Progress Report II

Group F- Michael Seidle, Ryan Stuckey, Jack Wagner, Robert Olson

Progress Report Weeks 5-9

______________________________________________________________________________

Instructor – Dr. Busick

GTA- Amena Shermadou

3/08/2018

Situation

Since the first progress report, Watts Scientific has been working on Advanced Research and Development (AR&D) as well as multiple presentations. These presentations included a grant proposal and a research progress report. Team F was also awarded the first-place grant with its proposal and has succeeded at gathering meaningful data from AR&D.

Regarding Advanced Energy Vehicle (AEV) research Watts Scientific Division F has gathered important data on energy analysis of the AEV and will do the same with power braking in the future after the required parts from the grant award are manufactured.

Energy analysis for the AEV was a resounding success. The goal of the research was to calculate frictional force and propeller force (See Figure 2 in Appendix A). Initial weight of the current AEV model was measured before beginning with the research (See Table 2 in Appendix A). Group F then followed procedure and sent the AEV down the track at 30% motor power for 4 seconds to record the distance traveled from this program (See Program 1 in Appendix C). The program then continued for 10 more seconds to record data as the AEV coasted down the track. From this distance and time, other important values were calculated that would be vital to future developments (See Table 4 in Appendix A). More importantly, this information will be integral in future testing with AEV programs, especially when deciding propeller run times to conserve energy.

One of the first major setbacks watts scientific Group F has experienced was a slow manufacturing process of its designed brake for the AEV. This has been due to delays in the development of the brake and other parts necessary to proper operation of it. There has been no testing thus far, but the members of Group F assigned to brake testing are confident their concept behind the process is sound and will have enough time in the future to test the power braking on the AEV. With this brake, Group F intends to increase time efficiency of the AEV as well as minimize errors in distance calculations within programs.

During development of the brake arm, several choices had to be made. The first was where on the AEV the brake arm and its servo motor would be placed. This would determine how the brake arm would operate. All of the choices made in initial development would determine how functional and efficient the part was in the future. After some consideration, it was decided that the brake arm would work by pushing up on the monorail as gravity pulled the AEV down into it (See Figure 5 in Appendix A). One of the biggest challenges when designing the brake arm was deciding where to mount the servo motor that would operate it. Originally, the servo motor would be mounted on the side of the L-shaped support arm (See Figure 6 in Appendix B). Two versions of the brake arm were created with this configuration (See Figures 7 and 8 in Appendix B). However, this method of mounting the servo was inefficient and add unnecessary weight. After some discussion, Group F decided to cut a slot in the L-support arm to hold the servo motor (See Figures 9 and 10 in Appendix B). This resulted in the third and final version of the brake arm being developed (See Figure 11 in Appendix B). This is the design that would be sent in for 3D printing. After the brake and its necessary parts are printed, Group F will be testing the fully assembled AEV to assess its performance and make improvements.
Watt Scientific successfully gave two presentations since the last progress report. Out of approximately fifteen different groups, Watts Scientific was able to secure the first-place grant award. With the demographic of grant voters being young engineering students, a more humorous approach was taken after the speculations were given to our simple but effective brake design. This ensured not only that the voters saw our superb idea for an addition to the AEV but also remained memorable when the vote occurred later on in the day. Due to the slow result process of the grant itself, Group F has been slowed by the manufacturing process of the brake arm, hurting the group’s testing progress. The second presentation given was a technical report to the groups of Watts Scientific and multiple other companies. For this, Group F decided to stick to the facts as this presentation was more of an update for other groups than the grant proposal. A successful presentation of the group’s research findings surely aided other groups from Watts Scientific in their endeavors.

Results and Analysis

The past few weeks the team has had various scenarios where they had to record and analyze data. The Advance Research and Development Labs the team preformed was the Power Braking and Energy Lab. First the team begins with the Power Braking research involving the servo brake.

Figure 1: AEV Design with Brake

 

Figure 2: Power vs. Distance AEV Energy Graph

The graph above is the data collected from the only run the team had in the energy analysis lab. This graph shows the power usage over the distance traveled by the AEV. It can be seen from the beginning at 30% power the AEV used nearly 8.9 watts constantly for about 2 meters. Then it immediately drops off as the AEV coasts for about 3 more meters.

