Space Place SP

SPACE PLACE SP

Space1 has innovated the use of configurable mobile Space Places, SPs, into the fleet of rockets and missions. SPs are flying electric engine platforms which can be configured into mission directives with a variety of spacecraft vehicles.

Some uses of SPs include space station, observational platform, temp satellite, tether anchor, communications relay, return space plane, outpost in space, mobile spacecraft, reentry tracker, survey station, test mobility unit, Multi-D enabler, and low velocity real time rocket substitute.

Brain Cortex Spirit Thermometer Install Part 47

Thermometer locates between two power units

BRAIN CORTEX SPIRIT THER- MOMETER INSTALL 

PART 47

Position black and red wires behind the thermometer

It's important to monitor the jar's core battery temperature status when recharging. This inexpensive and simple solution will do just that!

At the moment batteries become warm during the charging process, it's an indication the charging process is complete.

It may also indicate that the trickle charger is trickling too much and adjustment to the charging power grid is required.

Unit is next to the solar panel grid

This blog details the installation of a low cost small spirit thermometer inside the Brain Cortex jar. The thermometer is placed in a position, opposite the electric thermometer and lower in between two twin power units to read their heat signature.

The position of the single spirit thermometer is a drop down in between the corners of two twin power units.

The spirit filled traditional small thermometer has ~ -30 to +50 degree Centigrade scale, intended for food freezer use. The unit is part number G-590. The glass tube is the same length as a 1.5-volt D-size battery. 

It has a scale in one degree increments. The goal is to attach or place this thermometer to the proximity of a battery and monitor the charging temperature during the charging process, and continuously monitor the battery temperature to assure everything is nominal.

Accurate reading of the tiny scale may need a magnifier

The thermometer can stay mounted inside the jar, remaining with close contact with a single battery for continuous monitoring and inspections.

The analog temperature will be read through the transparent jar by visual inspection, as the unit is placed in contact with the interior transparent jar wall.

Early tests show the higher mounted electric thermometer reading 73 degrees Fahrenheit and the spirit thermometer, which contacts the jar floor, reading 72 degrees Fahrenheit, a nominal temperature difference of 1 degree due to the strata positioning.

Like other traditional thermometers of this type, there is no maintenance. Purchaed from a dollar store, at more than a dollar, the cost was NT$85. The thermometer may be purchased at this source: http://www.double-sun.com.tw

The spirit thermometer can be used in tandem with the electric thermometer, obtaining a cross gradient and cross section of battery and jar room temperature, for better assessment of the jar's Eco-environment.

Principle concern is for the electronics, especially the Parallax Propeller chip which is rated at a median temperature of 50 C during tests according the to specification sheet.

There is a meltdown jar temperature and this limit may be reached long before the Propeller chip upper limit is reached.

LINKS
Index to the Brain Cortex
http://humanoidolabs.blogspot.tw/2013/11/brain-cortex-index-part-16.html
Thermometers
http://humanoidolabs.blogspot.tw/2013/10/brain-cortex-thermometers-part-9.html
Electric Thermometer Source
http://www.double-sun.com.tw

Brain Cortex Thermometer Hygrometer Install Part 46

The electric unit is a combo thermometer and hygrometer for monitoring temperature and humidity inside the brain cortex jar. In the first experiment, a small high intensity lamp was placed near  the jar in an orientation that would have capacity to charge the inborn solar panel. What was noticed after 5 minutes, the internal temperature rose to an excess of 80 degrees F. and the humidity exceeded 53% RH. To normalize the jar'd environment, the lid was removed. It's not expected that high intensity lamps will often charge the jar brain in close proximity so this is an extreme case and lid removal may not be a frequent requirement.

The rating of the Parallax Propeller chip median of temperature tests is 122 deg. F. according to the Propeller Data Sheet V12, and it's expected the jar would not reach those temperatures in a temperature stable room environment. At maximum chip temperature extremes, it's likely the polymer jar substrate would melt. The polymer jar was chosen over a glass jar due to its light weight, ability to resist impacts, earthquakes, and ease of which components and structures can mount to its surface. Jar specifications may be established at a future date.

BRAIN CORTEX ELECTRIC THERMOMETER HYGROMETER INSTALL PART 46

It's time to install the electric thermometer and hygrometer monitoring unit to measure the temperature and relative humidity inside the brain cortex jar, making sure the brain is comfortable inside its new home.

The unit is mounted with one half-inch angle bracket, a quarter-inch brass spacer, two washers and a nut.

The hole in the polymer jar is just under the red lid, and is low enough so as not to interfere with its placement.

