Joint Astrophysics Colloquium
Special Astrophysics Seminar
Design and Performance of the Tethered Aerostat
Subsystem of the Large Adaptive Reflector (LAR)
M. Nahon
Mechanical Engineering
McGill University
The proposed Canadian design for the Square Kilometer Array consists of an
array of very large antennas, each similar in size to Arecibo. The antenna
design, known as the Large Adaptive Reflector (LAR), includes a
ground-supported adaptive parabolic reflector and a receiver suspended in the
air by a multi-tethered aerostat, at the focus of the reflector. Work has
been ongoing for the past few years to evaluate the feasibility of the
multi-tethered aerostat subsystem (which includes the aerostat, tethers and
winches). Initial efforts centered on a computer simulation to predict its
behavior and which could be used for design tradeoff studies. With
encouraging simulation results we undertook the design and construction of a
one-third scale proof-of-concept prototype. The scaled system was designed to
maintain similarity of the non-dimensional parameters which govern the
system's behaviour. Construction of the prototype began in the spring of
2001 and it is now operational, albeit without closed-loop winch control. The
computer-controlled winches that will be used to control the system are
presently undergoing tests and will be installed in the summer of 2003. This
presentation will show our most recent measured results from the prototype,
as well as similar data from the simulation. It will also discuss our plans
for future enhancements of the system to further improve its performance.
Thursday, June 19th 2003, 15:30
Ernest Rutherford Physics Building, room 305
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