Here are sketches and examples of various AEV designs along with research done about different AEV designs.
(Click on images to enlarge them)
Bradley Moyer’s Design
Reasoning for Design: The angle that the propeller is at will cause a variation in the design. I have found through research that when you have the propeller tilted like this, the craft is more stable. Also, in terms of how our lab is set up, there will be less frictional force on the wheels as they go over the rails, so it will be able to get from one point to another easier. I also centered the “arm” so the design is stable and not leaning to the left on the rail.
Source: https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a298820.pdf
Emily Laudo’s Design
Reasoning for Design: My AEV design has a flattened view with angled propellers similar to that of an airplane. Due to my research the aerodynamics of the winged ends causes faster movement due to less resistance put onto the body of the AEV.
Source: https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/bga.html
Sarabeth Hewa’s Design
Reasoning for Design: I produced a design like this, with the motors parallel to each other and on the same side and a rectangular shape because it be more stable in the air. This is also the most cost efficient design. If I had constructed a pointed tip on my AEV, it would have to be reinforced with many materials since it would cut through air.
Source: https://www.smart.com/en/en/index/smart-fortwo-453/design.html
Nick Besancon’s Design
Reasoning for Design: This design incorporates two main features. The first feature is that the design does not have a large front facing surface to minimize air resistance. This makes the design easier to move. The next main feature is that the design only requires the minimum amount of material for the AEV to work. This leads to less weight and is therefor more efficient.
Source: https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/bga.html
Lightweight
In using a lightweight design, it is crucial to take into account the product’s environmental impact, functionality, and manufacturability. High strength steel and composite plastic have taken over in today’s society as main lightweight design materials. Lightweight aims to reduce drag force and downsize. Material has to be durable, and the layout of the design must prevent air resistance the best that it can.
Mayass, A. (2016). 11 – Sustainable lightweight vehicle design: A case study in eco-material selection for body-in-white. Sustainable Lightweight Vehicle Design. doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f
Aerodynamic
Aerodynamics is the study of forces and the resulting motion of objects through the air. Aerodynamics can be found in flying a kite above a park, throwing a beach ball at the beach, or even a rocket taking off from a space station. Aerodynamics incorporates both the motion of the object and incorporates the air. Air resistance (lift, drag and weight are also taken into consideration). Due to all these factor being accounted for, the design of objects in the air has changed throughout the years. The most optimal design for an object in the air is one that is lightweight, cuts through wind well, and has smooth sides.
Hall, N. (2003). Beginners Guide to Aerodynamics. NASA’s Beginners Guide to Aerodynamics, 6(12), 63. doi:10.1016/s1369-7021(03)01238-0
The Final AEV and Budget
This AEV was used for all Performance Tests and the Servo was used to apply a braking mechanism.