American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics1

Conceptual Design and Modeling of

the Electromagnetic Space Gloves

Sina Rahimi Motemi ,Farshad Pazokiii

Karim Leilnahari iii

Hossein Bayaniiv

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department of Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad UniversityTehran, IRAN

AbstractsSpecial rope is used to connect an astronaut with his instruments. This mechanism has helped astronauts for spacewalks and adjustment missions for many years. This paper investigates on the probable usage of a new innovationcalled "Electro Magnetic Gloves" in space technology. Based on this innovation the gloves have ability to absorb thestuffs using the Electro Magnetic field whenever they are actuated by astronaut. A Study of the flux density and aninvestigation of the effective space around the gloves are the main aspects in this research. The theoretical resultspresent a high potential of the innovation for aerospace application, especially with the considering of this point thatNASA aims developing the space suits and gloves for future usage on Mars.

IntroductionAstronaut's hands are perhaps the most important connection to do a change or manipulate something in the spaceconcerning the vacuum in space. Space gloves have changed and developed during the space history. Eva spacegloves were developed within the space missions. i The astronaut's gloves must not only have enough flexibility toprovide the suitable capability of gripping or grasping for different application but they must also be tough enoughto resist damage from the rigors of working in space. The slightest rip or tear could have disastrous resultsii.Special rope connects the astronaut with his instruments. This mechanism helped astronauts in many years duringthe space walks and adjustment missions. But will this system make sense in future of space science in nextdecades?How many ropes could be used while astronauts needed ten instruments in future missions like Mars? How do they

stay in touch with many items which are needed in future?

These questions and the future space mission requirements obliged thinking about the new processes of connectingthe astronauts and their stuffs. The novel concept which called “Electro Magnetic Space Gloves” was dedicated toillustrate a different view of connection issue in space glove design.

i Research Assistant, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department of Science and Research Branch of IslamicAzad University Tehran, Ramosina@gmail.com , Student Memberii. Assistant Professor ,Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department of Science and Research Branch of IslamicAzad University Tehran, Pazooki_fa@srbiau.ac.ir , None Memberiii Assistant Professor , Biomechanical Engineering Department of Science and Research Branch of Islamic AzadUniversity Tehran, K.leilnahari@gmail.com, None Memberiv Assistant Professor ,Plasma Physics research center of Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad UniversityTehran, hbayani@yahoo.com , None Member

AIAA SPACE 2009 Conference & Exposition14 - 17 September 2009, Pasadena, California

AIAA 2009-6574

Copyright © 2009 by Sina Rahimi Motem. Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics2

The basic design of a glove is a closed leather, rubber, or fabric covering for the hand such that each finger and thethumb are individually enclosed. Unlike a mitten, which encloses the entire hand, a glove allows enough individualfinger movement to perform complex grasping tasks.

To understand the mechanics of glove design we can approximatelysuppose approximately that a glove is simply a system ofinterconnected cylindrical tubes, as shown in the Figure [1].

In our model, the glove includes two cylinders for each finger exceptthumb. With this design the bending of fingers can be simulated.“Figure 2”

The first cylinder cover the first phalanx and the second positionedwith a proper distance above the first item let the bending as much asthey could. “Figure 2”

The size of each element and the distance between each element in the model are individual for each phalanxes.Their sizes were taken from the official anthropometry ergonomics hand sizes in 95th % ile of men scales. iii

This innovative design is so considered that can be easily able to be used for different space duties.The system was designed to use the filed optional. Pointing fingers thorough the stuffs which reacts to the fieldswitch the cylindrical items to defined Batteries, let the field bringstuffs in hand. The absorption process will base on the signals whichspare in a fraction of a second.

This makes stuffs not moving through the astronomers hand toofast, considering his probable incidence with instruments.

We must realize how far these electromagnet elements perform andinvestigate the Electromagnetic flux density in space around.

Thus it is necessary to model all the most 8 small magnets in a threedimensional format. That is why, all the features were designed in 3dsAuto desk environmentiv

“Figure 3”

The flux density of the Magnetic fields and the effective distance fieldcould show how the idea made sense in reality.

Thus couple of elements of the 4th finger was imported to COMSOLMultiphysics softwarev to simulate the magnetic field and fluxdensity.

