La ACES Student Ballooning Course
Ballooning Unit
Activity 3 – Identifying Thermal Requirements
The object of this activity is to understand that payload components can operate correctly only within a narrow temperature range and, in fact, some components will be destroyed if exposed to extreme temperatures. During this exercise the students will web-research the product specifications of various parts that they might use in their payload and develop a table listing the operating and survival temperature ranges.
1.
Computer with internet access for each student
2.
(Optional) Computer projector system for presentations
1.
Using the results from the web-research of Activity 1 divide the components commonly found in student built balloon and rocket payloads into the following categories and list specific manufacturer model numbers. a.
Batteries b.
Power regulators c.
Microcontrollers d.
Memory e.
ADC and DAC integrated circuits f.
Sensors g.
Electromechanical devices (e.g. actuators, motors) h.
Structural materials i.
Adhesives
2.
Divide responsibility for researching the product specification among the team members.
Each member should be researching, at least, one product from each category.
3.
Obtain product information from the manufacturer and determine A) the product
“operational” temperature range and B) the product “survival” temperature range. How does the manufacturer define these ranges?
4.
Create a table listing the product, the two temperature ranges and the manufacturer definition of these ranges. a.
Describe the similarities and differences in temperature ranges between components in similar and different categories. b.
How do the manufacturer definitions affect your comparison? c.
If a manufacturer does not list both temperature ranges, how would you go about filling in the missing information?
LSU v05/19/04 Activity 3 - Thermal 1 of 2

La ACES Student Ballooning Course
Ballooning Unit
Activity 3 – Identifying Thermal Requirements
1.
Components in different categories may have different operating and survival temperature ranges, but components in the same category should have similar ranges.
2.
Many manufacturers will use different definitions for operating and survival temperature ranges.
3.
Different components will require different amounts of thermal protection (or even heating) in order to operate correctly in the ballooning environment.
4.
Some components may be risky to use in a balloon payload.
1.
The difference between operating and survival temperature range may need to be carefully explained to the students.
2.
Many manufacturers will not list a survival temperature range and students will need to develop an alternate method for estimating this range. Alternate methods might include the following: a.
Web search for results from environmental testing of the product by users. b.
Adopting a range reported for a similar product. c.
Estimating a survival range as a percentage increase in the operating range. d.
Adopting the operating range as the survival range. This is the most conservative approach
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