Domain
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Space Tribometers: Design for Exposed Experiments on Orbit
12 March 2012
Eight pin-on-disk tribometers have been made for testing materials in space on board the International Space Station. They will be exposed directly to the low earth orbit (LEO) environment on board the ‘‘Materials on the International Space Station Experiments’’ platform where they will experience extreme conditions including atomic oxygen, ultrahigh vacuum, radiation (including UV radiation), and thermal ranges from -40 to 60 C.
Contactless Torque Sensors based on shaft torsion measurement, compatible with existing shafts
19 June 2023
The torque measurement usually comes from strain gauges bonded on a shatf. the main concern in this measurement is due to the fact that these gauges are also rotating and the integration of electronic on rotating parts is definitely a blocking point.
AC magnetic field detection system applied to motion tracking
12 February 2010
In the context of motion tracking and virtual reality, there is a strong need for sensors to monitor the motion of a moving object. These sensors are characterised by their performances (ranges, accuracy, drifts, and susceptibility to the ambient environment) and embedded (small size, light weight). The magnetic technology compared to the mechanical or optical solution allows the working without structural skeleton composed of links interconnected by monitored joints and with possible optical shadows.
Fine stepping piezo actuator for IASI-NG
7 June 2018
Many applications and more specifically space projects would have use of a stable sub-micrometre positioning actuator. In order to meet this need, Cedrat Technologies has designed the new FSPA brand. This linear stepping actuator offers sub-micrometric positioning resolution along 5mm stroke combined with high actuation force (>100N) and the ability to hold its position without power. Starting from the FSPA, a special version is being developed for the IASI-NG space instrument. This light (500g), fully redundant actuator is designed to achieve 150µm stroke with locking at rest, 60 N force with a 25-50 nm step resolution and resistance to launching. The paper presents the base FSPA actuator and the new high performance space variant.
Advanced Landing Gears for Improved Impact Absorption
6 January 2008
The presented project ADLAND (AST3-CT-2004-502793) dealt with evaluating the options for adaptive shock absorbers to be applied in aircraft landing gears. Analytical design procedures were developed to simulate different potential design options and a best practice solution determined. The different hardware components regarding adaptive shock absorbers were then developed and tested with regard to adaptive landing gear model. The objectives of the project were: to develop a concept of adaptive shock-absorbers, to develop new numerical tools for design of adaptive absorbers and for simulation of the adaptive structural response to an impact scenario, to develop technology for actively controlled shock-absorbers applicable in landing gears, to design, produce and perform repetitive impact tests of the adaptive landing gear model with high impact energy
dissipation effect, to design, produce and test in flight the chosen full-scale model of the adaptive landing gear.
Long stroke/High resolution tip tilt mechanism
19 June 2023
Multi degree of freedom (dof) mechanisms are widely required into micro or macro manipulation fields as well as in optronics functions. Commonly available mechanisms may be divided into two main categories. The first is industrial robots (serial or parallel). These offer large range of motion, in rotation and translation. Their resolution is usually limited in the sub-millimeter range. The second category achieves very high resolution motion (sub-nanometer) but is limited to a few decades of microns. A way to combine both long stroke and resolution is to use piezo motors into multi dof mechanisms. The aim of this paper is to present a combination of both advantages into a low volume tripod actuator. The Tripod Actuator by Cedrat Technologies (TrAC) is a 3 dof mechanism offering +/-35° rotation around X and Y axis and a 10mm Z translation stroke into a low volume of Ø50x50mm.
