DKIST telescope mount factory testing overview and lessons learned

Paul Jeffers; Todd Trieloff; Hans Kärcher; Steffen Seubert; William McBride II

doi:10.1117/12.2231329

27 July 2016 DKIST telescope mount factory testing overview and lessons learned

Paul Jeffers, Todd Trieloff, Hans Kärcher, Steffen Seubert, William McBride II

Proceedings Volume 9906, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VI; 99061E (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2231329
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

The Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) will be the largest solar telescope in the world, and will be able to provide the sharpest views ever taken of the solar surface. The telescope has a 4m aperture primary mirror, however due to the off axis nature of the optical layout, the telescope Mount has proportions similar to an 8 metre class telescope. The Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) includes both the telescope Mount and the 16m diameter laboratory table or Coudé Rotator. The Coudé Rotator supports the full instrument suite of up to 40 tonnes and has full rotation capabilities similar to the Mount azimuth axis. The TMA has been going through the design, fabrication and assembly process since 2009 with Ingersoll Machine Tool’s and this culminated with the Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT). The preparation for the FAT started not long after the Final Design Review was complete and planning continued through the assembly stages. The official Factory Acceptance testing of the Coudé Rotator was conducted during May/Jun 2014 and the Mount in Feb through Apr 2015. This paper provides an overview and discussion of the testing that was carried out. The depth and extent of testing will be described with discussion on what we would do differently next time. Also details of the preparation / process that lead into the testing will be presented. Most importantly the results will be summarized and lessons learned during the testing provided as well as discussion on how this influences the planned site assembly and extent of re-test post assembly.

Citation Download Citation

Paul Jeffers, Todd Trieloff, Hans Kärcher, Steffen Seubert, and William McBride II "DKIST telescope mount factory testing overview and lessons learned", Proc. SPIE 9906, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VI, 99061E (27 July 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2231329

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