B.O.S.S. – Balloon-Operated Seeding System
BalloonSat to the Edge of Space Mission
Team: Up, Up and Away
COSGC ASEN 1400 Team#8
Balloon: B.O.S.S.
Balloon-Operated Seeding System
Team Members
Trevor Arrasmith
Ty Bailey
Cameron Coupe
Samuel Frakes
Brandon Harris
Carolyn Mason
Soo Rin Park
Peter VanderKley
Overview and Mission Statement:
Mission Statement:
With our Balloon-Operated Seeding System (B.O.S.S.), Team Up, Up and Away will test a unique particle dispersal method in order to determine its reliability and effectiveness in the extreme conditions through which the balloon satellite will travel. Our mission is to create a small-scale version of a balloon-satellite-based cloud seeding system that is as effective as conventional methods.
What we expect to discover:
Clouds form when latent water vapor condenses on a particle and droplets within clouds collide and join with each other. Droplets begin to form and subsequently precipitate after sufficient condensation, or, through convection currents. Convections currents occur when a cloud rises to an altitude with a low enough temperature for the water droplets freeze and fall (Clouds and Precipitation). The practice of cloud seeding is the attempt to influence the amount of precipitation produced by clouds. It utilizes the two manners of the creation of precipitation by either introducing particles, or by releasing dry ice or rapidly expanding propane to lower the temperature to the point that the water droplets can freeze (Weather Modification Services). Two commonly induced particles are silver iodide and finely ground salt (2-5 microns in diameter). These are used because they have a crystalline structure that is extremely similar to that of ice. In practice, water vapors will condensate around these structures and provide an adhesive substance that the water droplets cling to.
Team Up, Up and Away is attempting to study the feasibility and efficacy of a balloon-mounted cloud seeding system at altitudes (5,000 to 100,000 ft). Our balloon-mounted CubeSat will carry 100 grams of salt and disperse it 40 times during flight. The salt will be dispersed by sifting salt through a funnel with a servo on the base to regulate flow. A GoPro will point toward the ground to watch the particle dispersal and watch for cloud formation. Our goal is to test reliability (will all mechanisms work without jamming?) and the ultimate effectiveness of a balloon based particle dispersal system. The method will be proven ‘effective’ if a cloud can be seen from GoPro footage.
We will then compare the ‘effective’ results of the physical experiment with the data on humidity, temperature, and pressure to formulate a conclusive result. In our knowledge, no such experiment has been performed, and our findings should be completely original. We hope to be able to achieve ‘effective’ data in several different subareas. First and foremost, we hope to prove the feasibility and cost effectiveness of balloon sourced cloud seeding at standard cloud seeding altitude. The next goal is to find data on the efficacy of cloud seeding at higher altitudes. If this is proven useful, it could have major effect on cloud seeding as a whole. If water vapor exists at high altitudes and the salt can still attract the vapor at lower temperatures, then this experiment could reveal a previously untapped source of water.
Why we propose this experiment:
Although the method is not particularly well known, cloud seeding is well practiced. One common use is to encourage precipitation during drought. One of the most recent applications of this initiative was in China, where the government attempted to alleviate one of its worst droughts in decades with cloud seeding. After seeding, however, the temperature dropped significantly, resulting in a blizzard. "Officials said their cloud-seeding program directly caused the snowstorm. Engineers blasted more than 400 cigarette-size sticks of silver iodide into the sky shortly before the storm, and a senior engineer told Reuters that it was 'a procedure that made the snow a lot heavier...' The blizzard caused 12 area highways around Beijing to close," (Does cloud seeding work?). Cloud seeding is even used for the opposite purpose, to alleviate rain or cloud cover. In another instance in Beijing, officials had promised clear skies for the 2008 summer Olympics, and "The Chinese government seeded clouds ahead of the 2008 Olympics opening ceremony to create a downpour elsewhere and keep the stadium dry. This involved firing rockets packed with silver iodide crystals into rain clouds over the suburbs of Beijing" (Why won't the UK make the sun shine for the Olympics). Another use for cloud seeding is at airports, where ground fog and clouds are far more dangerous to landing planes than rain, so cloud seeding is used to cause the clouds to precipitate and dissipate. Yet another use for cloud seeding is for recreational purposes, notably in ski areas. Vail Resorts, for instance, frequently seeds clouds with silver iodide to encourage snowfall.