Figure 3: Power vs. Time AEV Energy Graph

This next graph was also collected during the energy lab and represents the power usage over the elapsed time period. It can be seen that the AEV uses about 8.9 watts over the 4 second time frame which is correct from the program used. From these two charts the team was able to use the provided excel document to calculate the friction force and Propeller Force.

Tables 1: Final Forces Calculation Table

The table above shows the final calculated date from the lab. Initially the team had weighed in the AEV at 340.2 grams. This weight is not going to be the final weight of the AEV. The team still has to add the brake and servo motor. The team wants to re-test this lab and compare the data once the parts are added. From the data the team was able to collect the Frictional force was 4.7 gram-force (gmf) and the Propeller force of 19.9 gmf. The team feels confident about these numbers and believe that the AEV frictional force will not climb too much when the break and servo motor is added that will hinder the performance of the AEV. This data served to be very useful in the team’s final considerations for design and performance goals heading into the following weeks with Performance Test 1.

 

Takeaways

  1. Grant Proposal- The team was able to collectively work together to demonstrate an effective presentation to win the grant money for the team’s 3-D printed parts
  2. AR&D Lab- The team successfully completed labs and collected research data that would aid in the effectiveness of the final AEV design
  3. AR&D Presentations- The team was able to demonstrate a high level of professionalism and present collected research finding to peers
  4. General- Using lab time effectively and problem solving through technical issues to complete tasks
  5. General- Communicating with TA’s and other branches of the company to effectively combine information to produce desired performance results.
  6. AEV- Checking on the battery and monitoring energy usage during runs and throughout labs to ensure consistent performance

Forward Looking Situation

Looking forward, the team has a lot of work to do in the real grit of testing programs. The group needs to get the 3-D printed parts as soon as possible to begin servo testing. The team needs to make multiple runs with and without the brake and identify the most effective ways to utilize the braking system. They also need to develop a main program that the team will test and utilize in lab. There is also a possible stability change in the AEV that may need to be addressed due to the addition of the new 3-D parts. The team may have to address this issue and rework the design to rebalance the AEV. Looking ahead to the Performance Test 1 the team needs to develop a plan of execution and prepare for the upcoming weeks.

Weekly Goals

  1. Manufacture Brake Arm
  2. Complete Lever Arm Brake testing
  3. Keep website up to date with progress
  4. Commence with AEV trial runs, both distance and returning with a load

Team Assignments

  • Robert Olson – Ran tests and measurements required for the Energy Analysis Advanced Research and Design Lab.
  • Michael Seidle – Led the Energy Analysis team in testing our AEV’s efficiency.
  • Ryan Stuckey – Designed AEV, brake arm for 3D printing, and laser cut for the servo mount on the support arm in SolidWorks.
  • Jack Wagner – Aided in design of AEV and worked on transferring elements from submitted documents onto the team website.


 

Weekly Schedule

Task Teammates(s) Start Date Due Date Time Needed
Performance    Test prep. All 3/19/2018 3/26/2018 3hrs
Team meetings All 3/19/2018

 

 3/30/2018

 

 3hrs
Next website update All 3/19/2018

 

 3/30/2018

 

 2hrs

 
Program development All 3/19/2018

 

 3/30/2018

 

 3hrs

 


 

Appendix A: Energy Lab

Figure 4: The AEV has several different forces acting on it during operation, as seen below. The values of these forces can be used to create a program that is efficient.

Table 2: The initial weight of the AEV model used during energy analysis was recorded in order to calculate force.

Table 3: The distance recorded by the AEV during the energy testing is recorded below.

 

Table 4: The calculated values of frictional force and propeller force are seen below.

Appendix B:  Power Braking Lab

Figure 5: A SolidWorks assembly that has been annotated to show the mechanics behind the operation of the brake arm.

Figure 6: The original design is show below, with the servo motor mounted to the side of the support arm.

Figure 7: The initial design of the brake arm; as seen it is rather “clunky” and visually unappealing.

Figure 8: The second iteration of the brake arm; from version 1, the method of attachment to the servo motor was changed and a section was cut out to make room for the servo motor.

Figure 9: The L-support arm is seen below, with the original shown first and the new arm shown second.

Figure 10: The L-support arm has been cut into to create a spot to hold the servo motor


Figure 11: The final design of the brake arm. The edges were filleted to give it a more round and appealing look. Also, between versions 2 and 3, the hole was cut in the support arm, changing the design of the brake arm.

Figure 12: The final design of the brake arm attached to the AEV. Notice the placement of the servo motor within the L-support arm.

