A remote, autonomous laboratory for Antarctica with hybrid power generation

The AASTINO (Automated Astrophysical Site Testing INternational Observatory) is a remote laboratory that has been operating at Dome C station on the Antarctic plateau since January 2003. It is designed to run throughout the Antarctic winter without intervention, and to collect data on the astronomic...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: J. S. Lawrence, M. C. B. Ashley, J. W. V. Storey
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Subjects:
remote power systems
Antarctic astronomy
Antarctica
Stirling engine
automated control systems
Antarctic
Stirling
The Antarctic
Antarc*
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.66.3619
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~mgb/Antbib/hybrid7.pdf
Description
Summary:The AASTINO (Automated Astrophysical Site Testing INternational Observatory) is a remote laboratory that has been operating at Dome C station on the Antarctic plateau since January 2003. It is designed to run throughout the Antarctic winter without intervention, and to collect data on the astronomical qualities of the site. A Stirling engine and a pair of solar panels power the observatory. Command, control and communication is via the Iridium satellite network. A supervisor computer system controls all aspects of engine and power source management, communications, instrument control, and data collection. The AASTINO system is designed with the capability to run completely autonomously in the event of communications failure.

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