Surface accuracy and pointing error prediction of a 32 m diameter class radio astronomy telescope
| dc.contributor.advisor | Venter, Gerhard | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Azankpo, Severin | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-02-21T09:39:05Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-03-29T12:02:34Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-02-21T09:39:05Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-03-29T12:02:34Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2017-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2017. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The African Very-long-baseline interferometry Network (AVN) is a joint project between South Africa and eight partner African countries aimed at establishing a VLBI (Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry) capable network of radio telescopes across the African continent. An existing structure that is earmarked for this project, is a 32 m diameter antenna located in Ghana that has become obsolete due to advances in telecommunication. The first phase of the conversion of this Ghana antenna into a radio astronomy telescope is to upgrade the antenna to observe at 5 GHz to 6.7 GHz frequency and then later to 18 GHz within a required performing tolerance. The surface and pointing accuracies for a radio telescope are much more stringent than that of a telecommunication antenna. The mechanical pointing accuracy of such telescopes is influenced by factors such as mechanical alignment, structural deformation, and servo drive train errors. The current research investigates the numerical simulation of the surface and pointing accuracies of the Ghana 32 m diameter radio astronomy telescope due to its structural deformation mainly influenced by gravity, wind and thermal loads. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Afrika Baie-lang-basislyn interferometrie Netwerk (ABN) is ’n gesamentlike projek tussen Suid Afrika en agt ander Afrika lande. Die doel van die projek is om ’n netwerk van radio teleskope oor die Afrika kontinent te plaas wat gesamentlik oor VLBI vermoëns beskik. ’n Bestaande 32 m antenna in Ghana, wat nie meer gebruik word nie as gevolg van nuwe ontwikkelinge in telekommunikasie, is onder andere geïdentifiseer vir die projek. Die antenna sal na ’n radio teleskoop omgeskakel word waarvan die eerste fase opgraderings van die bestaande antenna is. Hierdie opgraderings sal die teleskoop in staat stel om waarnemings, binne toelaatbare toleransies, by 5 GHz en 6.7 GHz en later 18 GHz, te kan maak. Die toelaatbare oppervlak- en wysings-foute van ’n radio teleskoop is baie strenger as die van ’n telekommunikasie antenna. Die meganiese wysings-fout van sulke teleskope word beïnvloed deur faktore soos meganiese belyning, strukturele vervorming en foute in die aandryfstelsel. Die navorsing in hierdie tesis ondersoek die numeriese simulasie van die oppervlak en wysings-foute van die Ghana 32 m diameter radio teleskoop as gevolg van die strukturele vervorming soos beïnvloed deur gravitasie, wind en termiese vragte. | af_ZA |
| dc.format.extent | 120 pages : illustrations | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/101052 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Very long baseline interferometry | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Radio astronomy -- Telescopes | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Radio -- Antennas | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Structural analysis (Engineering) -- Mathematical models | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Surface accuracy and pointing error prediction of a 32 m diameter class radio astronomy telescope | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |