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FerroZuit 2020

A FerroMagnetic Suit For Zero Gravity // Grounding Humans without Gravity

Published onOct 07, 2020
FerroZuit 2020
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Keywords

#FerroMagnetic #eTextiles #Weaving #CoilEmbroidery #ElectroPermanentMagnet

Experts team: Rachel Freire, Juliana, Irmandy, Maximilian Guenther


Abstract

A serious issue with human space exploration is the inevitable decay of muscle tissue and bone density due to the lack of gravity. We propose the design and testing of a prototype zero-gravity ferromagnetic suit that mimics Earth’s gravitational pull on the whole body.

Our initial proof of concept is composed of a ferro-magnetic suit built from scratch (from custom woven ferro-mag thread, etc), and a electro-permanent magnetic “throne”.

FerroMagnetic Suit!?


Logbook

(work in progress)


Electro-permanent magnetic throne!

Electro-permanent magnet

As a proof of concept, we propose to use these electro-permanent magnets to attract the ferromagnetic suit:

Electro-Permanent magnet

Electro-Permanent magnet circuit

One might underestimate the exceptional characteristics of this system so it deserves a bit of clarification. This device is composed of “classic” magnet and a “programmable” magnet which can either cancel the field of the classic magnet, or ~double its strength. To program it, only a short pulse is needed (20 µs), but its voltage and current are fairly high (400V @ 300A). Anyway, the short pulse makes the consumption very low: 0.67mWh

We actually tested it in the lab for one full week, and it is really permanent: https://photos.app.goo.gl/rqwVnxCbHotzKAdJA

Being open source, we can replicate them with the needed shape, the hardware and firmware are available here:
https://kb.zubax.com/display/MAINKB/OpenGrab+EPM+v3

Throne

Next step will be to build an “extended” chair (throne) with aluminium 80/20 profiles, and mount a few EPM on it (4 here):

The design is available here:
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/bebb9df5061d39b239fa20f1/w/c6a5a590f69773e44a536862/e/bc879d3f7a5f72321f380491


Ferro-magnetic eTextiles

The original idea was to use ferro-fluids, but the leak risk is not negligible, so we explored the potential of ferromagnetic thread.

We found a manufacturer who accepted to make 20Kg of this thread as a sample:

Starting point: ferromagnetic thread

After a long investigation, we found a weaver who accepted to make the fabric with our custom thread, for free too!

Weaving the ferro-thread

Next step: make the most of our collaboration with the great Rachel Freire, a senior eTextile and space suit designer for the cinema industry:

One of the inspirations


Wearable electromagnetic coils

The passive ferro-magnetic effect will probably not be sufficient in transitory mode so we explored the idea of complementing the field with embroidered coils.

Our 1st embroidered coil

Magnetic test

As a 1st test, we embroidered thin copper wire (34 AWG), powered it with a 9V battery and measured its field strength with the magnetometer of a phone:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/eib7XjcVVrDrkgvJ8

Comparison with a small magnet

The result is not extremely powerful, but there is a trade-off to find between the number of coils and their sizes:

Magnetic simulation

The simulation below shows half of our 1st embroidered coil from a perpendicular point of view. We can notice that most of the strength of the field is generated in the center:

Magnetic field simulation

Next step: find the best trade-off between heat dissipation, and coil size.

Magnetic validation

This trade-off should normally be measurable with a test jig as below:

Test jig

More soon!


Note: This is the revival of a 2019 project by Max:
https://zero-gravity.pubpub.org/pub/ferrofluidspacesuit/

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