Robert Benjamin
Problem Solving Theory Unit 2 Research Paper 1
The Problem: Aircraft that go missing at sea sink to the bottom of the ocean taking all of the equipment used to locate the aircraft with it.
Possible Solution: An aluminum box that would contain
Three large self-inflated air balls
GPS Transponder
Locator Beacon
1000’ Kevlar cord
This device would be located near the rear of the aircraft and would be designed to break away and deploy upon impact.
The three air balls would be used to keep the GPS Transponder and the locator beacon afloat keeping their signal above the water and more easily located by searchers.
One end of the Kevlar cording would be attached to the Balloon assembly and the other end would be attached to the aluminum box that originally contained the entire unit.
Upon deployment the box would open into a water foil shape as it sunk one thousand feet below the water’s surface. This would be designed to reduce the effects of the wind on the inflated balls floating on the water’s surface.
Terms of Testing:
Break the unit free from aircraft without causing unnecessary damage
Successfully inflate the three balls
Successfully unspool Kevlar cording
Successfully deploy water foil
The first step to testing the unit would be in breaking it free from the aircraft at the appropriate time. The use of a rapid deceleration sensor could be used here.
Compressed air stored in cylinders could be used to break the unit free from the plane.
The air bags themselves would also be inflated using compressed air and would be of the same type used by NASA to help recover the Apollo space capsule when it landed at sea (1).
Finally, can the containment box be spring loaded and open as designed.
(1) http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/upside_down_astronauts.html