/05/12
10/12/12
10/17/12
10/18/12
10/24/12
11/05/12
11/07/12
11/14/12
11/15/12
11/16/12
11/23/12
11/27/12
11/30/12
12/01/12
12/03/12
12/04/12
12/05/12
12/07/12
12/08/12
12/11/12
12/13/12
R.A.H.D.
Finalization of Proposal – finished design, schedules etc…
Proposal due (4:00 pm)
In class: Conceptual Design Review
Authority to proceed meeting (1:30 pm)
Acquired all hardware besides GoPro
Team meeting: Prototyping design complete (7:30 pm)
In class: Pre-CDR
Team meeting: Final design complete
Team meeting: Drop test, whip test
Design review, subsystem testing
Subsystem integration/ Cold testing
In Class Mission Simulation
Rev C due (12:00 pm)
LRR presentation
In class: LRR due/ Presentation
Balloon Sat weigh in and turn in
Launch (6:50 am)
Team meeting: Data collection
Have flight data ready for presentation
Team meeting: Public outreach preparation
Public outreach: Boulder High School (Time TBD)
ITLL Design Expo/ Rev D due / Team Video due
Flight data due in class/ Final presentation due at 3:00pm
Final class/ Review/ Discussion/ Team evaluation
5.0 Budget
Item:
Arduino Uno R3
GoPro Hero 2
Outdoor Edition
Geiger Counter
Optical Dust
Sensor
LED lights
Dry Ice
2 GB SD Card
Temperature
sensors
Pressure sensor
Accelerometer
Humidity sensor
Heater Kit
Switches
Source:
Gateway
gopro.com
Mass (g):
27
194
Quantity:
2
1
Value:
$29.99
$300
Cost:
$0
$0
sparkfun.com
sparkfun.com
150
22.4
1
1
$140
$11.95
$119.96
$9.56
sparkfun.com
CU chemistry store
Gateway
Gateway
.5
--1
1
2
8lbs
1
2
$1.50
$1.29/lb
$4.99
$9.95
$2.40
$10.32
$0
$0
Gateway
Gateway
Gateway
Gateway
Gateway
2.5
2
1
31.9
4
1
1
1
1
4
$24.95
$11.95
$16.95
$7.99
$1.95
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
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Foam Core
Gateway
165
Alkaline 9V
Batteries
Aluminum tape
Hot glue
Velcro
Insulation
Total
Gateway/Safeway
20
Gateway
Gateway
Gateway
Gateway
1
.5
2
4
935.3g
2 (40 x
$39.99
60” sheets)
10
$1.99
$0
1 roll
n/a
n/a
n/a
$0
$0
$0
$0
$162.14
$7.99
$1.99
$3.99
$4.99
$19.90
Allotted Budget: $250
Total Cost: $162.14 ($87.86 under)
Total Mass: 935.3 g (0.935 kg)
6.0 Test Plan and Results
All sensors and components will be put through vigorous testing prior to launch
date to ensure the best chance for mission success. Multiple tests will be performed, such
as multiple structural stress tests and electrical subsystem tests.
Drop Test: The drop test will test the structure of the satellite. Upon impact with
the ground, R.A.H.D. will be travelling roughly 8.9 m/s. To simulate an 8.9 m/s impact,
we will drop our design from 5 m to make sure that all of the mass representations and
structures will survive the descent and final impact of the satellite on the ground.
Test completed on 11/05/12. We dropped the foam core structure off the
second floor of the ITLL, kicked it down a flight of stairs, and dragged it behind a long
board. All sub-tests were successful. The only visible damage after all three tests was a
small dent in a corner of the structure.
Cold Test: Another test we will be performing is the dry ice test. The satellite
will be put into a cooler full of dry ice to test the thermal shield of our foam core
structure. The heater will be turned on inside the prototype, along with an internal
thermometer to ensure the temperature stays above -10° C.
Test completed on 11/14/12. We left the payload in a cooler of dry ice for
60 minutes. The SD card was almost full so we only were able to record about one
minute worth of data. From this, we can conclude that our accelerometer and internal
temperature sensor need to be calibrated because the numbers did not make sense.
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Whip Test: The whip test will help simulate the forces that the satellite will
experience directly after the burst of the weather balloon. To perform this test we will
attach the structure of our satellite to a string and swing the prototype around with mass
models inside.
Test completed on 11/05/12. We whipped the payload with internal mass
representations around from a string roughly 5m long. The test was successful; no
damage was suffered.
Subsystem Test: We will be testing the electrical components of the subsystems.
We will perform tests to make sure that all the individual sensors are functioning
properly. We will also test to make sure that all the subsystems are able to communicate
with each other to ensure all tasks and operations will run smoothly. The GoPro Hero
system will be tested throughout the process both internally and externally, from a
prototype foam core housing.