Further research in cloud seeding can have long-lasting and global impact. Almost all locations in the world are at one point or another affected by drought or can benefit from additional precipitation. It is cost efficient as well, as the cost of materials and implementation is fairly cheap, even on a large scale, and the resulting precipitation can save significantly more money than the cost of cloud seeding itself. The issue strikes particularly close to home here in Colorado, both with the recent drought and the numerous ski resorts in the state dependant on snowfall. If our experiment proves successful, it may reveal the possibility for even further cloud seeding opportunities in areas which it may not have been previously feasible.
Sources Cited:
1. "Clouds and Precipitation." http://www.rkdn.org/outdoors/w4.htm4
2. "Does cloud seeding work?" http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=cloud-seeding-china-snow
3. "Weather Modification Services." http://www.nawcinc.com/wm.html
4. "Why won't the UK make the sun shine for the Olympics" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-1881794
Technical Overview (HOW):
Materials and Hardware:
We will use standard foam core to construct our housing. The BalloonSat will be a standard cube (sides of 15 cm), pieced together with hot glue. The housing will then be insulated using thermal foil on the outside surfaces and will be heated with the provided heater. Conical metal containers will be used to house the salt powder and funnel it into the hole where it will be released from the BalloonSat. The mechanism to release the powder will consist of an oscillating triangular aluminum plate controlled by a Servo, which will block the flow of salt out of the container except when prompted to move. The base plate on which the oscillating plate will rest will also be made out of a 3mm thick aluminum sheet and will assure that the triangular piece can oscillate smoothly against its surface. The funnel will be supported by cross wires so that it does not fall over or get shaken or broken in flight. We will make sure that the salt will not fall out of the cone by securing a lid on the top of it.
Provided to the team are the HOBO data logger, the temperature and humidity sensors, the digital camera, the Arduino Uno board, and the heater. The team will use the provided budget of $250 to purchase the sheet aluminum, the funnel container, the Servos, and the milled salt powder. The GoPro will be provided at zero cost to the team for educational purpose.
List of Materials:
Provided
Digital camera / 2GB memory card / Arduino UNO / Temperature sensorsPressure sensor / 3 axis accelerometer / Humidity sensor / Heater kit
Switches / Foam core / Flight batteries / Aluminum tape
Hot glue / Velcro / Insulation
Bought/Acquired
GoPro camera / Aluminum plate / Servos / Milled Salt PowderFunnel/Container / Anemometer
Satellite Model:
Functional Block Diagram:
Data Retrieval:
The HOBO, GoPro, and digital camera will collect data from ground all the way up to apogee. Data will be stored within each respective device, and retrieved and uploaded after the balloon returns to the ground. The GoPro and digital camera will each be equipped with an SD memory card to record the images and video of the flight.
Data from the HOBO (outside temperature and humidity) will be compared to previously collected temperature data to determine altitude. During flight, the mechanism will release small quantities of milled sodium chloride (approximately 1 cubic centimeter per release) at 3-minute time intervals. The GoPro camera will be recording the entire time and will capture the release of the sodium chloride. The video will then be reviewed to determine the effectiveness of the mechanism.
Before launch, each system will be tested for quality assurance as well as to make sure that data is transferable between sensor and computer. Data from the HOBO will be loaded into the HOBO software in order to analyze the graphs. Images and video from the cameras will be loaded onto a computer and reviewed by the team members.
