Introduction
Power is a big issue for the VAST team. The last few missions have shown that one 12V power source and an inverter is not enough to reliably power the electronics needed to access and document information during a mission. Also, with the current setup we are tied to the transport vehicle. Power in the field for things like soldering irons, heaters, etc. would be a huge asset.
People Involved
- Matthew Vavrosky (Communications)
Outcomes
A mobile power system would keep the GPS, router, and radio powered over the duration of a mission to ensure that important data can be accessed and recorded without interruption. It will also power a laptop or purpose-built computer to ensure that at least one machine is able to record important mission data without power issues.
Requirements
Power
- Router:
- Input Voltage: 12V nominal (~6-20V okay)
- Input Power: 12W nominal (~5W average)
- Special Notes: No filtering circuitry on the router
- Laptop:
- Input Voltage: 120V to Transformer (or ~15V to Battery)
- Input Power: 180W to Transformer (or ~75W+ to Battery)
- Radio:
- Input Voltage: 12V nominal (~?)
- Input Power: ?
Battery
- Amps = Power / Voltage … Amps = 10
- Amp Hours = 8 Hours X 10 Amps … 80 Amp Hours
Weight
- Battery ~ 80lbs
- Circuitry ~ 10lbs
- Enclosure ~ 25lbs
Ideas
- Basic four component design. This would include a rectifier to convert AC to DC signal, a charging system for the battery powered by a DC source, a battery, and finally an inverter to convert the DC back to AC.
Timeline
- Presentation November 28th
- Completion spring 2008
Budget
Estimated Cost(very rough estimate)
- Battery ~ $150
- Circuitry ~ $75
- Enclosure ~ $50
Testing
System must be able to drive a load of 1500 Watts.
