Design and Build of HelmHoltz Coils to Generate Hypomagnetic Field for Low Cost Space Biology Experiments
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Zero field and near null magnetic field (NNMF) studies demonstrate that a lack of electromagnetic fields beyond Earth's 20-70uT (2-.7mG) geomagnetic field introduces biological challenges to the health of organisms, bacteria, plants, and humans. Electromagnetic Helmholtz (HH) coils cancel out the Earth's magnetic field and reproduce a highly uniform 3D magnetic field with an MF intensity approaching zero inside the coils.
In 2022, researchers designed and built two HH coils to test the effect of NNMF, PEMF, and Mars Crustal Field (MCF; 300 nT to 5 ?T) on plants, microorganisms, and algae in vitro. The first HH coil prototype demonstrated the potential to cancel out Earth's MF field. Due to the changes in coil radius, substrates, and materials, it is a challenge to create a truly uniform field accommodating the right current and amplitude. A larger helmholtz coil apparatus (250mm x 240mm x 230mm) is under development with 6 aluminium coils, turns of copper, and 24 3D printed parts. 3D CAD designs of coils and Magpylib free Python Package were used to develop 3D analytical models of magnetic fields and interactions.
Research study discusses and presents softwares, mathematics, subsystem design, materials, images, and build of the first and second generation HH coil prototypes. The research study provides a guidebook to design, build, and test helmholtz coils with COTS parts at orders of magnitude lower cost to enable low cost space biology experiments to sustain biological function in hypomagnetic field (HMF) space environments on Moon, Mars, Venus, and beyond.
Description
Terry Rector, University of North Dakota, US
Nicholas Vasquez, Washington University, US
Kolemann Lutz, Magneto Space, US
Herve Cadiou, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, FR
ICES500: Life Science/Life Support Research Technologies
The 51st International Conference on Environmental Systems was held in Saint Paul, Minnesota, US, on 10 July 2022 through 14 July 2022.