Satellite Testing:
Testing the satellite is crucial to the mission to ensure that all systems function properly when the satellite is out of our hands and launched into the air. Thus, each test will be conducted thoroughly and repeatedly in order to ensure that all systems will function in the conditions the satellite will experience during flight.
Camera testing:
In order to test the functionality of the dual-camera system, we will turn the system on for a full two hours, simulating the duration of the actual flight. For this time, the BalloonSat will be left on a table undisturbed. The digital camera will take pictures at one-minute intervals and the GoPro will film for the entire two hours. The cameras will record to their respective SD cards, and we will upload the data to a computer to ensure that the cameras and memory cards operated correctly during the test.
HOBO Testing:
Once we receive our sensors and heaters, we will run tests to ensure that all systems function properly. First we will turn the HOBO on, so that it will begin taking data. We will expose the temperature sensors to a refrigerator, freezer, and to our own BalloonSat heater. To ensure that the data is recorded properly, we will record five sets of data of five minute durations each. We will expose the humidity sensor to varying humidity levels by breathing on the sensor and testing it in humid areas such as bathrooms filled with steam from showers. Each sensor will be tested again in the final sensor check on the day of launch to ensure that all systems are ready.
Heater Testing: Upon completing the heater, we will test its functionality by placing it in a closed in a box and activating it for one hour. After this time, we will remove the heater from the box to confirm that it is still functioning. We will also test the heater during the cooler test to see how much power the heater will require to keep the satellite at a functional internal temperature. The heater will be installed onto the ceiling of the box near the Arduino Uno board, the component which will be most susceptible to the colder temperatures at altitude.
Anemometer Testing:
The Anemometer will measure wind speed on the outside of the BalloonSat. We will test the anemometer system by driving in a car with a voltmeter connected to the turbine. With the voltmeter data, we will record the speed to determine if it matches up with the speed of the car. On windless days we will test the turbine while driving 10, 25, and 45 mph, three times each.
Science Testing:
Powder Release System Test: We will create our own delivery system to release the powder used to seed the clouds. We expect to modify and tune the system so that it will disperse the powder at the desired altitudes without failure. The goal is to have a system that releases a portion of the satellite’s stored powder at certain altitude intervals. Our initial tests will be run without powder to make sure that the mechanism works. We will then run short tests with the powder in funnel, to make sure that the Servo arm does not get caught and that the powder releases in the proper amounts. Our final test will run for 90 minutes to simulate a long flight time and make sure every part of the system acts as expected and the programming works without fail.
Cooler Test: Once we have ensured that the powder release system works properly at ground level, we must test to make sure that the same systems still function at higher altitudes, and thus lower temperatures. We will use a cooler filled with dry ice to bring the atmospheric temperature inside the cooler to simulate the temperatures encountered at the altitudes reached by the satellite. When the temperature inside the cooler reaches to, or below the expected temperature encountered by the balloon, we will run the program of the satellite and place it in the cooler. After leaving the satellite in the cooler for the same time as the duration of the flight, we will measure how much powder was released, make a window into the cooler to visually observe the system working under cooler temperatures, or have a camera on the inside or looking into the cooler for a visual observation.
In conjunction with our science testing, we will be observing how the sensors, heater, satellite, and its internals withstand the adverse temperatures.
Structural Testing:
Drop Test: Once the structure is completed, we will begin testing its integrity by dropping it from several stories. Beginning with one story, and progressing higher and higher until the satellite has a major failure or we are confident that we have exceeded the situational requirements. We will also include weights inside the satellite to simulate the weight of our components to better simulate the scenario. Based on the results, or the damage, from these tests, we can improve our structural design to better protect its contents. Once we have a design that exceeds situational requirements, we will proceed testing the system as a whole.
Tumble Test: In addition to the drop test, we will toss the satellite down several flights of stairs with weights to observe how the structure will hold and protect its contents. This test also shows how well or poorly everything will be secured inside the satellite. If anything breaks loose, the part itself will fail its mission and possibly damage the other contents of the satellite and damage more systems.