In order to determine whether or not our solution effectively works, we had to create a testing plan. To create a plan, we have to consider a variety of important testing criteria. Analyzing what we need and how certain pieces of equipment and recording instruments will be implemented into testing is a key part of creating a working and effective process.
We are using the Aqueon mini heaters (5 Watts) to simulate the heat buildup generated by the processor chip and battery inside the CubeSat. They will be mounted to the interior walls of the body.
To record the temperature of the CubeSat inside the insulation bag, we are using temperature sensors mounted to the body of the CubeSat.
We are using a standard delivery bag as our testing environment. The bag is insulated so it is suitable to mimic the conditions the CubeSat would be operating under.
We will be using our CubeSat assembly as the subject of the testing. The assembly will be designed as per the CAD model and design constraints.
Prepare the sample
a) Reset Power Monitor and connect to outlet
b) Connect Power Strip to Power Monitor
c) Connect Heat Sources to the power strip
d) Make sure the heat sources have minimal conduction to any surfaces
e) Attach the Temperature Sensors to both Heat Sources, Internal Aluminum, External Aluminum, MLI Blankets, and Silver Teflon
Place and seal inside the Insulated Bag
Turn on power strip
Record the temperature in Celsius on each CubeSat component and the power dissipated from the Power Monitor
a) Repeat every 5 minutes until 60 minutes
Turn off Power Strip
Remove CubeSat from Insulated Bag after 5 minutes to cool down
We are using the Aqueon mini heaters (5 Watts) to simulate the heat buildup generated by the processor chip and battery inside the CubeSat. They will be mounted to the back face of the blanket
To record the temperature of the blankets surface, we are using temperature attached to the blankets face.
We are using Multi-layered Insulating Blankets with 12 layers of Mylar mesh and 12 layers of Kapton film.
Prepare the Setup
Connect heat source to power
Make sure the heat source has minimal conduction to any surfaces
Attach the Temperature Sensors to heat source and blanket
Drape MLI Blanket over the edge of the table
Attach heat source to back of the blanket
Turn on heat sources
Record the temperature in Celsius on each heat source
Repeat steps every minute until temperature converges.
Turn off heat sources
Remove Blanket after 2 minutes
We are using the Aqueon mini heaters (5 Watts) to simulate the heat buildup generated by the processor chip and battery inside the CubeSat. They will be attached to the Silver Teflon
To record the temperature of the
Silver Teflon, we are using sensors attached to the Teflons face.
We are using Silver Teflon tape to act as radiators on our CubeSat.
Prepare the Setup
Connect heat source to power
Make sure the heat source has minimal conduction to any surfaces
Attach the Temperature Sensors to heat source and Silver Teflon
Drape Silver Teflon over the edge of the table
Attach heat source to back of the blanket
Turn on heat sources
Record the temperature in Celsius on each heat source
Repeat steps every minute until temperature converges.
Turn off heat sources
Remove Teflon after 2 minutes
Conclusion
Accuracy is an important part of our testing because we need to see if our design will be viable in space. If we accurately test our product on Earth, we can find out if it's a viable solution which can be implemented. Without accurate testing we're left with inaccurate data and cannot conclusively decide if we can use our product in space. It's also important to know if you're yielding quantitative or qualitative data because each type of data serves a specific purpose and is analyzed in seperate ways. With quantitative data, we can use our data to perform calculations and come to conclusions, while with qualitative we can create a conclusion through analyzing patterns and trends.
