Update 2025 Rocket Satellite authored by Lennard Rohs's avatar Lennard Rohs
......@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ title: 2025 Rocket Satellite
<details>
<summary>Table Of Contents</summary>
......@@ -243,14 +244,14 @@ The periphery to be supported:
![Power Supply Design 1](uploads/9bfd4ab18d8e08cbdd67c810caa9f2d4/DC_1.png)
The first design is the most straightforward solution.
While it is simple, not requiring additional components it only offers 3.3V with a maximum of 750 mA for all electrical components. While many servomotors will run at 3.3V most are rated for 3.8V or above and really suffer with low torque and low reliability at lower voltages.
While it is simple, not requiring additional components, it only offers 3.3V with a maximum of 750 mA for all electrical components. While many servomotors will run at 3.3V most are rated for 3.8V or above and really suffer with low torque and low reliability at lower voltages.
- Design 2: Boost converter directly on battery
![DC_4.drawio](uploads/49a3224dd4d9586845b3c0d2a6f5084e/DC_4.drawio.png)
The second design tested was to have a separate voltage supply for the motors and the rest of the hardware.
The second design tested had a separate voltage supply for the motors and the rest of the hardware.
This failed however because the boost converter and ESP32 would effectively act as a voltage divider dropping the voltage registered at the battery protection circuit of the esp32 below the needed 3.2V, even at very low currents.
......@@ -258,7 +259,7 @@ This failed however because the boost converter and ESP32 would effectively act
![DC2_fr_fr_eigentlich_3](uploads/724917f8ae6e85e3931fdf7ccaf16f5c/DC2_fr_fr_eigentlich_3.png)
The third design tested was utilising a separate BMS PCB to keep the battery voltage at the correct level on for protection circuit while not being limited to the 0.75 A of the ESP32s voltage regulator.
The third design tested utilises a separate BMS PCB to keep the battery voltage at the correct level on for the protection circuit while not being limited to the 0.75 A of the ESP32s voltage regulator.
While the design theoretically provided optimal power for the motors it had a lot of components and inefficiencies limiting the actual benefits.
......@@ -313,13 +314,13 @@ The PCB was screwed into the Bottom Cargo Section leaving the periphery accessib
## Testing
During testing we found that overcoming the friction of the linear servo motors and hinges was the limiting factor.
Therefore the optimal reliability of the servomotors was reached when the voltage was boosted to 4.3V providing maximum torque without dropping below 3.3V on the ESP32 during stall current.
Therefore the optimal reliability of the servomotors was reached when the voltage was boosted to 4.3V, providing maximum torque without dropping below 3.3V on the ESP32, during stall current.
Additionally lubrication with silicone grease helped tremendously.
## Launch Day
On Launch Day one of the servomotors provided significantly lower torque and was therefore not able to reliably push one side of the Fairing open.
This was most likley because the upper section was transported fully assembled with most of the loads applied transfered into the motor or due to the silicone grease drying up which had been applied during the extensive testing on the day before.
The most likely cause was either that transporting the upper section fully assembled transferred excessive loads into the motor, or that the silicone grease applied during extensive testing the previous day had degraded.
However, the spring force of the packed parachute, combined with the second servo motor, successfully opened both sides of the fairing at apogee, allowing the satellite to deploy successfully.
......
......