Prototype Designs

Prototype Design by Matthew Swartz

I chose to make this design resemble the shape of a bird as much as possible to keep aerodynamics and balance good. I added the wings on each side for added stability as well as for them and the tail flap to keep the AEV pressed up against the track without swaying when speeding up or slowing down. The overall design has most of the components (battery, controller, rail) centered on a straight line to improve aerodynamics and hopefully center balance. The hollow capsule cockpit looking part is meant to split the wind from the center point so that there isn’t a lot of wind resistance slowing down the vehicle and reducing energy efficiency. You may have noticed that there are no propellers included on this drawing. That is because this model is meant to have the two electric motors spin the wheels connected to the rail.

 

Prototype Design by Brent Lemmon

 

I chose this design as I wanted to begin on a firm foundation. This minimalistic design has all of the key components needed for a functional AEV, and nothing else. This design has little material costs and a small weight. The incline on the front of the cockpit isn’t so much for aerodynamics as it is to create downforce for the wheels on the track. This downforce will increase the frictional force on the wheel surfaces to ensure they do not slip on the near frictionless track. It is imperative that these wheels do not slip as the reflectance sensor along with mirrors within one of the wheels can measure the wheels angular displacement to provide the AEV’s controller with valuable position information. I have worked to ensure that the prototype is balanced, placing the rollers as near to the center of mass (relative to top plane) as possible.

 

Prototype Design by Tyler Kneffler

 

I wanted to base my concept AEV with a spaceship design. I chose a round cockpit and nose that is more aerodynamic. I wanted to avoid as much weight as possible to I kept the design to a minimum. I did this by only adding the front aerodynamic nose and cockpit at the front of the ship while removing the back half. This also allows for ease of access to the batter and automatic controller. I went with a wider wingspan to add stability to the ship. This will allow us to make adjustments if the airflow is tilting the ship to the right of left side of the track. It will also improve the down-force on the track so that it is less likely to fall off. This design is symmetrical so that it is easier to balance and maintain stability. Finally with a wider wing design we will be able to add or remove weight in order to test and better improve this design in the future.

Prototype Design by Nic Pellegrino

 

I chose my design to have a smaller hull specifically to reduce the weight of the design. The reduced weight would allow the propellers to be more efficient. The propellers would be more efficient because there would be less weight to push and pull on the object. I value the propellers ease of use more than anything and I wanted my design to take the that idea and run with it. This is how I ended up with my design.