PRELIMINARY MECHANICAL DESIGN OF FAST

PHOTO METER

MECHANICAL DESIGN OF FAST PHOTOMETER

1.1 Overview
Photometer Instruments is planned to placed in the secondary port location of 3.6m
telescope and is designed to suit and match the secondary port configurations of focal plane
distance, size, weights etc.
The mechanical requirement of the instrument is to give a stable support for optical lens,
filters and detector units with less flexure and low thermal expansion in addition to that have
better accessibility for optics and alignment of optics and changing/shifting filters. main
structures and sub systems are designed taking care of possible loads like gravity and
thermal loads and accelerations.
In the design of the optical mountings, it is important that the holding forces that constrain
the position of the optical components, should not be too large. Mounting stress on the
optics can cause surface deformations or birefringence in the optical material, both
degrading the image quality performance. For all large optical components, we therefore
designed (semi-) kinematic mountings that constrain all six degrees of freedom
independently and without redundancy (Nakazawa 1994; Yoder 2005).

SECONDARY PORT
INSTRUMENT

ARISS STRUCTURE INSTRUMENT

INTERFACE

Fig. Assembly view of secondary port in 3.6 telescope instrument interface

Finite-element analyses (FEA) of the structure and optics in their mountings were performed
to verify that their reflecting surfaces do not suffer any relevant deformation of the optical
surface due to gravity or the mounting stress. The Modelling and structural analysis part of
the Ansys and Unigraphics software package was used for these FEA calculations.
Yoder (2002) gives as a rule of thumb a value of 3.4MPa for the tolerable level of stress that
does not produce detectable birefringence effects in standard optical systems. A first order

approach shows that in the photometer design, the maximum mounting stress remains
easily at least an order of magnitude below this limit. Moreover, maximum stress only occurs
locally in the region where mounting force is applied. Typically, this is mainly outside the
optical aperture. Hence, the birefringence effect on the beam is completely insignificant.
For reasons explained earlier, special care was taken with the stability of the optomechanics. As a general approach, the design of the mounts was kept as straightforward
and robust as possible, avoiding superfluous degrees of freedom. Unlike many other
instruments that, for convenience, use aluminium as basic material for the opto-mechanics,
most of the mounts for the photometer optics are manufactured from stainless steel.

1.2 Basic Design

Detector assy.
Structure

Vibro damper Tele. focal plane collimator lens

assy.

filter assy. camera lens assy.

The total weight of the instrument approximately 220kgs and an envelope of size
1000X620X380mm.
This system is divided into five sub systems like
a) structure
b) optical base
c) collimator lens assembly
d) filter assembly
e) camera lens assembly
f) detector assembly

1.3 Main Support Structure

The main Support structure is a cantilever ribbed hollow box structure which is interfaced in
to the ARISS flange at secondary port location with use of M16 bolts.
The structure is designed by giving enough ribs to make structure more rigid and stiff to take
care all the gravity and other sub systems load with less flexure and thermal deformations.
the performance of the instrument solely depends on rigidness of this structure enough time
spent on design and finalizing the work details of FEM analysis will be find in next chapters.
This structure will be fabricated using mild steel material and weighs approx162 kg.
envelope size of the structure is727 X620X365mm.

1.4 Optical Base with Optical Sub Systems

Optical Base plate

All the Optical lens assembly and filter assembly will be mount and aligned on the optical
base plate before attaching in to the main support structure.

This plate is accurately machined and grind finish plate which have finished holes for
alignment and for fixing optical lens mount assemblies using socket screws and have a
provision of tip/tilt corrections.
The optical base plate will be made of MS/Grey cast iron material, weight of the base plate is
around 40kg.

1.5 Collimator Lens Assembly

barrel
lens Cover

mounting flange

lenses

This assembly is having barrel and a mounting flange. the barrel is super finished tube of
having optically aligned collimator lens with defined distances as per optical requirement. the
external flange of tube is will attach to the mounting plate.
the mounting plate acts as a support stand and will fix on optical base. all the components
are designed by utmost care and considering DFA/DFM.
This assy. is having dia. 103.4, 68& 66mm lens of material of low expansion glass are bond
in low stress mounting rings, the material using for cylindrical barrel is Al6061 and mounting
plate is an MS. the overall weight of the total assembly is 12kg.

Lens Mounting Scheme

lens

Mounting Ring

contact point

all the lens in the barrel are mount using low stress mounting rings. this is an specially
designed three point kinematic support systems for avoiding mounting/holding stress and
compensating temperature deformational stress on lens. the lens are bond on three point
support using adhesive 3M EA-2216 gray epoxy.

1.6 Camera Barrel Assembly

lens
lens mounting
rings

mounting plate

This barrel is also similar to the collimator barrel assy. but size is small compare to the
collimator lens and its having four lens of size dia. 47.6, 47.6,60.2 &39.8mm of low
expansion glass. this system is also designed with utmost care and considering DFA/DFM
techniques.
the barrel material is Al6061 and mounting plate is an MS the total weight of assembly is
10.5kg.