At the given angle of the jar wall under the lid side, mounting the angle iron here places pressure on the electric unit, keeping it in place, without any mechanical connection.

The bottom of the unit rests on the top of one twin power unit without any fasteners needed. The top of the unit is anchored using a small angle iron that keeps constant pressure on the case (as seen in the photos). Just enough clearance allows the jar lid to screw on tight.

The LCD faceplate is easily read through the transparent three liter jar with ambient light and no back lighting is needed.

The module has a self contained button battery, easily replaced after a year or more of operations. The unit is constantly on.

This unit is a Taiwan battery operated (LR1130) electronic thermometer and hygrometer, part number TH-233B.

It has a temperature range from -50 to +70 degrees Fahrenheit, or -58 to +158 deg. F. The hygrometer ranges from 20% RH to 99% RH. The accuracy is +/- 1.5 deg. C. The unit housing is 75(L) x 65(W) x 13(D) mm. Cost was NT$200.

This unit has a large digital LCD display with a segment font, and is easily read when accessing the home jar interior status from the outside of the jar. The temperature and relative humidity will be read through the trans jar but there is no direct connection to the Brain. The unit is for monitoring purposes only.

Other than a poke hole for changing the Centigrade reading to Fahrenheit, this unit has no controls and runs automatically. For more information, refer to the index/directory in the links below.

LINKS
Index to the Brain Cortex
http://humanoidolabs.blogspot.tw/2013/11/brain-cortex-index-part-16.html
Thermometers
http://humanoidolabs.blogspot.tw/2013/10/brain-cortex-thermometers-part-9.html
Electric Thermometer Source
http://www.double-sun.com.tw

Brain Cortex Power Wiring Part 45

BRAIN CORTEX POWER WIRING PART 45
ELECTRIC JUICE  It's time to attack the brain cortex wiring and complete this phase of the project. Let's get some electric juice going! The jar is home to the brain cortex. Every home needs electrical wiring and the brain's jar is no different. The electric juice will power the brain, lighting, speaker, and sensors.

Wire each twin power unit like this

The next step is wiring the power unit. In this procedure, the battery holders are removed and the ends (+ and -) black and red wires are connected together with yellow twists. Be consistent by connecting the wires on the right sides of the twin holders.

Snap in a size D battery into each battery holder.

Insert batteries outside of the jar

Initially we're using Zinc Carbon batteries (Philips LongLife R20).

Now cut four black wires and four green wires, each 5-inches long, and strip the ends. Connect these with yellow twists to the left side wires on the battery holders. Attach a small piece of Scotch tape to insulate

Taped ends prevents shorts

one end of each wire to prevent a short during the installation.

Measure the voltage of each twin power unit. Remember, a twin power unit equals two batteries and two battery holders connected together in series to obtain 3 volts. (The voltage of new batteries not under load

Finished wiring - test shows 3.13 volts

will be slightly higher than 3 volts.)

Reinstall all battery holders, remembering their correct positions to fit into the jar holes.

Gather up all the green wires, insert one 5" length of green solid wire, and twist the ends together with the  yellow twist. Repeat for the red wires. The two lengths of solid wire will connect to the solderless breadboard. Use a plastic clothes pin to hold all the ends together. Test again for voltage. In the test, the meter shows 3.13 volts for new Zinc-Carbon D cell batteries connected together. Note: during this procedure, the Solar Panel red and black wires are left floating. These may connect later to the solderless breadboard.

The Chinese yellow wire twists are sold in Taiwan, in a package of 20 for NT$20 obtained from the dollar store. The brand is manufactured under authority of Sellery Inc. California USA, and the DIY item number is TE-18. http://www.sellerytools.com  886-2-26103915

Note: The battery holders each have a red and black connection wire. Supply a 5-inch length of wire and connect it to the lowest wire nearest to the jar floor. This enables it to reach the top where similar colored wires connect together. 

Index to the Brain Cortex
http://humanoidolabs.blogspot.tw/2013/11/brain-cortex-index-part-16.html 

Electric Bike

Giant LaFree ebike with PAP & VSC

ELECTRIC EBIKE URBAN TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS

New inventions open the door to new transportation...

Tired of buying and maintaining very expensive automobiles and paying the rising cost of expensive gasoline? Tired of going through the time consuming and stress creating steps of getting a license (written test, eye test, driving test, vehicle plates, registration, etc.) and paying all the rising costs of licensing? Do you really want to pay that expensive required auto insurance and renew it every 6 months or annually? Is the city traffic becoming increasingly dangerous and annoying, and you'd like an extra margin of safety? Would you like to stop burning fossil fuels and stop contributing to global warming and the demise of the Earth? Here is one city solution - the electric ebike!

