MDRS Operations Report 8-10-OCT-2021
Name of person filing report: Shannon Rupert
Reason for Report: Routine
Non-nominal systems: Complete Failure of Power System occurred on Saturday the 9th at 6 am.
Action taken for non-nominal systems: On Saturday, we awoke to a brownout, which is something that isn’t supposed to happen with our system and has never happened before. After about ten minutes of this, we lost power. SOC was 16%. One of the power controllers had tripped its breaker, but I didn’t know when, so nothing to do but resent it and wait until sunrise. Once the sun was up, all three charge controllers returned to nominal operations. I attempted to use the generator before sunrise but my first attempt failed. I changed the generator control to autostart, knowing the generator was programmed for autostart. It started well, but struggled and lagged, finally backfiring and quitting. The autostart was cancelled so will need to be reprogrammed on the generator before it can be used again. Error read undervolt L1-2. I attempted a second manual start but the generator turned itself off in a minute. So we waited for the sun to confirm the solar system was working. It was but we still weren’t getting power. My second attempt to restart the inverters worked and the system has been functional since. In the meantime, I restarted the generator with the breaker off and it ran well, then I flipped the breaker with the SOC at 30% and the generator did not struggle. I turned the generator off so I could clean and check it before putting it in service again. For the next few days I will once again run on solar only until this is done then I will test the system again.
Generator: Run three times on Oct 7 during a power failure.
ScienceDome Dual Split: Off
Solar— Except for during the complete power failture on Saturday it has run nominally, although struggling to keep up with power demand on rainy and cloudy days
Solar— SOC % Last 24 hours (Sunday):
Average 60.1
Minimum 14
Maximum 100
Notes on solar: See above
Diesel Reading – Removed on Oct 10th. This will be the last report for this tank.
Propane Reading, station tank – 71 %
Propane Reading, director tank— 70 %
Propane Reading, intern tank— 72 %
Propane Reading, generator— 80 %
Ethanol Free Gasoline – 1 gallons
Water (loft tank): gallons
Water Meter: units
Water (static tank) – 225 gallons
Static to Loft Pump used – yes
Water in GreenHab – 60 gallons
Water in ScienceDome: 0 gallons
Water (Outpost tank) – 200 gallons
Hab toilet tank emptied: unknown
Perseverance rover used: yes
Hours: 220.2
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 100
Currently charging: yes
Sojourner rover used: yes
Hours: 152.2
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 100
Currently charging: yes
Spirit rover used: yes
Hours: 141.0
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 100
Currently charging: yes
Opportunity rover used: yes
Hours: 73.0
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 100
Currently charging: yes
Curiosity rover used: yes
Hours: 148.0
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 100
Currently charging: yes
Notes on rovers: Additions to the frame to protect the spacesuits have remained intact and functional.
ATV’s Used: (Honda, 350.1, 350.2, 350.3): Honda
Reason for use: removed two rear tires for repair
Oil Added? No
ATV Fuel Used: 0 gallons
# Hours the ATVs were Used today: 0
Notes on ATVs: Nothing to report
HabCar used and why, where? No
CrewCar used and why, where? Yes, to deliver crew to Grand Junctoin
Luna used and why, where? Yes, to town
General notes and comments: CrewCar needs repair before next crew arrives. Running well, but needs work on the undercarriage. The HabCar’s windshield has been scratched so much that it is difficult to see through it when the window isn’t cleaned. The windshield washer tank is broken so people have just been clearing and scratching it without any fluids.
Summary of internet: All accounts are nominal.
Summary of suits and radios: Nothing to report
Campus wide inspection, if action taken, what and why? Diesel tank removed, remaining spill containment system needs to be removed.
Summary of general operations: Diesel tank has been removed from campus. Old blackwater tank has been transferred to the trailer for disposal.
Summary of Hab operations: Nothing to report.
Summary of Outpost operations: Propane detector in director’s trailer malfunctioned after power failure and was removed. During removal, the fuse to the water pump failed. This is an amazingly short story for what was a really long and interesting learning experience. The thermostats in both trailers were replaced and the heating unit in the intern trailer was reinstalled after being cleaned and checked.
Summary of GreenHab operations: Nothing to report
Summary of ScienceDome operations: Nothing to report
Summary of RAM operations: Ladder was used and was reattached to the tunnel
Summary of any observatory issues: Robotic observatory is down.
Summary of health and safety issues: Nothing to report
Questions, concerns, supplies needed and requests: Nothing at this time.