1.7 CCD Assembly

CCD
Mountin plate

Detector assembly will be interfaced to the structure from outside use of mounting plates so
the most of the ports issues and connectivity issue will be outside the optical systems and
easy maintenance and most of thermal heat up issue will not effect on optics.

the assembly consist 2KX2K CCD camera of Princeton instruments and mounting plate, of
material Al606. weight is approx 6.5 kg.

1.8 Filter Wheel Assembly

filter wheel

Motor drive
mechanism

Mounting base

The broadband filter wheel assembly is placed between collimator and camera lens
assembly. it have five unique filters and one clear passage. filter position time is less than 30
sec. accuracy of shift 25 microns .
the mounting base accommodate the filter drive and filter wheel assembly. The size of filter
wheel 240mm and thickness of 15mm. filters of size dia.54mm and 5mm thick.
mass budget for filter wheel assembly
Components
a. Base plate/ mounting plate
b. Filter wheel assy.
c. Motor drive mechanism

Material
M.S
Al 6061
Std

weight
12kg
01kg
01kg

1.9 Filter Shifting Mechanism

The different broadband filters mounted in a filter wheel assembly are positioned
clock wise and anti clock depends on the observations requirements. which is controlled by
stepper motor drive system and control unit.
Filter wheel
Bearings /
Bush
Stepper motor
Pinion

filter wheel is attaching on to the moulting base shaft using bearing/bush for smooth
rotations are driven by external periphery cut gear teethes using small anti backlash or low
backlash pinion stepper motor. the positioning accuracy requirements of filters is 30micro
and shifting time between each filters is 20 to 30 sec.

Motor selection calculation :

1.9.1 Filter Wheel motor calculation
Moment of inertia Idisc - 0.0049 kgm^2
Positioning angle - 60 deg
Positioning time - 20 sec
Position accuracy required - 0.025 mm
Filter P.C.D - 160mm
a. Min Step required
Positional accuracy required =Radius x repeatability required in radian
Repeatability required in degree = (0.025 x 180) / (80 x 3.142)
= 0.0179 deg
Motor step required = 0.0179/2 = 0.00895 deg
Available min step of motor is 0.0036 deg 50
b. Calculation for operating pulse required
A = Position Angle / Step Angle
= 60 / 0.0036
= 16666.6 Pulses
c. Calculation of the acceleration / deceleration period t1 (sec)
= positioning time x 0.25 = 5 sec
(Normally 25% time is taken for as acceleration / deceleration period)
d. Calculation for operating speed
Nm = (60/360) x (position angle / ( position time- acceleration time)
= 1/6 ( 60 / (20- 5))
= 5 rev/min
e. Calculation for operating pulse speed (Hz)
Operating Pulse speed = 16666 / 20-5 = 1111 Hz
f. Calculation for required torque
i) Calculation for the load torque TL
Frictional load is omitted because it is negligible,
Load torque is considered 0.
ii) Calculation for the acceleration torque Ta
Inertia of Wheel
= 0.0049 kgm^2
Total Inertia JL= 0.0049 = 0.0049 kgm^2
Formula for acceleration torque from Motors catalogue
Ta = (Jo x i^2 + JL) x ( 3.142 x Step angle x operating pulse speed) / ( 180 x t1)
Whereas
Jo is motor rotor inertia
i is gear ratio 100 for .0036 deg step angle motor
= (10^4 Jo + 0.0049) 1.0474
= 10474 Jo + 0.0051 Nm
g. Calculation for required torque
Required torque = (TL + Ta) x 2
20948 Jo + 0.010
h. Probable selection of stepper motor for driving wheel
Harmonic Motor Model AS46AA2-H100

Motor frame size 42mm

Rotor Inertia 85 x 10^-7 kgm^2
Speed range - 0~70 rev/min
Gear ratio - 100:1
Resolution - 0.0036 deg

1.10 Control Unit

There will be a zero position marker on filter wheel that will be sensed by Hall effect sensor.
At the beginning of observation, the wheel will be brought to the zero position for
initialization. The designated position of the wheel for any specified observation is defined in
terms of number of steps from the zero position and will be achieved by rotating the stepper
motor by required number of steps. As min step size of motor is 0.0036 deg, so 100000
steps are required to complete one rotation

1.11 FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS

flexural analysis were carried using Ansys software to find the maximum strength and
deformation at various position/angle of the telescopes. this instruments experiencing loads
from gravity and temperature and also in accelerations(negligible).
results attached in fig. are taken from zenith angle of the telescope.