Figure 13: The brake arm has a range of about 15.2°, as seen below, and two main positions.

Figure 14: The brake arm can now be seen as how it will be used pressing up against the rail to stop the AEV

Appendix C: Full Arduino Program with comments

Program 1: The basic program used to perform the Energy Analysis Lab

// Set all motors speed to 30% power

motorSpeed(4,30);

// Run all motors at 30% power for 4 seconds

goFor(4);

// Set all motors speed to 0% power

motorspeed(4,0);

// Run all motors at 0% power for 10 seconds to coast

goFor(10);

 

 

 

 

Appendix D: Meeting Notes

Team Meeting Minutes

Date: 2-9-18 @ 8:00 AM

Location: Hitchcock Hall, Room 224

Attendees: Robert Olson, Michael Seidle, Ryan Stuckey, Jack Wagner

  • Discussed advanced R&D procedures
  • Discussed how committee meetings will run next week
  • Assigned roles and responsibilities
    • Bob- Research & Development
    • Jack- Research & Development
    • Michael- Public Relations
    • Ryan- Human Resources
  • Made plans with all of Watts Scientific on what to research
    • Group F is doing Servo function and wind tunnel
    • Group L is doing coasting vs braking and motor quantity
    • Group J propeller configuration and battery testing
  • Discussed best idea of the main body of AEV
    • Switched to a downward facing wing design
    • Michael rebuilt AEV, flipping wings down
  • Worked on Research Part I: Function of the Servo Motor
    • Started designing on SolidWorks
  • Tasks to be prepared for 2-16-18
    • Work on individual parts for committee reports
    • Prepare grant proposal
  • Next meeting
    • Committee Meetings
    • Grant Proposal
    • Date: 2-16-18 @ 8:00 AM
    • Location: Hitchcock Hall, Room 224

 

 

 

Team Meeting Minutes

Date: 2-15-18 @ 4:00 PM

Location: Smith Lab, Veterans’ Lounge

Attendees: Robert Olson, Ryan Stuckey, Jack Wagner

  • Shared updates on Grant Proposal Progress
    • Finished PowerPoint and set up a plan for committee meetings and grant proposal on 2-16-18
  • Decided to proceed with version 2 of the servo brake arm
  • Tasks to be prepared for 2-16-18
    • Work on individual parts for committee reports
    • Prepare grant proposal
  • Next meeting
    • Committee Meetings
    • Grant Proposal
    • Date: 2-16-18 @ 8:00 AM
    • Location: Hitchcock Hall, Room 224

 

 

 

Team Meeting Minutes

Date: 2-16-18 @ 8:00 AM

Location: Hitchcock Hall, Room 224

Attendees: Robert Olson, Ryan Stuckey, Jack Wagner

  • Present grant proposal
    • Presented our grant proposal to the teaching staff
    • Complete quiz to vote for groups that will receive grant
  • Continued discussion on advanced research and development
    • Reviewed servo function as brake and evaluated SolidWorks parts
  • Held Committee Meetings
    • Each committee (public relations, research and development, and human resources) met with teaching staff to review group progress and future plans
  • Next meeting
    • Start Advanced R&D Stage 2
    • Date: 2/23/18
    • Location: Hitchcock Hall, Room 224

 

 

Team Meeting Minutes

Date: 2/23/18

Location: Hitchcock Hall, Room 224

Attendees: Ryan Stuckey, Michael Seidle, Bob Olson

  • Worked on research and development part 1
    • Finalized function of servo motor
    • Finalized placement of servo motor and design of brake arm
    • Decided to cut custom support arm
  • Decided to cut custom AEV base
  • Carried out energy analysis of AEV performance
    • Massed the AEV
    • Ran code and observed distance
    • Analyzed data in the MATLAB Data Analysis Tool
  • Next meeting
    • Continue testing AEV and finish Advanced Research and Development Labs
    • Date: Monday @ TBD
    • Location: Hitchcock Hall, Room 224

 

 

Team Meeting Minutes

Date: 3/1/16

Location: 18th Avenue Library, Berry Cafe

Attendees: Ryan Stuckey, Michael Seidle, Jack Wagner

  • Finished Advanced Research and Development oral presentation
  • Updated website with most recent research and findings
  • Next meeting
    • Oral Advanced Research and Development presentation
    • Date: 32/18
    • Location: Hitchcock Hall, Room 224