Blog #3 Spring 23

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 Figure 1 below shows the final implementation of the camera cooling system. The key design features include an insulating case that houses a cooling material and a GoPro, a removable aerogel layer for the insulation as shown in Figure 2, a lid with GORE sealant for an airtight seal, and a steel rod design that will secure the lid and the case together while allowing it to mount onto the existing payload housing design. The insulating case is machined out of aluminum, and the cooling material is a water-based cooling gel. 

Figure [1] - CCS Structural Profile Overview


Figure [2] - CCS Aerogel Insulation

Team 7 has not yet completed any of its planned thermal oven or shake table validation tests. The team therefore does not currently have any validation data to assess whether thermal or structural goals/specifications are met by the fabricated CCS.

Team 7 has weighed and measured the dimensions of the device to ensure mass and volumetric constraints have been fulfilled. Figure [3] below shows that the fully assembled device (including GoPro Hero 5 Session, aerogel insulation, and camera mount) was weighed on an electronic scale and found to be 1 lb 11.5 oz (or 1.72 lbs). This is well below the 3 lb max weight constraint initially set for the device by SCR. Additionally, team 7 has also measured and verified that the CCS falls within the set max volumetric/dimensional constraint.

Figure [3] - CCS Weight Constraint Validation

Currently, the team is slightly behind the proposed schedule. Due to various changes in the validation plan, Team 7 has not begun the thermal oven testing and vibrating table tests. Despite the setbacks, the team allotted extra time to meet class deadlines in the case of any changes to the schedule. Next week, the team plans to perform validation tests and make possible alterations to improve the solution performance accordingly. The team has also made improvements on the validation testing in order to get a more comprehensive set of data to present to the professors and SCR. 

Team 7 plans to use the remaining time to complete validation tests and alter the solution as necessary. Possible alterations may include adjusting the amount of insulation, cooling gel packs, and sealant around the edges of the outer housing. 

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