fig. Total deformation of full assembly

Optical requirement parameters

Ele#
1

Srf1
6

Srf2
7

Decenter
(mm)
0.2

0.05

3
4

10
12

11
13

0.12501
0.2

14

16

0.05

17

18

0.05

19

20

0.075803

Tilt
(deg.)
0.2 (12)
0.047439
(2.85)
0.084953
(5.1)
0.2 (12)
0.07745
(4.65)
0.065155
(3.91)
0.087099
(5.23)

Comment
Lens#1
Lens#2
Lens#3
Filter
Lens#4Doublet
Lens#5
Lens#6

1.11.1 Main Support Structure

support structure will be experience the loads from optical systems, dummy balance masses
and gravity, so the boundary conditions and other physical parameters assumed for
calculating the flexure analysis are as below.
Structural material

MS

Youngs modulus

210 Gpa

Poisson ratio

0. 3

Density

7. 8 g/cc

Coefficient of thermal expansion

12.5e-06 m/m deg C

Deformation and stress results

1. max. deformation at detector location is 11m
2. max. stress observed on mounting point is 4.2Mpa

1.11.2 Collimator Barrel Assembly

This assy. is having three optical lens, barrel and mounting plate the parameter taken for
flexural analysis for lens and barrel etc. are below
Low expansion
Mounting plate
MS
Al 6061 t6
glass
Youngs modulus

276 Mpa

240-270 mpa

49.8

Poisson ratio

0. 3

0.33

0.24

Density

7. 8 g/cc

2.63g/cc

2.5 g/cc

Coefficient of thermal
expansion

12.5e-06 m/m deg

C

23.6e-06 m/m deg

C

0.2e-07m/m deg C

Deformation and stress results

1. max. deformation at rear end is 0.09m
2. max. stress is also observed at rear end the value is 0.17 Mpa
3. Max . deformation at 30C is 42m

3.3 Camera Barrel Assembly.

This assy. is having five optical lens, barrel and mounting plate the parameter take for
flexural analysis for lens and barrel etc. are below
Mounting plate
MS
Al 6061 t6
Low expansion glass
Youngs modulus

276 Mpa

240-270 mpa

49.8

Poisson ratio

0. 3

0.33

0.24

Density

7. 8 g/cc

2.63g/cc

2.5 g/cc

Coefficient of thermal
expansion

12.5e-06 m/m deg

C

23.6e-06 m/m deg C

0.2e-07m/m deg C

Deformation and stress results

1. max. deformation at mounting plate top is 0.04m
2. max. stress is also observed at top of the mounting plate the value is 0.06 Mpa

3.4 Lens mounting Assembly

the optical lens are glued/bonded to mounting rings to avoid reaction stress on lens.
mounting ring and lens parameter assumed for flexural analysis are below
Low expansion
Mounting plate
Al 6061 t6
glass
Youngs modulus

240-270 mpa

49.8

Poisson ratio

0.33

0.24

Density

2.63g/cc

2.5 g/cc

Coefficient of thermal
expansion

23.6e-06 m/m deg

C

0.2e-07m/m deg C

Collimator first lens is having more mass compare to other, fem analysis were carried on this
lens the result and behaviour of lens under gravity and temp. loads are below

Deformation and stress results

1. max. deformation at mounting plate top is 0.035m
2. max. stress is also observed at top of the mounting plate the value is 0.18 Mpa
Deformation and stress under constant temp. load conditions are below. assumed temp. for
the analysis -5Deg.

1. max. deformation at mounting plate top is 18m

2. max. stress is also observed at top of the mounting plate the value is 114 Mpa

3.3 Filter Assembly

This assy. is having five optical lens, wheel, motor and mounting plates the parameter take
for flexural analysis are below.
Low expansion
Mounting plate
MS
Al 6061 t6
glass
Youngs modulus

276 Mpa

240-270 mpa

49.8

Poisson ratio

0. 3

0.33

0.24

Density

7. 8 g/cc

2.63g/cc

2.5 g/cc

Coefficient of thermal
expansion

12.5e-06 m/m deg

C

23.6e-06 m/m deg C

0.2e-07m/m deg C

Deformation and stress results

1. max. deformation at mounting plate top is 0.04 m
2. max. stress is also observed at top of the mounting plate the value is 0.05 Mpa

3.3 Detector Assembly

This assy. is having five optical lens, wheel, motor and mounting plates the parameter take
for flexural analysis are below.
Mounting plate
Mild steel
Youngs modulus

276 mpa

Poisson ratio

0.3

Density

7.8g/cc

Coefficient of thermal
expansion

12.5e-06 m/m deg

C

Deformation and stress results

1. max. deformation observed at rear end of CCD and it is 3 m(not necessary)
2. max. stress observed at location mounting the is 0.5Mpa

Conclusion
Several other individual component wise analysis had done conclusion of results is that
maximum decentre displacement of lens is less 20m at normal temp. and less than 50m
in 30C.