Below are the minutes for last week's general meeting. I guess I've
gotten all the input I'm going to get on this, and I have gone over it
carefully. If there are any mistakes, on my head be it.
============
Minutes of ERPS General Meeting #238
6 June 2002
The President being delayed coming from another meeting, Vice
President Randall Clague called the meeting to order at 8:45 PM.
Members present were Kevin Bollinger, Bill Clawson, Nate Dietrich, Rick
Eversole, Sean Lynch, David Masten, Pierce Nichols, Steve Traugott,
Adrian Tymes, Michael Wallis, and Chris Winter. Sam Coniglio and
John ? also attended. (John joined after the meeting.)
Reports and discussion on agenda items were as follows:
CMT
---
Kevin Kevin reiterated his advice RE: avoiding open flames within 30
feet of exposed HTP, pointing out that the sparging process boosts the
local oxygen concentration substantially. Pierce reported that his
sparger design will use an electric heater. Kevin mentioned that vortex
heaters are another possiblity.
DOCUMENTATION
-------------
Chris Chris delivered a bound copy of the Rocketdyne paper to Pierce,
who pronounced its spiral binding satisfactory.
As far as could be determined, the membership would prefer
such reports in PDF form, to be printed at their discretion or read on-
screen. The Rocketdyne document is an exception, since it exists only
in paper and microfiche forms. (There are other exceptions.) Chris will
make the list of candidate documents he has compiled available to the
membership.
Regarding the ERPS logo, the consensus seems to be that the
current logo is a suitable design, and needs only to be reproduced at 300
dpi or better. Chris will make this conversion and present the results at
the next meeting.
The brochure presented at Baycon is a worthy effort. However,
its wording still needs to be tightened up a bit. Bill and Chris will work
together to converge on a final, fully suitable version.
Having mastered the trick of uploading files to "cube", Chris is
beginning to update ERPS Web pages. More on this in future.
IT
--
Sean Sean has set up a Usenet interface -- which we control -- to the
mailing list. Recent messages are available via this list, which permits
reading threads in a more organized fashion with modern newsreaders
such as Forte Agent. Messages dating back to 1997 are being
integrated into the main database as time and resources permit. They
will then be available via all interfaces.
There was much discussion of groupware. Steve recommended
TWiki and UseModWiki. (http://twiki.org/, http://www.usemod.com/cgi-
bin/wiki.pl). Michael mentioned MS Exchange server, of which he has a
copy. Members who do not have Windows could use Ximian Evolution
with the Exchange connector. Dave M has been playing with
phpGroupware. This matter is still under evaluation.
Steve reported that it appears feasible to provide better cooling for
the computer equipment racks. Additional ductwork would be required.
Planning will continue on this, with updates presented when complete.
LIASON
------
ERPS activities at Baycon went well. Michael participated in two
panel discussions. ERPS had a table in the dealer room, and on
Sunday night ran a party that lasted until the wee hours.
Roger Gregory brought hardware to Baycon. This was the
"Simplified High Efficiency Propulsion System" -- a small rotary
bipropellant rocket engine -- on which he and Jim Bowery have applied for
a patent. At Baycon, Roger entered into verbal discussions with ERPS
members over the possibility of our testing this device. By unanimous
agreement, ERPS will pursue this matter if Roger becomes a member
and agrees to perform the actual testing himself, making use of our
facilities and appropriate support services.
Another Baycon attendee was Robert Carter II. His group has
been flying RC lifting bodies. (One is a 40 lb design with a L/D ratio of
20!) He is interested in using one of our engines. This might be worth
doing if a suitable agreement can be worked out.
Dave M reported on his experience at the Space Frontier
Society's space business round table, held at the Palo Alto Hyatt this
very same night. A number of XCOR people attended, as well as Elon
Musk, founder of PayPal and ?. He is starting up a space company of
some kind. A number of the VCs who invested in XCOR (and Rotary
Rocket before that) were also present. Their opinion is that the reason
so little funding is being made available for space ventures is excessive
market risk -- not technical risk. In counterpoint to this, a representative
of Mircorp said that his company is making money, and hopes to lower
the cost of a ticket to orbit from the current $20M to $5M.
According to Kevin, NASA's list of SBIRs will appear on its Web
site this very same night. He is planning to participate in several of these.
