Dyther Jay Bugtong was born in the Philippines and raised in Maui, Hawai’i. He graduated from Maui High School and is currently pursuing an Associate in Science degree in Natural Science (ASNS) in Engineering at the University of Hawai’i Maui College, then transferring to the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. With an ambition to build sustainable spaces in his home country or in the state of Hawai’i, he plans to achieve this as a civil engineer, along with the hope of bettering the lives and future of everyone. With that, he enjoys programming and electrical configurations, chess against his friends, or picnics with them.
Home Island: Maui
High School: Maui High School
Institution when accepted: University of Hawai’i Maui College
Project Title: Locating and Designing a Permanent Coudé Bearing Load Sensing System for DKIST
Project Site: Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope: NSO/DKIST, Maui HI
Mentor: Rodell Agdinaoay & Karl Newman
Project Abstract:
The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope’s (DKIST) Coudé bearing load sensor system assists in identifying load peaks due to uneven load distribution and varying stiffness across the Coudé rotator. The system is used to determine if mechanical adjustments are needed on the Coudé truck bearings. Unfortunately, limited access to the load-sensing system can lead to interruptions in science operations. Thus, the objective of this project is to develop a permanent Coudé Bearing Load Sensing system for DKIST that will minimize these interruptions. The prototype load-sensing system comprises a charge amplifier, an I/O adapter, and a power supply, which we wired and built into a box. We tested the system by manually transporting the old setup, using an oscilloscope to measure force data from the sensor during the azimuth rotation of the Coudé. We also developed a program to automate the merging of azimuth position in degrees and force values, ultimately producing a visualization to let us know the force value in a specific location. A suitable mounting location should be near the measuring sensor, ethernet, and power sources to ensure a stable and continuous connection for a permanent installation. In particular, the ground floor inner pier met the criteria for the ethernet source, power supply, and sensor being close by and accessible during on-sun/operations. We then determined the enclosure specifications, such as wiring pathing, dimensions, and the length of the necessary hardware to keep the system permanently in the area. Alongside the design aspect of the installation, we created sketches of the system’s electrical schematics. This system will enable continuous and automated force monitoring, eliminating the need for temporary setups and manual data capture. Therefore, it will provide a permanent solution to ensure repeatability, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the telescope’s capabilities.