WHY the eBIKE?
The bike has many advantages. It's small footprint can ride almost anywhere. In a recent Big Brain Initiative survey in Taiwan, it was found the ebike can traverse over roads and streets, sidewalks, bike trails, drip paths, parking lots, pathways, and the alley in between skyscrapers. It can park in most places, exempt from parking tickets. The bike is also minimally wide, as determined by the distance from foot pedal to foot pedal. This is only about 16-inches for the EA-201 model.

MORE ADVANTAGES
For city travel, the electric bike is almost like a car with far more advantages than disadvantages. In most locations, it does not require licensing or tests and in some places no registration. It does not need a drivers license and no trips to the gas station to fill up on fossil fuel. It's quiet and convenient. It parks inside the home for safekeeping and outside it does not get parking tickets. The ebike does the pedaling for you, with the option to manually pedal without any assist.

ELECTRICITY AS FUEL
Electric bikes are simply charged with electricity. Modern electricity is clean, derived from wind, solar, nuclear and hydro sources. Compared to the cost of gasoline, it costs only a few pennies for a charge that can often go 40km distance.

NEW BATTERY
The new Lithium battery is a far step above the old lead acid batteries. The new battery has no memory problems and can be topped off with a charge at any time. It can deep cycle and store for longer periods of time without use. It can have more capacity and drive the ebike to farther distances. It charges faster and it weighs less. Since a lithium battery can cost as much as half the cost of the bike, it can be removed for safekeeping or charging at another location.

MODERN EBIKES
Modern electric bikes are a new breed in technology. The latest invention includes a combination of PAP and VSC. PAP is Power Assisted Pedaling. 

SPEED
The bike in general has a sweet spot for speed. Go too slow and balance is lost. Go too fast and dangers result - people and vehicles cannot see the small footprint bike so easily and accidents can happen. A combination is recommended, depending on the conditions - pedal the bike, walk the bike, engage the motor.

SECURITY
Keeping your ebike secure is a priority. The ebike can be locked to fences, bike racks, trees, large signs and tall posts, and even by itself if you can keep one eye on it. The most security is just to keep it with you at all times. We recommend four different locking devices for the two wheels. Try using tractor chains, with large enough links where it will not be easy to cut with a large cutters or grind through. By having different locks and methods, it would take a thief more time to abscond with your property and maybe pass it by for an easier target. On rule is never park your bike in the same place twice. Another idea is to take the battery with you as it represents up to half the cost of the bike. Other factors are important too, i.e. the weight of the bike, when and where it's parked, and its visibility relative to the expense of other surrounding bikes.

ABOUT GIANT
A Giant bike is a brand name bike built with quality. For example, the new EA-201 ebike models come with 3-speeds, a dual kickstand, front 36V motor drive, Lithium battery, charger, PAP & VSC, horn, front headlight, rear red reflector, rear luggage rack, front vegetable basket, seat cover, inline wheel reflectors, and a promotion for a bike helmet and large keyed U-Bolt lock.

EXTRAS
You won't need many extras but the following are recommended: Rear view mirror, folding tool with hex wrenches, padlocks & chains, waterproof saddlebag, bungee cords, raincoat.

continued...

Quantum Ukulele

ESTABLISHING A QUANTUM UKULELE

Ukulele used for quantum experiments

Effects of a wave form nature can be created, duplicated, and simulated to explore the quantum world using the sound from a musical instrument.

One musical instrument is like a tiny guitar - the Ukulele, which has origins from Hawaii. They are available with four strings in various sizes (soprano, concert, tenor, baritone), generally one of the smallest sizes is called a Soprano. The Soprano Uke obtained for the Big Brain Project is 21-inches long and has a 13.5-inch bridge rating. It resonates with a mahogany wood construct, and is especially well designed for stability and a more humid environment.

The project begins with an acoustical uke and some preparations to convert it into an electronic instrument. The first step is to install a pickup to transfer the sound into an amplifier or computer (or other machine for processing. There are several ways to create an electronic pickup - some work and some will not work with gut strings. Magnetic induction pickups work with metal strings, however a piezo based pickup, which is based on acoustical vibrations, will work. Another method which is quick and simple is to place a directional quality microphone near the resonance aperture. Waves are then captured, and can be recorded, modified, and transformed. Techniques such as capture, transforming, reflecting, modulating and applying effects can have designs and introductions into the system.

String tuning is accomplished with a modern electronic tuner. This is a small electronic battery operated device with a display that shows the key note of the plucked string and the direction to tune it.

It's possible to apply and connect the QuadLyzer and introduce the study of Quantum worlds simulated with the Uke.