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Design and Analysis of Lunar Electric Rover

Mechanics of Materials II Class Project Fall 2019)
(Dr Aamir Mubashar and Dr Sana Waheed)

Submission Date: 16 Dec 2019

 NASA is celebrating 50 years of human landing on moon. The exploration range on the moon
was greatly enhanced by using a rover for travel of astronauts on the moon surface. Since NASA
is planning to land humans on moon again in near future, development of new rover concepts
and technologies is an ongoing exercise. The Lunar Electric Rover (LER) is a conceptual lunar
rover that was developed by NASA’s Johnson Space Centre and showcased in 2010, 2010 , as seen in
the following figure.

 NASA’s Lunar Electric Rover

Rover (LER) vehicle
vehicle ( https://science.howstuffworks.com/lunar-
https://science.howstuffworks.com/lunar-
rover5.htm)  
rover5.htm)
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functionality,
Theas well
LERasismarketing,
a modular vehicle
veh icle where the two main structural modules include a pressurized
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container mountedYou on a chassis.
c hassis. The main specifications of the LER are as follows;
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Weight: 3000 kg
Payload: 1000 kg
Length: 4.5 m
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Wheelbase: 4m
Height:
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Wheels: 12 x 99 cm in diameter, 30.5 cm wide
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The main specifications of the chassis are as follows;

Weight: 1000 kg
Payload: 3000 kg
Length: 4.5 m
Wheelbase: 4m
Height: 1.3 m
Wheels: 12 x 99 cm in diameter, 30.5 cm wide

Safety of the astronauts is of prime concern in this design. The other important factor is the
weight of the LER. Your goal as design and analysis engineer is to eensure
nsure the safety of
astronauts while developing a vehicle of minimum weight. Use appropriate safety factors in your
design calculations and provide a justification. Perform the structural design and analysis of the
LER for the following conditions.

1.  The pressurized cabin should provide atmospheric pressure to astronauts so they can
work without space suits. By choosing an appropriate material or combination of
materials, design the pressurized cabin so that it can sustain the moon environment.
Include mechanical as well as thermal stresses in your design. Structural members may
 be used to stiffen the structure.
2.  The pressurized cabin should be safe against buckling loads.
3.  In case the LER is dropped to lunar surface using a parachute, check your design against
impact loading.
4.  Design and analyze the chassis
c hassis of the LER using standard beam sections. Calculate
stresses, draw bending moment and shear force diagrams and justify your selection of
cross-section. Determine torsional stresses in each member induced during movement
over an obstacle.
5.  Assume an appropriate load cycle and calculate fatigue loading in the suspension links.
 
6. All calculations
design should bemust be performed
clearly mentioned using
at the at least three different materials and the best
end.
7.  All strength calculations must be done using analytical methods. Use of finite element
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Design
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The objective is toYou
design LER with lowest possible weight and cost that is able to ensure safety
may change your settings at any time integrity of the rover is of prime concern.
of astronauts. Structural conce rn. Safe delivery of LER to lunar
luna r
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surface must also be ensured.

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Project Report Format

General Requirements
The project report should be clear and neat with correct grammar and spelling. Adequate margins

should be used. It should be concise and well-illustrated. Body text should be typed in 12 pt.
Times New Roman font. Use one side of 8.5 x 11or A4 size paper only. The report should be
assembled in the order of the sections given below, pages numbered and bound by a report cover.
Submit the report on or before the deadline.

Cover Sheet
The report must have a cover sheet with names of all group members.

Report Organisation
The report should have following elements:

1.  Introduction
A section providing brief introduction to the design problem
p roblem and explaining what is
covered in the following sections of the report.
2.  Methods
This section summarizes in narrative form your design process: your plan or strategy,
approach to solving problems or overcoming obstacles, considerations to achieve
function as well as form, technical research done, engineering
eng ineering methods used, and
in particular, creative ideas and significant ideas discarded. It addresses key design
issues such as safety, standards, material selection, and environmental impact. Keep it
less than a page and tie it to other sections, Section 3 in particular.

