Concept for NASAEAS

grabcad

The Experiment Attachment System (EAS) concept for the Grabcad Challenge is a lightweight design that prioritizes ease of assembly without tools. Static FEA analysis is used for optimization, and bulging and true surface pressures are required if the design advances to fabrication. Due to a laptop crash, more sophisticated contacts were not included in this study. The parts are designed for easy machining in 5-Axis CNC or preferably 3D printing, with high strength aluminum or titanium for 3D printed options. Stainless steel parts can also be manufactured through machining or 3D printing, albeit more economically via the latter. The corner feet are connected using a 2.0mm stainless cable, capable of breaking force at 2.27 kN and with a maximum force in the study at 0.4kN. The flexibility of this cable allows for packing and folding of the feet to accommodate a launch cargo bag. Tower and flange attachments are intended for permanent installation on earth, traveling with the experiment. The total weight of the system is currently 120.79 grams, including towers and flanges. Additional side forces of 125 lbs can be accommodated with 25-gram supports, while negative parallel forces with the rail can be managed using another set of cables, adding an additional 20 grams. Top loading cases experience less force and moment, so calculations for these scenarios were not performed. Additionally, no recalculations are done after flange removal from the experiment plate.