High Altitude Hyper-Spectral Imager
I along with my team explored the capabilities of a high-altitude satellite equipped with a hyperspectral imaging camera for atmospheric data collection. My primary responsibility was the design, fabrication, and testing of the camera's housing structure, utilizing SolidWorks for the modeling process. Additionally, I conducted material verification to ensure compliance with all structural requirements and effectively presented the analysis using Microsoft Excel.
Figure 1. The housing structure was composed of two separate pieces that were 3D printed.
Figure 2. Pressure vs altitude plot experienced by the housings structures critical face
Figure 3. Pressure vs weight plot experienced by the various faces of the camera housing
As shown in figure 1, the housing structure is composed of many faces with various surface areas. For testing purposes, the smallest face was used due to it experiencing the highest pressures.
PLA was chosen as the material for the housing structure because of it's structural properties as well as cost. The material was required to support the combined weight of the camera and the satellite while maintaining its structural integrity at altitudes exceeding 200 meters. So compression testing and impact testing were conducted as shown in figures 2 and 3 respectively.
Impact testing was conducted to simulate the pressure the housing would experience in the event of a crash. As illustrated in figure 2, the maximum pressure observed during testing was 250 kPa. Even at the max operating altitude, the pressures experienced by the housing structure remains several magnitudes below the yielding strength of 75 MPa.
Compression testing was conducted in 5-pound increments, beginning at 5 pounds. The yield strength of the housing was determined to be 75 MPa. Even under the maximum applied load, figure 3 shows that the highest pressure experienced by any surface was 168 kPa, which is significantly below the yield threshold.