Coasting vs. Power Braking Data Analysis
The first subject that the team studied in the Advanced R and D portion of lab was Coasting vs Power Breaking. By writing codes for both scenarios, the team was able to analyze data to discover the pros and cons of each method. The positives of Coasting are that the method requires much less power, as the motors are shut off allowing the AEV to glide without consuming any energy. The negatives, however, are that Coasting does not allow for a sudden, accurate stop. In coasting, the AEV glides for a while before stopping to it is harder to make movements of a precise distance. For Power Breaking, the team found that a positive was the ability for AEV to almost immediately stop on command. This allows precise distances for the AEV to travel to be programmed. The negative, however, is that this method consumes much more energy than Coasting due to the motors being reversed to stop the AEV. This consumption of energy would lead to a much higher cost of travel.
After gathering and analyzing data (see graphs below), the team decided to move forward with the Coasting method. The team values preserving energy to keep costs low, so based on the data Coasting is proved to be the best option. This method will allow the team to glide the AEV for long distances, providing long periods of time in which the motors will not need to exert any power. This will overall make the budget lower for our AEV transport system.
Braking 1
Braking 2
Coasting 1
Coasting 2
Coasting Code:
reverse(4);
celerate(4,0,30,2);
goFor(2);
Braking Code:
reverse(4);
celerate(4,0,30,2);
goFor(2);
reverse(4);
motorSpeed(4,30);
goFor(1);
