Performance Test 2

 

Performance Test 2 was a sort of extension of Performance Test 1. After the final AEV design was chosen and was programmed to stop in between the sensors at the gate in Performance Test 1, the goal for Performance Test 2 was to then program the AEV to travel to the end of the track, gently connect to the load, which symbolizes passengers, and pause for five seconds. Another outcome for Performance Test 2 was to create two codes that would both make the AEV complete its goal of connecting to the load at the end of the track, but used different techniques to get there. For example, one code had the AEV start out at a low speed then speed up when it reached the first incline on the track whereas the other code ran the AEV at a set speed all the way up the incline. The codes can be found in the Test Codes tab.

After the two codes were worked out and successful in gently connecting the AEV to the load, the data was collected from the runs of both codes. The power supplied and the time to reach the end of the track of the two codes are shown below:

Keeping the overall goals of minimal energy and time used in mind, Team F analyzed the data to see which code required the AEV to use more energy. Concluding from the data, Code #1 used 76.55 Joules of energy and Code #2 used 98.19 Joules of energy. The graph above shows that Code #1 had higher power spikes than Code #2 but ran for smaller amounts of time. This is a logical reason as to why Code #1 used less energy. Code #1 incorporated a set motor speed throughout the course of the track instead of using acceleration. Code #1 was chosen to be the code to further use and build onto for the final Performance Tests.