Honors Students' Abstracts
Senior Mechanical Engineering Project
J.C. Laws
This project is part of the senior design project, done with help and guidance from Robert Leedom and Andrea Gonzalez from Northrop Grumman. The end design goal was to design and build a self deploying hinge that would meet strict specifications. Examples of these specifications included ensuring that the design could overcome torque during deployment and withstand the launch, deployment and post-deployment conditions of the atmosphere and space. The design also had to meet highly accurate angular measurements (60 degrees +- 0.05 degrees), requiring the hinge mechanism design to be created as accurately as possible. The basic elements of our design include the frame, the hinge, the axel, the deployment pins and the boom arm of the satellite itself. Though we were only responsible for the design of the first four parts listed, our design did have to take into account the size and potential torque and forces the boom arm presented. All parts listed are made from 1024 T6 Aluminum, and machined to the proper sizes. The design also includes various bolts that secure the part together, made from stainless steel and varying in size and shape based on their application.