Paper 13094-57
Paper 13094-57
Hydrostatic bearing system for the Giant Magellan Telescope
19 June 2024 • 17:20 - 17:40 Japan Standard Time | Room G403/404, North - 4F
Abstract
The Giant Magellan Telescope will be a 25 meter optical telescope located in Chile.
The main axes are supported by a hydrostatic bearing system (HBS) which provides an uniform load distribution, an almost stick slip free motion and a kinematic mount.
Deep analyses as FEA, dynamic analyses and hydraulic investigations have been performed to design the system and verify the static and dynamic behaviour of the overall telescope under different scenarios and disturbances as there are: Wind loads, geometrical deviations and seismic events.
The manuscript provides an overview about the main analyses and the design with some special features of the bearing system as the pad grouping with tilting and levelling capability, the extensive oil return & coverage system and the demanding section joints of the bearing tracks.
Presenter
Ulrich Weis
OHB Digital Connect GmbH (Germany)
Ulrich Weis graduated in mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany in 1995. He started at MAN AG, later MT-Mechatronics and now OHB Digital Connect, in Mainz with the SOFIA project, an infrared telescope integrated in a Boing 747 aircraft. For many years he focused on the hydrostatic bearing, vibration isolation system and spherical drive. In other telescope projects such as the GREGOR solar telescope, ALMA array of radio telescopes and DKIST solar telescope he was responsible for the development and testing of mechanical assemblies. He is also experienced in upgrades (e.g. EFFELSBERG 100m radio-telescope sub-reflector) and refurbishments (e.g. VENTSPILS 32m radio-telescope). He joined the GMT project in 2017 and is responsible for system engineering and the hydrostatic bearing.