X-Sync (NASA Lunar TORCH Challenge)

Last crawled date: 1 year, 10 months ago

Hi, this is double synchronized X-shape mechanism for mirror deployment.

see video here
https://youtu.be/WqvNHMhPi4U

System is quite easy you can 3d print smaller scale parts that is included STL folder. There is two options 1.spring deploying method or 2 Motorized version. I did not want to add z-axis 360 rotation mechanism because Rover anyway already has motorized wheels. So you need only one x axis rotation to catch solar light.
One way to pack big area in compact volume is- "roll shape". if mirror material roll is diagonally inside rectangular box1,5x1,5x2m then it gives max roll height 2.58m. So challenge task was that area should be 10 m2 . So to achieve longer width(3,9m). Then we need to use "drawer slides" for bigger diagonal. And if x cross angle is variable then roll height can be constant.

Because the center point of the mechanism remains stationary. Then the system can be supplemented with a additional motorized mechanism that allows move the center point (parameter D) of the mirror more back so mirror will be concaved and you can redirect more solar energy at a certain point.

Advantages
1. Cheap
2. Lightweight
3. Mechanism may have quite large tolerances under conditions of extreme temperature differences
4. its possible to test system on earth (example my first idea "curved mirror" may work on Moon in microgravity but is hard to test on Earth gravity condition)

Disadvantages
1. surface reflections is not so good as solid glassmirror, but if x is under tension then space blanket is very flat. and the weight is so small so if you need more reflecting area then you can add more X side by side double X Sync-XX or triple X Sync XXX.

X-synchronized mechanism contains- Bended U- profiles Aluminum Sheetmetal, with Lasercut pattern for pinions. ~3kg Material cost~ 12EUR
Mast 1 Aluminum ~2,7kg Material cost ~10,8EUR
Mast 2 Aluminum ~1,1kg 4,4 EUR
Mirror -Space blanket 190g Cost you will get it free if you past some marathons :)

So total weight = ~7 kg and total material cost 28EUR+ production