METHOD OF ERECTING A RADIO TELESCOPE

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a method of erecting a radio telescope and to a radio telescope erected using said method.

Background to the Invention

Radio telescopes are typically located in remote areas such as deserts or mountain ranges where their functioning is maximised. The erection of a radio telescope in a remote are brings with it numerous problems that add to the cost of the telescope considerably.

Firstly, the transport of the constituent parts of the telescope to the site where it is to be erected is cumbersome due to the size of the parts making up the telescope. Secondly, large earth moving equipment and cranes are required to excavate a base for the telescope and to erect the telescope and its support structure. Thirdly, commodities such as water are often not available at remote sites, so that the on-site mixing of cement to construct a base for the telescope becomes almost impossible.

The inventors therefore believe, that a need exists for a method of erecting a telescope in a remote area using limited resources in order to overcome at least some of the difficulties mentioned above.

Summary of the Invention

A method of erecting a radio telescope including at least the steps of: providing a base portion for supporting a segmented support column of the telescope; locating a telescope mount at a load bearing region of the base portion, the mount being mounted on one or more jacks; actuating the jacks into lifting the telescope mount through a height slightly higher than the height of one segment of the support column; and inserting a first support column segment between the telescope mount and the load bearing region of the base portion and securing said segment to the telescope mount; wherein the lifting of the telescope mount and support column segment(s) secured thereto is repeated as desired to permit the insertion of further support column segments until the support column has reached a desired height.

The following steps may be carried out prior to the step of lifting the telescope mount: - connecting a telescope collector to the telescope mount; mounting a support structure for a parabolic antenna on a hub of the telescope mount; and fitting panels to the support structure to form the parabolic antenna so that the panels are aligned to reflect a radio signal to the telescope collector.

The base portion may include a plurality of open-topped ballast containers that may be arranged to form a polygonal structure resting on the ground.

The dimensions of the polygon may be selected in accordance with the wind forces that the telescope is to withstand in use.

Each container may be about 1 ,2 meters deep and may in use be filled with sand, gravel, rocks, or any other suitable ballast material.

The containers may be manufactured from sheet metal and may be transported to the site at which the radio telescope is to be erected in a partially assembled condition to facilitate easy transport of the containers.

The load-bearing region of the base portion may be located in a central region of the base portion.

The jacks may be conventional hydraulic jacks. Typically, three jacks are provided. The jacks may be arranged so as to permit insertion of a support column segment once the jacks have completed their lifting action.

The jacks may be attached to a base portion of the telescope mount by means of bolts passing through receiving formations provided on the base portion.

The telescope mount may be a conventional altitude-azimuth (altazimuth) or equatorial mount.

The telescope collector and parabolic antenna may be of a conventional type.

The telescope mount and the support column segments may be provided with flanges extending circumferentially from free edges regions of the telescope mount and support column segments respectively.

The telescope mount and first support column segment may be secured together by means of bolts passing through their respective flanges.

The first support column segment may be attached to a second support column segment by means of bolts passing through their respective flanges, and so on until the desired height of the column has been reached.

Once the first support column segment has been inserted between the telescope mount and the load bearing region of the base portion and secured to the telescope mount, the jacks may be lowered slightly to permit the first segment to rest on the load bearing region of the base portion so that the jacks may be removed from the base portion of the telescope mount.

Thereafter, the jacks may be attached to the first support column segment. To this end, the first support column segment may be provided with receiving formations spaced apart around its circumference, each receiving formation including an opening to permit attachment of the jacks to the segment. The attachment may be achieved using bolts.

The jacks may then be actuated into again lifting the telescope mount and the first segment secured thereto, through a height that is slightly higher than the height of one segment of the support column.

Thereafter, a second support column segment may be inserted between the first support column segment and the load bearing region of the base portion and secured to the first segment.

The jacks may now again be lowered slightly to permit the second segment to rest on the load bearing region of the base portion so that the jacks can be removed from the first support column segment.

Thereafter, the jacks may be attached to the second support column segment in the same manner as they were attached to the first segment.

The lifting process, addition of support column segments, and removal and re- attachment of the jacks may be repeated as often as desired until the desired height of the support column has been reached.

Once the desired height of the support column has been reached, a lattice framework and/or support struts extending between the base portion of the telescope mount and the base portion may be erected in order to reinforce the support column.

The jacks may be removed from the second last segment of the support column prior to or after the lattice framework and/or support struts have been erected.

The height of the radio telescope may be about 17m.

The support column segments may be cylindrical. Each segment may have a height of about 1 ,5 m.

Typically, the support column includes four support column segments.

As each component used to construct and erect the telescope weighs less than 500 kg, the components are easy to transport using a conventional load-bearing vehicle and they can either be lifted manually or by using a small crane mounted on the load surface of a load-bearing vehicle.

The construction and erection of the telescope is mainly completed using human labour.

As the fitting of the panels to the support structure to form the parabolic antenna is completed prior to the support column being constructed, this can easily be done manually by erecting a scaffolding to permit access to the support structure.

