The University of Texas, Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM) is making a major upgrade to the robotic tracking system on the Hobby Eberly Telescope (HET) as part of theWide Field Upgrade (WFU). The upgrade focuses on a seven-fold increase in payload and necessitated a complete redesign of all tracker supporting structure and motion control systems, including the tracker bridge, ten drive systems, carriage frames, a hexapod, and many other subsystems. The cost and sensitivity of the scientific payload, coupled with the tracker system mass increase, necessitated major upgrades to personnel and hardware safety systems. To optimize kinematic design of the entire tracker, UT-CEM developed novel uses of constraints and drivers to interface with a commercially available CAD package (SolidWorks). For example, to optimize volume usage and minimize obscuration, the CAD software was exercised to accurately determine tracker/hexapod operational space needed to meet science requirements. To verify hexapod controller models, actuator travel requirements were graphically measured and compared to well defined equations of motion for Stewart platforms. To ensure critical hardware safety during various failure modes, UT-CEM engineers developed Visual Basic drivers to interface with the CAD software and quickly tabulate distance measurements between critical pieces of optical hardware and adjacent components for thousands of possible hexapod configurations. These advances and techniques, applicable to any challenging robotic system design, are documented and describe new ways to use commercially available software tools to more clearly define hardware requirements and help insure safe operation.

No abstract

No abstract

Abstract-Pulsed alternators are state-of-the-art machines that require analytical design tools with a high level of fidelity. To meet the design needs, accurate modeling and analysis methods of the electrical windings of the machines have had to be developed. This paper will present a technique for creating accurate geometric models of racetrack style electrical windings, as well as a means of using these models to perform electromagnetic load analysis of the windings. This will begin with discussion of how one would convert a two-dimensional developed layout of a racetrack style winding into a full threedimensional model. Using a similar technique, a model can be created for use in an EM analysis package. The results from this analysis can then be used to apply the resulting loads back onto the geometric model for mechanical analysis.

No abstract