Project on the design of an inertial measurement unit to be used in aerospace vehicles

Aquest projecte proposa el disseny i la creació d'un sistema de captura de dades per a una unitat de mesura inercial, per a la posterior integració d’aquestes per tal d’obtenir una descripció detallada en 6 graus de llibertat del moviment d’un cos. A partir d’aquesta informació serà possible analitzar d’una forma no invasiva l’actuació d’algun tipus de vehicle aeroespacial.Aiming to obtain aerospace vehicle ight parameters and engine characteristics, a DCM and magnetometer fusion algorithm is introduced in addition to a Kalman lter, in order to estimate position, velocity and acceleration in the vertical axis. This strategy is tested in the case of a model rocket, and the drag coe cient and thrust curve are calculated. The attitude of the vehicle is also estimated with fewer outcomes. Finally, It is described how the system could be upgraded so that trajectory in 3D can be obtained and therefore a better knowledge of the ight parameters

Development of a design and optimization tool for axial mirror supports of large telescopes

The present paper describes a parametric design and optimization tool [Support Optimization and Design Tool (SODT)], used to evaluate passive axial support positions on circular solid meniscus mirrors. The developed tool avoids the intrinsic limitations of methodologies of the reference literature, based on analytical formulations. A parametric finite element model of the mirror is generated from the user inputs and the support distribution is optimized in terms of the root mean square of the surface error (SFE). The optimization process is based on a hybrid optimization algorithm combining genetic algorithms and a gradient-based approach. The results are compared to the ones presented in the literature, evidencing minor discrepancies that can be basically attributed to differences in methodology and structural formulation, as it is discussed in the text. Finally, the finite element and optical postprocessing results are verified against industry-grade software: MSC Nastran® and Sigmadyne SigFit®.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Un Newton impreso en 3D

Este artículo presenta la experiencia del diseño y construcción de un telescopio con componentes impresas en 3d a través de un trabajo de fin de grado de ingeniería.Postprint (published version

A 3D printed f5 Newtonian telescope: Development of a student project for outreach, education, and dissemination

An Engineering student´s Final Degree Project based on the design and manufacturing of a 3D printed telescope is presented. The project involves both optical, mechanical, and electronic design, the construction of the instrument, and the numerical and experimental analysis of the prototype. Furthermore, the project explores the possibilities offered by the current 3D printed technologies for the manufacturing of telescopes that may be used both for teaching and disseminating Astronomy and the basis on how to build such instruments. In this communication the current development of a student Final’s Degree Project, consisting of the design and construction of a 3D printed Newtonian telescope, is presented. Both the project and the learning experience are shown as an example of the possibilities of this kind of study at the final stages of the academic formation of engineers, and the possibilities for outreach, education and dissemination of both science and engineering are explored

3D printed telescopes: an interesting tool for teaching Astronomy, Science and Technology

3D printing technologies experienced a huge evolution both in techniques and applications since its invention in the early 1980s. Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) was the first term used to describe an additive manufacturing technique and from that point on, many different ways of 3D printing have been developed to fulfil a variety of needs. Nowadays, 3D printing has become more accessible to the general public because of the big drop in prices caused by the big technical developments. As a result of that, a community of “makers” has been taking shape internationally making access to designs and advice easier. 3D printing is without a doubt one of the key developments of the last decades and covers from highly technical research fields (like medicine-related investigations) to individual makers or even educational programs to encourage young people to create. As a result of that, it can be seen daily that the so-called 3D printing has gained a big amount of fame between fabrication processes for its accessibility and ease of use, it only takes a computer, a 3D printer and time. On behalf of that, an idea for a final degree thesis was proposed: designing and printing using fused deposition modelling a telescope for astronomical and educational purposes. The main goal of the project is to, first check the capabilities of the 3D printing technology to build telescopes for amateur astronomers, comparing its performance with the current commercial products, and secondly, to develop a set of educational resources that permit the easy construction of low-cost custom instruments for the teaching and diffusion of Astronomy and Space Science. The set of resources derived from this project will be an interesting tool for Astronomy beginners, Engineering and Science students, teachers, and makers. In this work, we summarise the current status of the project and the results obtained with the first built prototype, as well as the design and choices made to fulfil our needs in a practical and feasible way. Last but not least, a list of possible educational activities to be carried out with the developed resources will be exposed.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Study of structural optimization applied to terrestrial telescope design

L’objectiu del treball és desenvolupar una metodologia d’optimització estructural de miralls de telescopis terrestres. Aquesta metodologia ha de ser aplicada per al disseny dels miralls secundaris del EELT (European Extremely Large Telescope). This study is to design the support structure of ELT's (ExtremelyLargeTelescop e) M2 mirror. On the basis of the conceptual architecture given by ESO (European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere),the structure designis developed from an ideal stage,in which the mirror interface forces are optimized, to a final stage, where the structural requirements are assessed in the detail design.These requirements involve deformations of the mirror's optical surface,eigen frequencies of the structure and sensitivity analysis of many possible perturbations. Finally, an optimization process is carried out in order to reduce the weight of the structure while increasing the safety margin in the eigen frequencies requireme

Study of structural optimization applied to terrestrial telescope design

L’objectiu del treball és desenvolupar una metodologia d’optimització estructural de miralls de telescopis terrestres. Aquesta metodologia ha de ser aplicada per al disseny dels miralls secundaris del EELT (European Extremely Large Telescope). This study is to design the support structure of ELT's (ExtremelyLargeTelescop e) M2 mirror. On the basis of the conceptual architecture given by ESO (European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere),the structure designis developed from an ideal stage,in which the mirror interface forces are optimized, to a final stage, where the structural requirements are assessed in the detail design.These requirements involve deformations of the mirror's optical surface,eigen frequencies of the structure and sensitivity analysis of many possible perturbations. Finally, an optimization process is carried out in order to reduce the weight of the structure while increasing the safety margin in the eigen frequencies requireme

Project on the design of an inertial measurement unit to be used in aerospace vehicles

Aquest projecte proposa el disseny i la creació d'un sistema de captura de dades per a una unitat de mesura inercial, per a la posterior integració d’aquestes per tal d’obtenir una descripció detallada en 6 graus de llibertat del moviment d’un cos. A partir d’aquesta informació serà possible analitzar d’una forma no invasiva l’actuació d’algun tipus de vehicle aeroespacial.Aiming to obtain aerospace vehicle ight parameters and engine characteristics, a DCM and magnetometer fusion algorithm is introduced in addition to a Kalman lter, in order to estimate position, velocity and acceleration in the vertical axis. This strategy is tested in the case of a model rocket, and the drag coe cient and thrust curve are calculated. The attitude of the vehicle is also estimated with fewer outcomes. Finally, It is described how the system could be upgraded so that trajectory in 3D can be obtained and therefore a better knowledge of the ight parameters

A 3D printed f5 newtonian telescope: development of a student project for outreach, education, and dissemination

An Engineering student´s Final Degree Project based on the design and manufacturing of a 3D printed telescope is presented. The project involves both optical, mechanical, and electronic design, the construction of the instrument, and the numerical and experimental analysis of the prototype. Furthermore, the project explores the possibilities offered by the current 3D printed technologies for the manufacturing of telescopes that may be used both for teaching and disseminating Astronomy and the basis on how to build such instruments. In this communication the current development of a student Final’s Degree Project, consisting of the design and construction of a 3D printed Newtonian telescope, is presented. Both the project and the learning experience are shown as an example of the possibilities of this kind of study at the final stages of the academic formation of engineers, and the possibilities for outreach, education and dissemination of both science and engineering are explored.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft