The valve actuates on an ACME threaded power screw driven by a small 6V Pololu motor geared 298:1 and driven at 5V. The motion of the valve is limited by limit switches that provide feedback to the controller. The system controller is a proprietary AVR based controller board used in many MSGC BOREALIS systems. The board sports an XBEE radio module for receiving commands along with a boost converter so the system can be powered off of a 3. 2V lithium-ion battery. The system also includes a brand new cutdown mechanism that uses flaps to detach from the balloon when necessary. A video of the cutdown in operation can be found here. This project was accepted for presentation at National Council on Undergraduate Research 2020.
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Project Description
This project sought to design, test, construct, and fly a system to allow elevation control of a high-altitude helium balloon by venting helium. This control capability is the first step in achieving “stationkeeping”, the ability to maintain and direct the location of a balloon above the Earth.
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