Batteries - we eat them like candy!

We did not have a burn on Friday since the new test stand is being rebuilt to provide more reliable load cell readings. The team has been working quite hard on the paraffin design in an effort to get the first paraffin burn before term end.

So, in the meantime, I thought it'd be fun to talk about what electrically powers everything we have. That means batteries. Lots of batteries. So here's the inventory:

Hybrid Launch Controller

• 2x 9v batteries in series - drives lamps and 5v regulator for control logic output board.

DAQ interface Box

• 1x 9v battery - drives 5v regulator and other circuitry for signal conditioning.
• 1x 28v bench supply - not a battery, but provides the full operating range for the pressure transducers for maximum resolution.

Relay Box

• 2x 9v batteries in parallel - energizes the relays. Recently added trickle-recharge function.
• 1v 12v lead acid - powers nitrous solenoid, pyrogen igniter, dump solenoid (when implemented), and indicator lamps. Also trickle-recharges the 2x 9v batteries when connected.

Sum it all up and we have 5 9v batteries and a 12v lead acid. All these have to be periodically replaced or recharged. Some of these much faster than others! Plus a bench supply and two laptops that we run off of normal AC. How are we possibly going to run all this in the field?