Initial Propeller Testing
Tests have been done to see which blades work best as well as whether using a push or pull method works better. Data from these tests can be seen in the tables below. It was found that for speed, the grey blades and the push method are the most effective.
Black propellers were initially on the AEV and when tested the AEV did not move. Because of this, the black propellers were replaced with the grey propellers. When these were tested the AEV moved very easily. Because of this, graphs were not needed to show that the grey propellers were better than the black propellers. The propellers were then tested at the front and back of the AEV. For the code used, the time remained consistent, while the distance traveled was the dependent variable. Using the pull method, the average distance was 50.6 marks and the average distance for the push method is 152.4 marks. This shows that the speed when the propellers were on the back was faster.
| Time | Run 1 | Run 2 | Run 3 | Run 4 | Run 5 | Average |
| Black Propeller | Didn’t move | Didn’t move | Didn’t move | Didn’t move | Didn’t move | Didn’t move |
| Grey Propeller | 8.103 | 8.163 | 8.103 | 8.163 | 8.103 | 8.127 |
| Back (push) | 8.103 | 8.103 | 8.103 | 8.163 | 8.103 | 8.115 |
| Front (pull) | 8.043 | 8.043 | 8.103 | 8.103 | 8.103 | 8.079 |
| Distance | Run 1 | Run 2 | Run 3 | Run 4 | Run 5 | Average |
| Black Propeller | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grey Propeller | 152 | 151 | 151 | 153 | 153 | 152 |
| Back (push) | 151 | 151 | 153 | 154 | 153 | 152.4 |
| Front (pull) | 50 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 50.6 |
| Energy | Run 1 | Run 2 | Run 3 | Run 4 | Run 5 | Average |
| Back (push) | 38.8511 | 39.7248 | 42.4438 | 41.0134 | 42.2030 | 40.8472 |
| Front (pull) | 36.1956 | 36.2524 | 36.1744 | 36.1808 | 36.1681 | 36.1943 |
Battery Testing
The battery test was completed with a modified version of the Performance Test 2 code, by taking a newly charged battery and recording the data from each sequential run. The distance the AEV travelled in an amount of time was analyzed, and a correlation between battery voltage and distance was determined. This data revealed the increase in distance as the battery warmed up, which can be used to determine how long the battery must warm up so the AEV could reach its maximum potential distance based on the run code. As seen from the table below, the fourth run is when the distance travelled began to level off. This point is when the battery is fully warmed up. It was determined through experimental data that before the final performance test, the team will run the battery 3 times to maximize its power.
| Time (sec) | Distance (marks) | |
| Trial 1 | 4.622 | 285 |
| Trial 2 | 4.622 | 285 |
| Trial 3 | 4.622 | 288 |
| Trial 4 | 4.622 | 289 |
| Trial 5 | 4.622 | 289 |
Continued Propeller Testing
To determine if propellers with three blades would move the AEV more quickly than two blades, three-bladed propellers were 3D printed. However, when testing the initial three bladed propellers the AEV did not move. The team believed this was due to the flimsiness of the blade. Because of this, the team designed new blades that were thicker. These blades were tested and were also not successful. This is likely because they were not sharp enough and caused too much drag. Neither of the propellers containing the three blades were able to move the AEV. Because neither the three bladed propellers were able to move the AEV, the team evaluated the propellers options and it was decided the larger propellers with two blades would continue to be used.
| Distance(marks) | Run 1 | Run 2 | Run 3 | Run 4 | Average |
| Grey Propeller | 205 | 206 | 205 | 205 | 205.25 |
| 3 Blades (thin) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 Blades (thick) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Initial 3-bladed propeller design (thin)
Second 3-bladed propeller design (thick)