aR&D 1&2

Advanced Research and Development

MOTOR CONFIGURATION

EQUIPMENT

  • Constructed AEV (all components present)
  • Li-Po battery pack.
  • Designated track.

CONSTANT VARIABLES

  • Test track
  • Constructed AEV( excluding motors)

EXPERIMENTAL VARIABLES

  • Motors configuration

The main purpose of the research into motor configuration is to research the optimal configuration that is energy sufficient as well as provides the most propulsion i.e force for the AEV.  The questions that will be asked during this research is whether the distance between the motors is a factor when considering energy sufficiency and whether the number of motors affects it as well. For the purpose of this research, energy sufficiency will have to be defined;  it is measured by how much further the AEV travels when the same code is input and tested.

PROCEDURE

Our team has decided to use two different motor configurations for our AEV System. The first configuration will consist of a standard forward motor direction with two propellers evenly spaced out. After running the AEV in the standard front-facing direction with the two propellers, it will be run again with one centered propeller. Multiple variables will be evaluated such as (time vs current, voltage, distance, position, speed, total energy) to find the most efficient design.

The AEV will be tested in the exact same way as the first configuration but instead, it will be with one single propeller. Changing the code to our AEV we will have the system run at the same rate as the previous configuration. The data from the double propeller configuration will be compared to the single propeller configuration data to see which will be more efficient. The most efficient configuration will be implemented into our final design based on the information gathered.

The last configuration test will also be evaluated. The data for reversing the motor and propellers will be tested to observe the most efficient configuration. The test will be performed with the same code, just one reverse

Equipment For AEV:

  • Constructed AEV + LI-PO Battery
  • Designated Track(s) (308 and/or 224)
  • Motors speeds will not exceed 50% for safety reasons

Code for Test: Coding for the AEV will be done in the Arduino

Arduino is an open-source hardware and software company, project and user community that designs and manufactures single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller kits for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control both physically and digitally.

1. First Configuration (Two Propellers/Motor)

Figure (1) Two Propellers/Motors

  • The test will be conducted 5-10 times with the motor

//Run all motors at 20% Power

Celerate(4,0,20,1);

//Runs for 5 seconds

goFor(5);

//Stops motors and AEV

brake(4);

    1. Second Configuration (One Propeller/Motor)

Figure (2) One Propeller/Motor

//Run all motors at 20% Power

Celerate(4,0,20);

//Runs for 5 seconds

goFor(5);

//Stops motors and AEV

brake(4);

 

             3. Second Configuration (Reverse Propeller/Motor)

Same exact setup for one and two motors. The code below will be used for the reverse test, the only additional reverse line added to code as displayed below.

 

//reverse the motors

reverse(4);

//Run all motors at 20% Power

Celerate(4,0,20,1);

//Runs for 5 seconds

goFor(5);

//Stops motors and AEV

brake(4);

 

Using the following code above, and the AEV Data Extraction tool will help determine which system will be implemented. Looking explicitly at energy expenditure, speed vs time

RESULTS & ANALYSIS

How Data will be gathered

Data Extraction:

Using the data extraction tool, and MatLab’s Data extractor we will plot and display the various results.

Example Data Extraction Code:

This code grabs various data from the created Excel file created from the runs of the AEV system. This program was created to easily compare results from the standard orientation and the reversed orientation. Comparing these results will determine which AEV configuration will be used.

MatLab Code:

clc
clear all
close all
clear emptyTextMask;

x = 1;

//Get number of Excel Files to check
numExcel = input(‘Enter number of excel files: ‘);
while(x <= numExcel)
excelname = input(‘Enter Excel Name: ‘, ‘s’)

//Grabs Variable Data
Time = xlsread(excelname,’G:G’);
Marks = xlsread(excelname,’D9:D559′);
Distance = xlsread(excelname,’J:J’);

% (Time, Current, Voltage, Distance, Position, Speed, Powerin, IncEnergy, TotalEnergy)
v1 = input(‘Enter First variable (Time):’)
v2 = input(‘Enter Second variable (Distance or Marks): ‘)
v3 = input(‘Enter graphing practices (bo,g+,rs,yd,kv,m–,r-.,k-,w^,g:): ‘,’s’)
TF = strcmp(v1,v2);

//Plot Graph
if TF ~= 1
figure(1)
plot(v1,v2,v3)
hold on
end

x = x +1;
End

//Edit Plot title & labels
getTitle = input(‘Enter Title Name: ‘, ‘s’)
title(getTitle)
getXlb = input(‘Enter X axis: ‘, ‘s’)
getYlb = input(‘Enter Y axis: ‘, ‘s’)
xlabel(getXlb)
ylabel(getYlb)
legend(‘Clean1′,’Clean2′,’Clean3′,’Clean4′,’Clean5′,’Dirty1′,’Dirty2′,’Dirty3′,’Dirty4′,’Dirty5′,’location’,’southeast’

