TVC Mount
Thrust Vector Control Mount
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The thrust vector control mount is 3D-printed and consists of one static outer ring that holds an inner pivoting ring. This inner pivoting ring holds the motor mount casing on a pivot point, thereby providing the second axis of movement. The axes are driven by two servos powered by an external Li-Po battery and an I/O pin for control. The movement of the axes in flight is determined by flight control software onboard the Eagle X Flight Computer. The force of the rocket motor is pushed through the pivoting rings out to the 4 mounting wings. The mount has a maximum rotation of 15 degrees on both axes.
To allow rapid iteration in the design process and flexibility in the geometry, 3D printing was decided as the manufacturing method. This is because 3D printing allowed for 3-4 iterations per day and had very unique manufacturing capabilities. PLA+, which is a slightly stronger version of PLA, is used as the material due to its good balance of thermal and mechanical properties. The entire mount is printed in 3 main components and 4 smaller components (pushrods and servo horns).
Plastic will degrade over time due to friction, therefore the mount would sometimes develop significant drift or "slop". This problem could not be pushed out of the system, but it was partially mitigated through design improvements. The thermals of the mount were also of concern for longer flights due to engine heat. However, the mount never ended up flying any long-duration motors, therefore the problem never had to be solved.
The series of photos below show an approximately correct chronological order of iteration of the TVC mount. The first iteration starts with 0 experience. Click on each photo to view it larger.
To allow rapid iteration in the design process and flexibility in the geometry, 3D printing was decided as the manufacturing method. This is because 3D printing allowed for 3-4 iterations per day and had very unique manufacturing capabilities. PLA+, which is a slightly stronger version of PLA, is used as the material due to its good balance of thermal and mechanical properties. The entire mount is printed in 3 main components and 4 smaller components (pushrods and servo horns).
Plastic will degrade over time due to friction, therefore the mount would sometimes develop significant drift or "slop". This problem could not be pushed out of the system, but it was partially mitigated through design improvements. The thermals of the mount were also of concern for longer flights due to engine heat. However, the mount never ended up flying any long-duration motors, therefore the problem never had to be solved.
The series of photos below show an approximately correct chronological order of iteration of the TVC mount. The first iteration starts with 0 experience. Click on each photo to view it larger.
