Final AEV Design Solidworks draft:
Visual Solidworks Design:
(click for higher resolution)
This new AEV design seems to be more energy efficient than the old AEV design. This could be due to, but not limited to, a couple of several factors. The first AEV utilized a dual propeller system whereas the new AEV design uses a single propeller for both thrust and braking. This both reduces the weight of the AEV as well as decreases the upfront energy consumption. The second AEV design was also shrunk down and structurally optimized; only components that needed to be there are part of the new AEV design. In the graphs, it can be easily ascertained that the second AEV design used only slightly more energy and traveled nearly four times the distance of the first AEV design. In total, the new one propeller design used 17 less standard units of energy than the two-propeller design. For the future, this will be the team’s base model and any changes made to the design will be compared as such.
| Final Design | |
| Weight | 215 g |
| Length | 6 inches |
| Width | 1 inch |
| Height | 7 inches |
Current Experimental Design October 16, 2017:
(click for higher resolution)
As the development of an Advanced Energy Vehicle progresses, the design has evolved from a base model into a new, more energy efficient, and more streamlined model. Based on Hunter’s original “Flying Falcon” design, the “Cosmo-Not” is the epitome of energy efficiency, functionality, and aesthetics. The dual propeller design features a larger propeller diameter, and although this does increase drag, it also means that the propellers can be run at a lower speed which increases the efficiency of the vehicle. The current AEV design, shown below, also incorporates the ability to change the center of mass of the vehicle at-will. This is accomplished by shifting the battery in the front either forwards or backwards, creating the ability to have a near perfect weight distribution about the central axis of the vehicle.
The next step is to analyze this AEV design and the aerodynamics of the vehicle. We are going to test the power braking with one and two engines, against a servo braking system, then possibly change the design depending on the outcome of our tests. We are optimistic that this will be one of the premier energy efficient vehicles and hope that it will be used for years to come.
| Design #1 | |
| Weight | 237g |
| Length | 7.5 inches |
| Width | 1 inch |
| Height | 8 inches |
Current Experimental Design September, 2017:
Design Phase One:
For the first design phase, four different AEV designs were hand drafted. These AEV designs will be extensively tested in order to figure out which one is the most energy efficient.
AEV Design One:
The idea behind design one was to streamline the AEV and create a narrow cross section with maximum thrust. The cross section of this AEV is less than .67 inches at its maximum. This coupled with two longer propellers, which due to the lack of aerodynamic drag should be able to spin at lower speeds, should be the epitome of AEV efficiency.
AEV Design Two:
In a recent interview with Brian, we have uncovered the thought process behind his unique AEV design. With a central propeller, Brian says he was “trying to design his AEV to look like a boat.” The modern boat-AEV hybrid design still remains untested, however, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the unavailing of the data behind this design. Brian is well renowned in the engineering community as a cutting edge engineer — we are all anticipating nothing less than perfection from this very modern, and sleek AEV.
AEV Design Three:
With her mind on the aerodynamic properties, perhaps one of the most intriguing designs to come out of AEVLabs this year is Jiaqi’s. We interviewed the brilliant mind behind what has been dubbed “The Stalker” by some. Jiaqi stated that “I wanted to reduce waste — we are living in an age where we overuse is rampant and people take even the most basic materials for granted. The design concept behind my AEV is to produce the maximum amount of efficiency with the least amount of parts used. I think that this design encompasses both my morals as an environmentalist, and the needs of the AEV community.” Indeed, Jiaqi’s design reminds me of the old F-22 fighter’s of yesteryear, and I would not be surprised if some design elements were borrowed from the archaic programs — she definitely learned her history.
AEV Design Four:
This year, the development sector of AEVLabs seems to be on a roll. Just last week, we got whispers of a new design coming out of AEVLabs well known research branch, AEVSkunkworks. Still without a name, project “Uknown-X9,” is promising in concept. Utilizing the central propeller design, Josh, the mind behind this AEV, took it one step further. In a daring move, Josh moved the propeller, and thus the thrust vector ahead of the center of mass. This is unheard of in the AEV community and will be interesting to see how this works out. In order to counteract the inevitable moment produced about the front of the vehicle, which would normally cause an instability and very likely a crash, Josh has used the weight of the actual batteries. This elegant solution to this problem allowed him to use a single propeller, which will use less energy — and as we know, efficiency is the name of the game.
AEV Group Design:
The main focus behind our group AEV design was to design something that would serve as a baseline for comparison between our other AEVs. We used aspects of each AEV for this design, including but not limited to the aerodynamic shape, the centered propeller, and the balanced loads.