The simulation was done considering the elements were made by pureSilver to have the better result in magnetic field.

The simulation environment was a cylinder in which the fingerselements considered to be at the center of one plate with no force,material, external current density, relative permeability and specificfeatures.The environment cylinder had 1 mm diameter and 1mm height.

Figure 1. Space gloves and the CylindricalTubes

Figure 2. Two Cylindrical design let thefinger bends

Figure 3. Conceptual hand with definedcylindrical elements in 3ds Environments

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics3

Physical consideration simulated in Magnetostatics part of AC/DC modules.

The electromagnetic field systems is supposed to be Quasi-statics applied for conducting, magnetic, Transient andtime-harmonic

At the first step, using initialize triangle type Mesh generation gave us 53298 elements in couple of cylinders and theenvironment “Figure 4”. The Magnetic flux density was calculated and simulated using Ampere’s law

(1).

When J as external current density, 106 A/m2 for each element, and 0 for environments.

And is relative permeability, 1/1 for each element and 0/1 for the environments.The results are displayed in “Figure 5” and “Figure 6". The magnetic flux density in the region out of the cylinders

Using FEM, "Final Element Method"

Figure 5. Streamline Magnetic flux Density (1.098e-5 - 1.036 e-3 × 10-3) T

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics4

The result is of order 10-5 Tesla as can be seen in “Figure 5” which means the magnetic flux density is not strongand effective to absorb.

The weak field could not make any sense this way.

Figure 6. Slice Magnetic flux Density (2.64e-6 - 1.051 e-3 × 10-3) T

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics5

The Figure 7 which displayed magnetic flux density norm T per length of the finger proves the results

ConclusionCylindrical elements around the phalanxes are not able to produce strong electromagnetic field in quasi staticcondition even they were made by silver or connect to 106 A/m2 external current density.We must use different part of hand if we want to produce stronger field. .

One Idea could be this; the great solenoid which placed within elbow to wrist can produce the real extremestrong Electromagnet field.

Figure7. The magnetic flux density norm T per length M

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics6

References

i The physics and Mechanics of EVA Gloves, by Canadian Astronauts Dr Dave Williams, official website of Canadian SpaceAgency CSA, http://radarsat.espace.gc.ca/eng/educators/resources/body/glove_unite1a.asp

ii NASA delays 4th spacewalk to mull over Endeavour repair Endeavour's 3rd spacewalk finishes ahead of schedule, Wednesday,August 15, 2007 | 5:40 PM ET CBC News http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/08/15/tech-spacewalk070815.html

Russian ORLAN EVA Space gloves part of International space collection, www.hightechscience.org

Centennial challenges NASA's prize for the Citizens Inventors 2009,http://www.nasa.gov/offices/ipp/innovation_incubator/centennial_challenges/astronaut_glove/index.html

Introduction to electromagnetic theory: a modern Prespective by Tai Chow, 2006 by jones and Bartlett Publishers Inc, 153

Engineering education, Volume 76,Author American Society for Engineering 1985Original University ofMichigan.81-83

iiBodyspace Anthropometry Ergonomics and the Design of work by Stephan P and Chritine M. HASLEGRAVEthird edition ISBN 0-415-28520-8 ii http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/08/15/tech-spacewalk070815.html

Robonaut: NASA's space Humanoid, Ambrose, R.O. Aldridge, H. Askew, R.S. Burridge, R.R. Bluethmann, W. Diftler,M. Lovchik, C. Magruder, D. Rehnmark, F.NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, ISSN: 1094-7167, Jul/Aug 2000,57-63

Bodyspace Anthropometry Ergonomics and the Design of work by Stephan P and Chritine M. HASLEGRAVE third editionISBN 0-415-28520-8

iii Physics for scientists and engineers By Raymond A. serway , Robert , j.Beichner . John W. Jwewtt. 5th EditionBrooks/Cole-Thomson Learning, 2000 , the university of Virginia

The Ampere and Biot-savart forces Laws. G.Cavalleri, G.Spavieri , G.Spinelli. Published in European Journal ofPhysics, 1996

iv 3ds Max Design, Software Package, Direct3D 9.0 (NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT, Auto Desk Inc,2009

v COMSOL 3.4 , Multiphysics package, Patent pending by 1994-2007 by COMSOL AB. 2007