For lab 10, the team continued to focus on minimizing the energy usage of the AEV. Bringing on knowledge gained in Lab 9, the team plans to program the AEV such that the power supplied to the motor will be cut at certain intervals. Thus, the AEV depended on its own momentum to move at these intervals. Also, the team increased efficiency by cutting the power to the engines earlier before a required stop. The team plans to let the AEV coast and not experience a forced stop as this would lead to wasted energy. Lastly, the team planned to laser print a customized support arm to attach the servo motor on the AEV. This will provide a secure placement of the servo motor, which then increases the reliability of the braking system. By this way, the team improved the AEV’s consistency in running the MCR.
Takeaways
- General – As the final test date nears, teamwork becomes increasingly crucial
- Coding – There is a minimum cut-off point to decrease the power to the engines as the caboose adds a significant amount of extra mass
- Testing – the exact parameters of a test cannot be taken as a fixed value as each test run is inconsistent, although by small details.
- Consistency – prolonged use of the battery causes the AEV to lose consistency
- Power – the team plans to alter the power decrements to give optimum thrust
3 Laser Cut Parts
Servo Motor