Final Project

Brian A.

Legislator:  Joe Driver, Representative

(Click on the image above to enlarge.)

 

(Click on the image above to enlarge.)

 

The general purpose vehicle (GPV) is a small, wheeled vehicle that could provide transportation, storage, and in an emergency, shelter to one individual who is walking on a foreign body like Mars or the Moon.  The idea is that everyone on the expedition that would be going into the field would be assigned a GPV.  They would take it with them every time they walk on the surface and utilize it to carry them and materials wherever they go, and as an extra pressurized, controlled environment in case of an emergency.  This use would not be very helpful on the Moon because it has no weather, but in the event of a dust storm on Mars, I am sure they would want some other shelter besides the space suit.  It would be light enough to be powered by a relatively small, light motor, or be pulled by an individual.  The key points are it’s structure, it’s climate/life control system, and understanding its most effective uses.

Frame - The construction will essentially be a Unibody (as opposed to a frame) design utilizing a rectangle-shaped titanium tub 2M X 1M  X 10 CM.  A support rod would be attached at each corner and extend 1M up and be connected joined on top by four more support rods forming a cube-like structure, like a rack on the bed of a truck.   All of the suspension pieces and steering would be mounted to this tub.  When driving the vehicle, the operator would sit inside the tub with his feet crossed or on his knees.

Suspension - The design will utilize a solid rear axle in the back, and the front would be a pivot joint that would allow the front wheels (connected by a solid axle) to go about 270 degrees.  The steering mechanism would be the handle of the GPV, which would have an integrated on/off switch and speed control as well.  The front assembly would all be attached to shock absorbers and the shock absorbers would link the basin and the rest of the front-end assembly.  The rear portion would have two parallel rods extending from the side of the basin at a thirty-degree angle and they would keep the rear axle in place.  There would be shock absorbers that connect the basin to the rear axle. 

Power - The power for this vehicle would come from a small electric motor, about 1 HP that is more geared for torque than power.  The power would go through a belt directly to the rear solid axle, which would then go to the wheels.  In normal conditions it would run off of solar energy, but it would have a battery backup.  A simple resister, like the volume control on a radio, would control the speed.  There would be no clutch, all it would need would be a simple on/off switch, and then the brake would take care of the stopping power.  The maximum speed would probably be about five miles per hour.  The key is that it would have plenty of torque to negotiate the difficult terrain.

Life support - This would be like a big tunnel that is pressurized and controlled in much the same way that a space suit is.  It would utilize all the systems of a space suit in terms of the air pumps, filters, and temperature control, only in this case it would be in the shape of an enclosed tunnel as opposed to a suit.  It would be suspended from the supporting beams on the top and it would be able to move toward the front or the back of the cockpit depending on if it is being employed or not.  To get into the device, one enters a hatch into an airlock, and then they go through another hatch to get into the living area.  This is also where equipment would be stored on normal missions.  There would be two main layers held in place by a material.  The first thing in between the materials would be the same foam that is on the roof of cars.  The next layer would be a layer of water, which would probably freeze.  Power and supplies for the life support system would be primarily solar powered with a battery back up, which would be stored on the stern in the port side of the vehicle.    

Uses for the vehicle:

Personal Transportation - This would be an efficient way to transport both people and cargo on expeditions.  The effective range of the vehicle would probably be about 10 miles because of the slow speed of the wagon.  Everyone would take care of their own GPV and they would use it for normal transportation around the base and to some of the outposts.  Caravans of these vehicles could string out along the way to reach farther destinations.  Each person would get their own vehicle, but they could all be linked together to form a kind of chain.  This allows for everyone to move at the same pace and use a similar amount of energy.  It also makes it easy to keep people in the group who have malfunctions, so one broken vehicle does not spoil the expedition.

Trailer - The vehicle makes a perfect trailer for any conceivable vehicle.  Because it powers itself, most any vehicle will be able to hitch one up and bring it along for the ride.  When a bigger vehicle like the space equivalent of a pickup truck or van is needed, the GPV could be towed behind.  The vehicle would act as a trailer for extra luggage, particularly helpful in the van, and it could be a scout of sorts to check out rough terrain before the mother vehicle gets there.  It could also be sent to get help in the event of an emergency.

Safety - This vehicle would act as a safe haven for the Mars crew.  Whenever something unexpected comes up, the crew knows that it will be safe inside the pressurized, climate controlled life support canopy, They would probably have to jettison whatever provisions were in the vehicle, but there would be room to sit up comfortably and rest.

 

Specifications
size	appx mass	material(s) used	estimated cost
16 cm in diameter	included in rear axle	titanium	see rear axle
20cmX 5cm	included in titanium tub	titanium	included in tub
8cmX8cm	25 grams	Pad-steel and ceramics    caliper-titanium	$250
5cm diameter  20cm	35g	varies	$100 ea.
20 cm long, 2 cm in diameter	30g each	titanium	$50 each
1.25 m long, 5cm in diameter	.75 kg	Titanium	$500
1.25 m long, 5cm in diameter	.60 kg	Titanium	$450
1cmX3cmX.5m	40g ea.	Titanium	75 ea.
15 cm diameter, 9cm tall	.5kg	titanium	$300
1cm diameter, 2.1m long	30g	steel	$25
5cm long	15g each	steel	$30
27cm diameter	20g	rubber	$15
10cm extensions	15g each	steel	$20
7cm long	15g	titanium	$15
4cm diameter, 1.2cm wide	20g	titanium	$30 ea.
20cmX24cmX40cm	7kg ea.	various	$500 ea.
20cm diameter, 20cm long	15kg	various	$2,000
1.5m diameter, 1.8mlong	30kg	various	$3,000
8cmX10cmX.7m	10g	various	$10,000
1m in diameter	10g  ea.	mainly titanium	500 ea.
1.5m diameter, .5m long	part of canopy	same as canopy	included in canopy
15cmX1mX2m, 1 gauge	50kg	titanium	10,000
28cm diameter, 5cm wide	8kg	polyurethane	$100
15cmX1m	8kg	various	$10,000
1mX1mX2m	10kg	titanium	$600
1M long, 4cm in diameter	2kg	titanium	$150

 

Resources:

The TAS website

Monroe.com

www.Findarticles.com/cf_0/m3102/mag.jhtml   

Motor Age

Last Updated:  09/10/01