Adrian reported that the Mensa gathering, at which we were to
make a presentation, has been cancelled. Since the gathering was to be
held on Labor Day weekend, contemporaneous with Worldcon, this is
probably a Good Thing. (It may even be a God Thing. $0.25)
LOGISTICS
---------
Sean NTR
TREASURER
---------
Michael Due to computer problems, the treasurer's report was not
available. Reimbursements to several members for hardware they had
purchased for ERPS were reported. A check to CDI for one year's rent
on the storage space occupied by the launch tower and other ERPS
property was cut and presented.
The minutiae required for transfer of signature authority were
completed. Change-of-address arrangements are in progress.
CHECK-SIGNING POLICY: IT IS THE POLICY OF ERPS THAT
NO ERPS MEMBER SHALL SIGN AN ERPS CHECK PAYABLE TO
HIMSELF OR HERSELF. ERPS CHECKS WRITTEN TO ERPS
MEMBERS MUST BE SIGNED BY AN OFFICER OTHER THAN THE
PAYEE.
CHIEF SCIENTIST
---------------
Kevin Kevin has accumulated a great deal of information about HTP.
He continues to work on his sparger.
As mentioned, NASA's SBIR requests go on-line tonight. Kevin
will post the URL for the Web site.
FLIGHT CONTROLS
---------------
Bill At the last meeting, the four motors for Gizmocopter were tuned.
This involves applying a fixed voltage to the motor while rotating the
permanent magnets relative to the rotor assembly so the motor turns at
maximum speed.
Further progress requires that he get access to CDI at a mutually
convenient time to modify the landing legs.
PROPELLANTS
-----------
Pierce Pierce, working with Dan Solvin, has demonstrated that freezing
purification of HTP using dry ice can be done in one day. The results
were that the concentration of the HTP was raised from 86 to 89% and,
more important, the total dissolved solids (TDS) reading dropped from 3-4
to 1-2. Therefore freezing is a feasible means of purifying HTP, but not
much good for concentrating it.
Pierce has located a suitably inexpensive candidate blower for
his sparger design and is awaiting more data on it from the manufacturer.
He is almost ready to present his revised design.
REGULATORY AFFAIRS
------------------
Randall As required, Randall has sent our bi-annual corporate report to
the California Secretary of State's office.
He continues to work on analyzing and codifying the U.S. DOT
Hazardous Material Regulations, and clarifying how they apply to ERPS.
SAFETY
------
Dave M We still have it.
TESTING
-------
Testing of the KISS engine with contaminated 86% HTP will be
conducted on Sunday. Since the weather is expected to be very warm,
we will plan to leave Denny's by 8 AM and finish the tests as early as
possible.
SMARTFLIGHT
-----------
Dave M reported that Dave W has on hand a number of receiver
and transmitter modules which can be used in a telemetry system.
These include a 1-Watt linear amplifier which is 25% efficient. Also in
Dave W's possession are some accelerometers and a differential
pressure sensor for the pitot tube.
KISS
----
Randall reported on the KISS meeting held at CDI last Sunday.
A constant-pressure version called KISS-3 was approved, and acquisition
of needed parts is under way. Dave M has located a local supplier for
6000-lb pressurant tanks. Michael mentioned that Doug Jones still has a
suitable tank on offer for $400.
POGO
----
Dave M The basic design has been approved. Parts are being sourced.
The team's preliminary estimate is that the vehicle will come within 2 kg
of meeting its mass budget. Currently, the primary concern is throttling
valves: the ones on hand actuate too slowly. Alternates are being sought.
NEW BUSINESS
------------
Departure Bill presented a certificate and frame he had made up to
honor Michael Wallis for his years of dedicated leadership of ERPS.
Michael was, in fact, co-founder of the group in February 1993. He now
must return -- temporarilly, we hope -- to Canada. Hot jets, Michael!
Composites Kevin is starting a group to manufacture tanks and other
components out of composite materials.
Lunaverse Sean has acquired some Web space and is organizing a
virtual community by this name. It will become a sort of "sim-Luna", with
participants independently developing raw-materials processing, air-
production, agriculture and other Web sites under the framework of a
Lunar settlement.
Randall asked if lunaverse.com was going to feature
moon poetry, for which offense Sean fined him a quarter and
commissioned him to write said moon poetry.
Meeting #238 adjourned at 10:48 PM. The next meeting is scheduled for
Thursday, 20 June 2002.
----------------------
Respectfully submitted,
Chris Winter
Secretary, ERPS
+++ PLEASE ADVISE THE SECRETARY OF ANY ADDITIONS
OR CORRECTIONS TO THESE MINUTES +++
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