Deployables - spacecraft-design-lab-2019/documentation GitHub Wiki

##Antenna

TODO: get best case/ minimum viable antenna features from Team 4

https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/techbriefs/mechanics-and-machinery/24810

"In operation, a 1.6-amp current is applied to the Nichrome wire for approximately 5-10 seconds as the Nichrome wire heats up and thermally cuts the Vectran tie-off cable. The burn wire mechanism was demonstrated to work in ambient lab conditions, as well as at vacuum conditions at -60 ºC and +125 ºC. Most of the other elements of the burn wire design were modified and enhanced for this application. The electrical leads are constrained by a highly insulated ULTEM tip.

The Nichrome wire is preloaded using a single spring and 1/8" diameter shaft. The single shaft simplifies the design and allows for the ULTEM tip to freely rotate in order to minimize built-up mechanical stresses at its interface with the Vectran cable. It also allows for multiple configurations of the burn wire mechanism, depending on the orientation of the Vectran tie-down cable. For example, the Nichrome wire can be mounted in the horizontal or vertical configuration without changing the design. The Nichrome wire is preloaded using a stock compression spring with a spring constant of 2.5 lb/in, and a maximum suggested load capacity off 0.74 lbf."