305-CommandersReport

Commander’s Report

03/05/2015

Daniel Rivas

Our Heating “Nutella” System works!

Hello Mission Support,

Today, cooking was in charge of Gora and Cruz. I have to say that they impressed.

All the morning, Postigo and I were working on some mechanisms, like an improvised valve with a bolt to close the water flow and a jar filled with water (simulating a water tank) to generate a difference of pressure to produce the water flow inside the tube filled with Nutella (look at the pictures in the Journalist’s Report), for the Heating System proposal.

At the same time, Jibaja was making a cover for feet with trash bags and elastics for our other team proposal: the wrapping system to cover the sneakers when you come back from an EVA’s Sim and go inside the Hab.

Analyzing soil samples

In the morning Cruz dried soil samples in order to sieve them in the laboratory. In the afternoon, he went on an EVA to Mancos Shale Formation to recollect soil samples.

Dron Project

Gora was analyzing the sun’s movement along the day to know how shadows appear over the terrain. This will help him to manipulate some parameters for his project.

Planting Camotes

Jibaja was doing her daily observations of the sweet potatoes and radish plants. She was measuring the amount of water that this plants absorb during the day and how are growing the stems.

Felines Gripping Exoskeleton

In the afternoon, I was adjusting parameters of the electronic system which control the claws. I am trying to to optimize the accuracy of the Flex Sensors because they are too sensible. Furthermore, I have added the others sensors that I will need to obtain the final complex system.

Heating “Nutella” System

As I commented on my lasts reports, we have been working on this project which consists, hypothetically, on a hot water flowing through a tube inside another filled with glycerin. The water flow is heated through a renewable energy system (which we are trying to define).

Today we prove a model mockup with Nutella instead of glycerin, and we obtained data with a thermometer which specify that this custard, while is changing its phase, can issue heat and warm up a closed recipient.

Best Regards.