Conventionally, this alignment is done once the antenna is in position on a support column at a considerable height, thereby adding to the cost of erecting the telescope.

The invention extends to a radio telescope erected in accordance with the method described above.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will now be described by way of the following non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying representations.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 shows a side view of a radio telescope erected in accordance with the method of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective rear view of the radio telescope of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of first and second support column segments immediately prior to the segments being lifted off the base portion; and

Figures 4 to 16 show side views of various stages of the method used to erect the radio telescope of Figure 1.

In the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally indicates a radio telescope erected in accordance with the method of the present invention.

A method of erecting a radio telescope 10 includes at least the steps shown in Figures 4 to 16. A base portion 12 for supporting a segmented support column 14 of the telescope 10 is provided.

The base portion 12 includes a plurality of open-topped ballast containers 38 that are arranged to form a polygonal structure resting on the ground as shown in Figure 2.

The dimensions of the polygon are selected in accordance with the wind forces that the telescope 10 is to withstand.

Each container 38 is about 1 ,2 meters deep and is in use filled with sand, gravel, rocks (not shown), or any other suitable ballast material.

The containers 38 are manufactured from sheet metal and are transported to the site at which the radio telescope 10 is to be erected in a partially assembled condition to facilitate easy transport of the containers 38.

A telescope mount 18 is located at a load bearing region 20 of the base portion 12 as shown in Figure 4. The telescope mount 18 is a conventional altitude- azimuth (altazimuth) or equatorial mount.

The mount 18 is mounted on three jacks 22. The load-bearing region 20 of the base portion 10 is located in a central region of the base portion 12 as can be seen in Figure 2.

The jacks 22 are conventional hydraulic jacks. As can be seen in Figure 8, the jacks 22 are arranged so as to permit insertion of a support column segment 16 once the jacks 22 have completed their lifting action.

The jacks 22 are attached to a base portion 29 of the telescope mount 18 by means of bolts passing through receiving formations 40 provided on the base portion 29.

A telescope collector 24 is connected to the telescope mount 18 (Figure 5) and a support structure 26 for a parabolic antenna 28 is mounted on a hub 30 of the telescope mount 18 (Figure 6). The telescope collector 24 and parabolic antenna 28 are of a conventional type.

A plurality of panels 32 are fitted to the support structure 26 to form the parabolic antenna 28 so that the panels 32 are aligned to reflect a radio signal to the telescope collector 24 (Figure 7).

The jacks 22 are actuated into lifting the telescope mount 18 through a height that is slightly higher than the height of one segment 16 of the support column 14 as shown in Figure 8. The support column segments 16 are cylindrical and each segment 16 has a height of about 1 ,5 m.

Thereafter, a first support column segment 16.1 is inserted between the telescope mount 18 and the load bearing region 20 of the base portion 12 as shown in Figure 9. Once this has been done, the segment 16.1 is secured to the telescope mount 18.

The telescope mount 18 and the support column segments 16 are provided with flanges 42 extending circumferentially from free edges regions of the telescope mount 18 and support column segments 16. The flanges 42 of the support segments 16 can clearly be seen in Figure 3.

The telescope mount 18 and first support column segment 16.1 are secured together by means of bolts passing through their respective flanges 42.

The jacks 22 are then lowered slightly to permit the first segment 16.1 to rest on the load bearing region 20 of the base portion 12 so that the jacks 22 can be removed from the base portion 29 of the telescope mount 18.

Thereafter, the jacks 22 are attached to the first support column segment 16.1. This is achieved by means of bolts passing through receiving formations 34 provided on the segment 16.1.

The jacks 22 are then actuated into again lifting the telescope mount 18 through a height that is slightly higher than the height of one segment 16 of the support column 14 as shown in Figure 10.

Thereafter, a second support column segment 16.2 is inserted between the first support column segment 16.1 and the load bearing region 20 of the base portion 12 and secured to the first segment 16.1 as shown in Figure 11.

The jacks 22 are then again lowered slightly to permit the second segment 16.2 to rest on the load bearing region 20 of the base portion 12 so that the jacks 22 can be removed from the first support column segment 16.1 and connected to the second column segment 16.2.

The lifting process, addition of support column segments 16, and removal and re- attachment of the jacks 22 is repeated until the support column 14 includes four segments 16.1 to 16.4 and the desired height of the support column 14 has been reached as shown in Figures 12 to 15.

The support column segments 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, and 16.4 are connected by means of bolts (not shown) passing through their respective flanges 42.

Once the desired height of the support column 14 has been reached, support struts 36 extending between the hub 30 of the telescope mount 18 and the base portion 12 are erected in order to reinforce the support column 14 as shown in Figure 16. ^' '

The height of the radio telescope 10, once erected, is about 17m.

The jacks 22 can now be removed from the third segment 16.3 of the support column 14.

It is to be appreciated, that the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment or configuration as hereinbefore generally described or illustrated.