Waterloo Space Soldering TeamPushing the boundaries of science and exploration with SEDS Canada.
In the next eight months, our team will be working on the SEDS Canada Space Challenge. We will be designing and building an experiment that will be tested in microgravity conditions via an airplane. Project progress will be documented on this page. We are excited and looking forward to the challenge!
Unlocking solder secrets in space! Our experiment exposes microgravity solder joints to thrilling centrifugal forces, aiming for top-quality results matching Earth's. Exciting breakthroughs ahead!
Previous studies have substantiated the relationship between increased interior porosity and reduced gravity after analyzing the cross-sections of solder joints in microgravity and ground control conditions. Our goals are to:
This will be the most important research goal, and the focus of the experiment. Through the obtained results, it is hoped to establish a method of improving solder joints in microgravity. Regarding the issue of solder solidification time, 20 seconds of continuous microgravity can indeed be sufficient for soldering experiments. Solder typically solidifies within a few seconds, and in microgravity, the absence of gravity-induced convection and buoyancy effects may even accelerate the process.
Project Lead & Sponsorship
Project Lead & Research
Outreach Lead
Mechanical Lead & Webmaster
Mechanical Designer
Mechanical Designer & Social Media
Electrical Lead
Electrical Designer
Electrical Designer & Research
Firmware/Software Lead
Firmware/Software Developer
Milestones from Oct 2023 - Present.
Here is a list of all the key milestones that you will need to complete in order to finish the project. Each milestone will be marked as completed once you have finished it. Good luck!
Our project and the science behind it.
Soldering is a method of joining metal components by melting a filler metal, known as solder, and allowing it to flow into the joint between the parts. This creates an electrically conductive connection. However, soldering in microgravity results in joints of inferior quality compared to those made on Earth due to increased interior porosity. This porosity occurs because buoyant forces on flux and gases, present under Earth's gravity, are absent.
To address this issue, an experiment will be conducted to solder inside a centrifuge in microgravity and compare the results with soldering without a centrifuge. Centrifuges have been utilized in microgravity environments to simulate gravity for test specimens, generating artificial gravity through rotation. This experiment aims to subject solder joints to centrifugal forces mimicking Earth's gravity, expecting improved joint quality in terms of porosity.
The experiment is scheduled for July 2024 aboard the modified Falcon 20 aircraft. This aircraft provides a typical parabolic flight sequence, starting with a 2g-pull as it climbs in altitude, followed by a period of microgravity lasting 20-30 seconds. Solder typically solidifies within seconds, making parabolic flight ideal for this research.
Our team has been working hard to design and test our experiment. Here are some moments we are proud of!
The next few months we will continue to document our progress here.
Our first submitted report to SEDS on our experiment.
Our first in-person meeting with full-team. Exciting!
First CAD model of centrifuge + solder module
Our team began manufacturing some components.
New components for our system that we designed required to be fabricate in Engineering Student Design Machine Shop.
Our team began to integrate firmware into our system connecting all the systems.
Our team was able to melt a solder wire using a heating element within 20 seconds - meeting the system requirements.
Our team finished the first 4 months of the project, and we are proud of our progress.
Outreach Activities
Sharing and spreading the word of STEM in our local community.
Feb 1, 2024. Elementary students from local schools came and our team shared our project and got them to build a centrifuge using a plastic water bottle with soil solution inside.
April 2, 2024. Shared project to +100 university students on our research, goals, and progress. Showed centrifuge spinning with soap to showcase fluid separation with centrifugal force.
April 26, 2024. Gave an outreach event on engineering, transition from high school to university engineering, and a talk on the project. The club members had a chance to build a spinning disk as a competition using various materials.
April 28, 2024. Grade 11 event.