3.  Drawings, Parts List and Bill of Materials

These communicate and summarizes the design. Drawings must be to scale and must

include
called out(a)and
rendering of your
correlated design (b)
by number an isometric
or part name with assembly
p art view
the part with
list (c) components
details to clarify
components connections and joints and (d) any other details as necessary. Use
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shelf parts like nuts, bolts, rivets, washers, etc. Just specify the off-the-shelf parts in the
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 bill of material and call them out in the drawings. The bill of materials lists (a) structural
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 parts/sub-assemblies/assemblies
 parts/sub-assemblies/
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or accept the defaultshelf parts. It may include weight and cost or they can be given in a separate table.
settings.

4.  Assumptions
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sparingly and when absolutely necessary for the design.
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5.  Data Section

This section provides a single place to put basic data that is applicable througho
throughout
ut the
report. It should include the following

a.  Materials Data Table

Displays properties, their allowable values and sources. Below the table, provide
sample calculations for the allowable values

b.  Loads Data

This includes loads that the structure must bear. If applicable, calculate dynamic load
factors.

c.  Other Data

Any other data e.g. loads given in standards, etc.

6.  Calculations
For each component, show its location within the structure and consider possible loading
scenarios, which may include but are not limited to the following;
a.  Loading due to internal pressurization
 b.  Buckling of the module walls
c.  Static loading on the module due to the payload
d.  Impact loads upon landing
e.  Fatigue analysis
f.  Thermal loads
g.  Loading due to acceleration/deceleration during take-off and re-entry
h.  Stresses due to possible rotations of the spacecraft
Construct a model for each loading scenario. For each model, draw a free-body diagram
and do analysis. Then make a decision. The model displays either the component

removed
diagrams from
must the structure
be drawn or in
even thesimple
structure itself, with boundary
circumstances. Analysis supports.
is used to Free-body
determine
dimensions or check critical stresses and deformations. The decision sets final nominal
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All design calculations should be done using MathCAD. MathCAD is an engineering
notebook software by PTC. A 30-day trial version of the software can be do
downloaded
wnloaded
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MS Word report.
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7.  References
This section provides a bibliography of books, papers, websites, etc. sources. Cite each
where used in the body ofo f the report and list its details in this section. Use a “Numbered”
format. You are encouraged to use a citation software such as Mendeley o orr Zotero which
are freely available. A trial version of endnote can also be used for 30 days.

Example of book reference [1]:

1. Da Silva, L.F.M. and R.D.S.G. Campilho, Advances in Numerical Modelling of Adhesive

 Joints. 2012: Springer.

Example of journal paper reference [2]

2. Mubashar, A., I.A. Ashcroft, and A.D. Crocombe,  Modelling Damage and Failure in
 Adhesive Joints Using A Combined XFEM-Cohesive Element Methodology.  The Journal
of Adhesion, 2014. 90(8): p. 682-697.

8.  Plagiarism Report

Attach plagiarism report obtained from “Turnitin” that can be accessed from your LMS
account. Overall match percentage should be less than 15% and matching percentage of a
single source should not be more than 5%.
5 %. A project report without the plagiarism report
would not be considered.

Resources

Following may be useful during the analysis and design phase.

1.  Mechanics of Materials by R. C. Hibbeler.

2.  Roark's formulas for stress and strain by Warren C. Young & Richard G. Budynas
3.  Peterson's stress concentration factors by Walter D. Pilkey & Deborah F. Pilkey
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4.  Formulas for stress, strain, and structural matrices by Walter D. Pilkey
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well Handbook Vol 2 - Properties and selection: Nonferrous alloys and special purpose
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6.  Materials time
selection in mechanical design by Michael F. Ashby
or accept the default settings.
7.  Metallic Materials and Elements for Aerospace Vehicle Structures MIL-HDBK-5J

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Submission Requirement

Submit the following before the project end date:

1.  Hardcopy of the project report prepared according to the requirements laid out in the
 previous section. Turnitin report must be attached with the report.
2.  Softcopy of the project report on LMS.
3.  Turnitin report of the project on LMS.
4.  MathCAD worksheet with all calculations on LMS.

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