With ESA SpaceCamp 2018 coming up fast there’s renewed interest and motivation to explore how to make DIY reaction wheels on the cheap.
Basic requirements for 1 axis reaction wheel stem project:
- Flywheel that can be accelerated in 1 direction by an electric motor. (reverse direction is optional)
- Motor mounted to a 1 unit frame that can be suspended like a pendulum.
- motor controller to spin up the flywheel in 1 direction. (reverse and stop control is optional)
- wireless remote control of electric motor allowing forward function, (stop and reverse are optional)
- project cost < 30 EUR in Hardware per unit including motor, flywheel, coupler, motor controller, frame, mounts, powersupply
- project scalable to 10 units
Prototype 1
Parts:
- brushless motor + flywheel + coupler from discarded HDD
- signal/motor controller (pwm signal controller) using nano arduino
- 6-10v powersuppply for motor
- 6-10v to 5v dc-dc powerconverter for nano arduino
- cube shaped frame to house motor and flywheel so as flywheel is kept safe from childrens hands/fingers
- wires from motor to powersupply and signal controller
- wireless transciever x2
- nunchuck controller
- 3.7v powersupply for nunchuck
Design:
Dissassemble HDD