Under Construction !!
The page, that is - the penetrometer was built in 1994 and is now on its
way to Titan!
The penetrometer is mounted on the bottom of the Huygens probe descent
module and will record the impact with the surface. It comprises a disk of
PZT-5A piezoelectric ceramic hel under preload between two Vespel washers with
a hemispheric-tipped titanium bolt. When the head is pressed, the ceramic
generates a charge which is recorded by an amplifier and telemetered back
to Earth
The penetrometer with mast
Details may be found in
- University of Kent
SSP page
- R. D. Lorenz, M. Bannister, P. M. Daniell, Z. Krysinski, M. R. Leese,
R. J. Miller, G. Newton, P. Rabbetts, D. M. Willett and
J. C. Zarnecki
'An Impact Penetrometer for a Landing Spacecraft',
Measurement Science and Technology,
vol.5 pp.1033-1041, 1994
and
-
J.C. Zarnecki, M. Banaszkiewicz, M. Bannister, W. V. Boynton, P. Challenor, B. Clark,
P.M. Daniell, J.
Delderfield, M.A. English, M. Fulchignoni, J. R. C. Garry, J.E. Geake, S. F. Green, B.
Hathi, S.
Jaroslawski, M.R. Leese, R.D.Lorenz, J.A.M.McDonnell, N. Merryweather-Clarke, C. S.
Mill, R.J.
Miller, G. Newton, D.J.Parker, L. H. Svedhem, R. F. Turner and M.J.Wright, The Surface
Science
Packageš, pp. 177-195 in 'Huygens : Science, Payload and Mission', ESA Special
Publication SP-1177,
August 1997
Close-up
Note the brown Vespel washers sandwiching the white PZT ceramic
Close up with Dr Lorenz
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