Managers and Advisors Meeting

November 11, 2007 at 9:05 am

Advisor: James

Managers: Curtis, Tom, Winnie

Finance

· Our account has been frozen, Joel needs to submit the names and student numbers soon.

· Need sponsors!!

Test Site

Signing off building documents not as easy as thought. Curtis has been in contact with an engineering firm that would help us re-design the test site for $2000. There are three things that need to be considered:

1. The concrete/rebar footing. The engineer said 12" under the lock block wall, and 4 in between.
2. The wall strength; We need to make sure it can withstand an explosion, therefore we need to work out the calculations for the pressure and verify it with Dr Rogak.
3. The strength of the connection between the roof and walls

We also need a door for sound suppression and a series of vents to vent the gases.

Since the design of the building has changed, we need to contact Eddie Ho from UBC Building Services about the changes

Parts

· Not sure if the parts that we ordered during the summer have arrived yet.

· We should make an inventory of the parts that we have.

Machining

· James will finish the injector plate drawing.

· Winnie will assemble all the SolidWorks drawings and make them ready for machining, however she needs to add tolerances to the parts, which is difficult. Parts will expand thermally at different rates, so we need to make sure that they still fit. Need to consult Dr Pete Ostafichuck, the Mech 2 coordinator.

· Curtis will look into machining companies.

Others

· Dr Meech wants to try for the Lunar X-Prize, so we will collaborate with T-Bird Robotics.

Meeting adjourned at 10:28am

Updates October 13, 2007

Curtis, Kirsty and I met up and we moved most of the UBCRP stuffs from Rusty Hut to the Thunderbird space in ICICS.

Updates from Avionics:
- Regular weekly meetings will be held every Friday at 5PM in the CHBE space.
- A google group is set up at http://groups.google.com/group/ubcrp-avionics. Meeting minutes, updates and files will be posted there. It's not a public group so either signup at the site or contact Aaron.

Team Meeting September 8 2007

Meeting Minutes:

Welcome back to all returning members, Welcome all new members!

Launch Systems:
- The truss has been relocated and is in a safe place
- The hydraulic system we were going to use is probably not useable, going to go ahead and order a new hydraulic system. This will be smaller, more efficient, and stronger than the old one (not to mention more reliable)

Avionics:
- Over the summer more research was done regarding sensors and data storage.
- Data storage will most likely consist of flash memory, Aaron has hooked up a flash card to his computer and can read and write to it.
- Next step is to determine exactly what needs to get done to provide a more realistic time line.
- Before we can program the microcontroller we need to know how many sensors we are going to use, as well as their values. Since it will take a long time to program, this should be done as quickly as possible.

Aerostructures:
- Nose cone design is done and is currently being reviewed by a third party.
- Body of rocket is also being calculated
- Rocket diameter is now officially 12" and not 30cm, but on all drawings will be reported in millimetres (mm)

Propulsion:
- Over the summer ordered valves, sensors, LOX and KER tanks, and other parts for engine testing
- Obtained permit to build test site at the Gas Facility on UBC Campus
- Wrote a "Fire and Emergency Plan", required for the testing facility
- Once we have a P. Eng sign off on our building design the test facility can be built.
- Still need to find a machine shop to machine the engine components.
- Hoping to test the engine around December/January

Recovery:
- No members present :(

Roundtable Discussion:
- Should focus on getting some commerce students to help out with Rocket Project as they should be able to really help with marketing
- A model rocket workshop early this term would be SWEET
- PAF from last year has been spent, follow up to ensure that it was received properly.
- We no longer have any team space, so we need to find some new space on campus. Approach ECE, MECH, FIZZ for space.
- High Powered Rocketry Certification will be going ahead for those interested. Cost of ~$600 to gain certification, may be able to get it subsidized in part by PAF or MECH department.
- Recruiting for the team happened on Imagine Day. We will also be present at the Student Design Team Information Session (Tuesday Sept 18, 6-8pm) and will have a movie night afterwards. Location TBA. Further recruiting at Club Days; will discuss this more next meeting.
- Next meeting scheduled for Sept. 15th

2007 Team Photos

Team photos taken on Aug 11, 2007. Enjoy!

(Click on images for full sized files)

Old School UBCRP

With only a month of summer remaining before the UBC rocket project blasts off into the 2007 fall semester - and since news is pretty slow right now - I thought I'd post some old school pictures of the UBCRP team. These photos were taken at the Central Vancouver Public Library in May 2005 during engineering awareness event.

Dangers, but also Opportunities

I'd just like to express our team's best wishes to the families of those killed and hurt in the accident at Scaled Composites' test facility earlier this week. Scaled has been a huge inspiration to us and to many others around the world. It would be no exaggeration to say that a lot of our team members idolize the people at Scaled, including those who were caught in the blast.

While there are not many details available at this time, it is known that the accident occured during a test of the propulsion system. This was a sobering event for us, as it reinforced the fact that what we are doing can be dangerous and requires the utmost care.

We are currently in the building permit phase of our propulsion test site development. A lot of effort is being put into eliminating the risks that can be eliminated, in into mitigating the risks that cannot be eliminated. Oversight on this process is being provided by university professors, lab health & safety officials, building officials, and fire prevention officials.

There will always be risk, and we will always have to be careful.

Team Meeting July 21 2007

Updates from the team meeting today:

NEXT MEETING AUGUST 11

Kirsty brought us awesome pens that look like 1930's-style rockets! They have a fuel tank filled with gel (no slosh baffles), and an led in the engine area. Courtesy of her Dad and AT&T.

Curtis - Launch Systems
-He is going to pick up the hydraulic parts for the launch rail from Princess Auto
-The 46' Expo truss is getting moved onto a trailer for us, stored in yard until we need it
-Still working out how to connect truss to whatever trailer/platform we use as the base
-Need to have truss properly inspected, one buckled member needs to be replaced, need someone "qualified" to advise on how to properly inspect

Joel (on behalf of Trian) - Aerostructures
-got new team account set up in MECH department, moved funds over from old IGEN account, ready to cut purchase orders through MECH department

Cedric - Industry Advisor
-introducing James to resources at local aerospace company for potential combustion chamber machining (we are hoping to get them to sponsor us), estimating FMC programming and planning work hours
-getting machining done in the near term will be difficult as they are very busy

Marco - test stand building permit
-unfortunately no luck getting anyone to sign off on design

Kirsty, Sebastian, Aaron - Avionics
-need to track down missing components from Jon/Leigh (DAQ and microprocessor) - they are probably at someone's house
-Kirsty got a key for the CHBE workshop and we have moved everything over there
-ready to order Omega sensors, Ozark GPS transmitter/receiver, and 3 DOF accelerometers

James - Propulsion
-RFQs for tanks, plumbing, most valves done, ready to order
-worked on updated sponsor info, milestones, budget, etc
-discussion of milestones
-Alumni update: 3 ISU masters students, 3 working in aerospace manufacturing, one (soon possibly two) working for NASA

Winnie - Propulsion
-working on Fire Safety Plan for test facility, almost done, need contacts for emergencies
-have been busy with Fizz robot project

Joel - Project Coordinator
-sponsorship package updated, will bring a copy to next meeting
-next meeting would fall on saturday of the BC Day long weekend, so reschedule to Aug 11