Results & Data

Forward Standard Configuration Test

Figure (3) – Energy Usage One Motor

Figure (3) shows the total energy used when using one propeller/motor

Figure (4) – Energy Usage Two Motors

Figure (4) shows the total energy used when using two propellers/motors

Figure (5) – Speed (One Motor)

Figure (5) shows the speed (m/s) of one propeller/motor

Figure (6) – Speed (Two Motors)

Figure (6) shows the speed (m/s) of two propellers/motors

 

Reverse Configuration Test

(Same test were conducted with reverse configuration)

 

Figure (7) – Energy Usage One Motor Reversed

Figure (7) shows the total energy used when using one propeller/motor reversed

 

Figure (8) – Energy Usage Two Motors/propellers Reversed

Figure (8) shows the total energy used when using two reversed propellers/motors

 

Figure (9) – Energy Usage One Motor Reversed

Figure (9) s shows the speed of the AEV when using one propeller/motor

 

Figure (10) – Energy Usage Two Motors Reversed

Figure (10) shows the speed of the AEV when using two propellers/motors

 

CONCLUSION

As the number of propellers and motors increase energy usage and speed is increased. The single propeller/motor configuration uses about half the energy as the with two motors, but the speed is greatly impacted. As for the reverse configuration the speed is slightly reduced and the energy usage is slightly increased compared to the standard forward configuration.

IMPLEMENTATION

With the gathered data from the different motor configurations, the team has decided to continue forward with the implementation of two propellers. As the Data overall suggests that the more motors and propellers the amount of power, and overall efficiency of the AEV system is increased. To create the most efficient and effective transportation system figure (x) the AEV displayed below will be the continued configuration in the advancement of this project.

 

SERVO CALIBRATION & USE

EQUIPMENT

  • Constructed AEV (all components present)
  • Li-Po battery pack.
  • Designated track.

CONSTANT VARIABLES

  • Test track
  • Constructed AEV( excluding motors)

EXPERIMENTAL VARIABLES

  • Servo motor.

The main purpose of this research is to understand how to incorporate the servo motor into our AEV design. The particular usage of the servo motor is its capability as a brake for the AEV. When the code brake(4) “Brake all motors” is input into the AEV during its run it does not actually stop the AEV it instead stops the motors, the AEV then proceeds to coast along the track using the residual energy that carries it along until it is fully stopped by friction. This test will answer the question of whether the servo motor can be used as a functioning brake for the AEV.

CODE USED FOR EXPERIMENT

  • celerate(4,0,40,3); // Accelerates all motors from 0 to 40% power in 3 seconds.
  • goFor(2); // Maintains speed for 2 seconds.
  • brake(4); // Stops all motors.
  • rotateServo(90); // Rotates the servo arm 90 degrees.

CODE USED FOR CONTROL

  • celerate(4,0,40,3); // Accelerates all motors from 0 to 40% power in 3 seconds.
  • goFor(2); // Maintains speed for 2 seconds.
  • brake(4); // Stops all motors.

PROCEDURE

  1. Using the constructed AEV excluding the servo motor using the code for control we ran it on the designated track and recorded the data.
  2. The servo will then be added to it and the code for the experiment will be used.

RESULTS & ANALYSIS

Data: Control(s)             Data: Experimental(s)

Trial 1: 2.7                           1.1

Trial 2: 2.3                           0.8

Trial 3: 2.1                           0.7

 

Average Control(Placebo):  2.37 seconds

Average Experimental (Servo present): 0.86 seconds

 The data gathered from the AEV showed that on average it took 2.37 seconds for the AEV to come to a full stop after the motors were stopped. On the other hand, it took the servo on average 0.86 seconds to get the AEV to get to a full stop. This ensures that when the AEV has the servo motor equipped that it takes less time for it to come to a full stop. This becomes especially useful when it is incorporated into the AEV for Performance Test 1 for which the goal is to approach a gate using the AEV stop for 7 seconds then proceed to move past the gate. This assignment relies on precision that the servo motor has when compared to coasting which is more unreliable and more prone to change.

 

CONCLUSION

 The servo motor provides more efficiency and reliability when compared to other forms of braking

 

IMPLEMENTATION

This could be used on the AEV which would drastically lower the required amount of time for braking. This would make the AEV more precise and easier to control.