Accelerometer: To test the functionality of the accelerometer we will test each
axis separately by first holding the sensor with X pointing up and then down, then doing
the same for Y and Z. Once we have the data we will calibrate the accelerometer by
making sure the sensor reads 0 when X is flat and read 1 when the X arrow is pointing
up. Then we will repeat the same process for Y and Z.
We calibrated it on 10/20/12 on a flat table but it will need to be
recalibrated now that it is soldered together.
Pressure Sensor: In order to make sure the pressure sensor works we will suck
on the sensor to create a vacuum and observe whether or not the data indicates the
pressure drops.
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Test completed on 10/20/12
Temperature Sensors: To make sure the temperature sensors, both analog and
digital, are working correctly we will open up the serial monitor on the Arduino. Then
we will put our fingers on the sensors and if the temperature increases then they are
functioning. Also, the average readout the sensors should give in room temperature is
around 25 degrees Celsius.
Test completed in class during the Arduino technical lectures..
Humidity Sensor: We will test the humidity sensor by opening the serial
monitor and then we will breathe on the sensor to moisten the air and observe an increase
in relative humidity.
Test completed in class during the Arduino technical lectures..
Arduino: We will test the functionality of the Arduino subsystem prior to flight
by ensuring communication between all sensors, the LED light, and SD card. After
programming the Arduino, we will turn on everything in the system to make sure each
component is functioning as planned and recording data. We will also make sure that
data recorded to the SD card is both retrievable and interpretable.
Test has been completed and verified throughout the semester. A LED
light verifies when our Arduino has a power source, and we are able to retrieve data off
the SD card for every sensor. All data is interpretable except for data collected off the
Geiger counter and the optical dust sensor. A final test will be performed before launch.
Geiger Counter: On the ground, we will specifically test the functionality of the
Geiger counter by ensuring it can both record data at a rate of roughly 25 readings per
minute and transfer those readings to the Arduino. Though there is significantly less
gamma radiation at ground level than there will be at maximum altitude, it is still enough
to be recorded.
We are currently working on getting access to the remote radiation sensing
room in the physics department to calibrate and test our Geiger counter. If we are unable
to gain access, we will find different sources to interpret our data off of such as the
americium inside of a smoke detector.
Optical Dust Sensor: We will run tests on the optical dust sensor ensuring it is
putting out correct voltage readouts per the amount of particles that will be placed
through it.
Inconclusive testing performed on 11/14/12. We really weren’t sure how
to calibrate this sensor, so we decided we would just collect data and interpret it based off
of relative sources. We got readings for the sensor in room temperature, counting dust
particles in DLC air. We blew cigar smoke into the sensor, and saw a spike in dust
readings. We currently are working on getting access to the clean room in Space Grant to
get readings from as close to a vacuum as possible.
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Go Pro: We tested the GoPro on 11/14/12 by mounting it to our payload and
practiced turning it on and off taking video at various places. Afterwards, we retrieved
the video and downloaded the images.
7.0 Expected Results
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Dust sensor: We are expecting that the concentration of dust will be highest while on
the ground. As the atmosphere depletes, atmospheric dust becomes less concentrated
directly as a function of altitude. The only critical point in the dust sensor graph occurs at
the highest point during flight, where dust concentration will be lowest.
Geiger counter: We are expecting that gamma radiation counts per second will increase
as a function of altitude. As the altitude increases, atmosphere decreases, and more
radiation is present. The only critical point in the Geiger counter graph occurs at the
highest point during flight, where atmospheric gamma radiation is at its highest
concentration.
Pressure sensor: Atmospheric pressure is a function of altitude. As altitude increases,
pressure decreases. The only critical point in the pressure sensor graph occurs at the
highest point during flight, where pressure is at its lowest.
External temperature: Temperature has the trend to decrease as a function of altitude.
The highest temperatures will occur at launch and upon retrieval. There is a critical point
in the graph when the BalloonSats pass through the stratosphere pause. At this point, the
troposphere contributes little input to the stratosphere, and because of the closer distance
to the sun, temperatures are higher than expected. At the end of the stratopause, there is
another critical point, and temperatures will begin to decrease steadily again. The last
critical point occurs at the highest point during flight, where temperatures will be lowest.
Internal temperature:
The internal temperature of R.A.H.D. will decrease
hyperbolically as a function of time. We predict the pause in the stratosphere will not
alter the internal temperature because for the brief time the BalloonSats are passing
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through the pause, heat will not have enough time to radiate into the internals of
R.A.H.D. The only critical point in the internal temperature graph occurs at the highest
point during flight, where internal temperature will predictably be the lowest.
Humidity: Humidity decreases hyperbolically as a function of altitude. The only critical
point in the humidity graph occurs at the highest point during flight, where humidity will
be the lowest.
8.0 Launch and Recovery
When we launch, Gabe will be in charge of holding our payload. All members of
Team Honey Badger will go with to recover R.A.H.D. After recovery, data will be
extracted from the GoPro and SD card. All data from every sensor during flight will be
written onto the SD card as a time and a measurement, such as a count per minute. The
readouts correspond to a known value that we will plot onto a graph.
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