Vehicle Engineering:
Environmental Control
& Life Support Systems
Development of LabVIEW VI for testbed operation
Design of automated HVAC component testbed
Refurbishment of neglected testbeds
SPACEX — Summer 2015
LabVIEW GUI development
Throughout the design and refurbishment of numerous testbeds which were all controlled by data acquisition systems from National Instruments, I developed several LabVIEW Graphical User Intergaces (GUIs) that technicians would use to run tests. I was in regular communication with the technicians and engineers who would be using these tools so that I had a complete understanding of what information and controls needed to be most prominent and which were less important. The development of these interfaces also required extensive documentation of both their front- and back-ends such that they could be maintained after my departure.
Automated testbed
Many mid-test procedures were obvious candidates for automation. Throughout the design of a testbed that would perform most common testing procedures automatically, I communicated with engineers and technicians across multiple groups to ensure it would be as broadly useful and user-friendly as possible. I designed the testbed from scratch and sourced components. I created a CAD model (NX), assembly drawings (NX), bill of materials (Excel), circuit diagrams (Visio), and user's manuals (Word) to ensure the end product was well-documented. I did much of the mechanical and electrical assembly myself. Conservative estimates for return on investment showed a minimum of 40% ROI over two years.
Testbed refurbishment
Testbeds frequently fall into disrepair, either due to neglect, poor design, or some combination thereof. I refurbished and overhauled testbeds that were needed for further testing. This involved sourcing and replacing mechanical and electrical components, reorganizing and rewiring various components, cleaning up and modifying LabVIEW GUIs such that they were interpretable and usable, and generating diagrams and other documentation where there were none.