Supervisor(s): Ronald Guzman, Juan Carlos Palacio

Abstract: 

Introduction

ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) requires specialized handling equipment to support transportation, installation, testing, and maintenance of large telescope assemblies and associated equipment in the telescope building.

As part of these activities, a rail-mounted Azimuth Bridge Carriage is required to transport representative loads (dummy masses) on the Azimuth bridge rails. The carriage shall provide a safe and efficient means of moving these loads between designated locations while ensuring compatibility with the existing ELT infrastructure.

The carriage is intended exclusively for the transportation of dummy loads and equivalent test masses. It is not intended for the handling or transportation of sensitive optomechanical telescope components. The system shall be manually positioned on the rails using an overhead crane and moved along the track by means of an external towing system such as a forklift or winch.

This project focuses on the mechanical engineering design, structural verification, manufacturing considerations, and operational requirements necessary to develop a safe, reliable, and maintainable carriage that fulfills the operational needs of the ELT.

Project Objectives

The main objective of this project is to support the design and development of the Azimuth Bridge Carriage for the transportation of dummy loads for the various mirror units M3U, M4U, M5U and CU on the ELT Azimuth bridge.

Specific objectives include:

• Understand the operational requirements of the Azimuth Bridge Carriage and its interface with the ELT infrastructure.
• Review applicable standards and design requirements, including structural, mechanical, safety, and manufacturing requirements.
• Develop and evaluate design concepts for the carriage structure and wheel assemblies.
• Perform structural calculations and analyses to verify the load-bearing capacity and safety of the carriage under operational conditions.
• Assess manufacturability and maintainability of the proposed design solutions.
• Define transportation, towing, lifting, and handling provisions required for safe operation.
• Prepare engineering documentation, including design reports, calculations, drawings, and technical specifications.
• Support design reviews by identifying risks, design improvements, and compliance with the project requirements.
• Verify that the final design safely accommodates the specified dummy loads while maintaining stability and operational functionality on the Azimuth Bridge rails.

Student Objectives

The student will gain practical experience in the mechanical design of large engineering handling equipment by participating in the development of the ELT Azimuth Bridge Carriage. The work will provide exposure to structural design, engineering calculations, international standards, manufacturing processes, technical documentation, and design review activities within a complex scientific infrastructure project.

Possible start: anytime, preferably in Q1-2027