“Sample AEV”- 2 rear facing propellers on winglettes
this is the original design provided in the user manuals
Pros:
Balanced and effective
Shortcomings:
Doesn’t do anything particularly well
Pretty heavy
Average overall
“Hot dog” Long Base w forward and rear propeller
winglike structures removed, propellers placed directly on base at front and rear
Pros:
Very well balanced
arrangement of propellers seems more effective than the rear facing
Shortcomings:
though sleeker than the original design this model is still fairly heavy, room for improvement
“Reverse Sample AEV”- 2 forward facing propellers on winglettes
essentially identical to the sample aev, however the wings are facing forward with the propellers also in this direction
pros:
balanced fairly well
forward propellers seem far more effective than rear facing according to our tests so far
Shortcomings:
Similar to the sample AEV this design is very average
A more compact design with forward facing propellers would be more ideal
“Linkin Log” shorter base w forward and rear propeller
similar to the “Hot Dog” this design places two propellers directly on a smaller base, one in front and one in rear
Pros:
most compact and lightest so far
forward and rear propeller arrangement is the best performing style so far
propellers are closer to center of mass
most well balance in all directions
likely the design we will carry into future testing
Shortcomings:
perhaps too compact, there is not much room on the base to rearrange or add new elements,
the design will have to be scrapped if the magnet does not fit on the crowded base
“The Soaring Unicorn” cross shaped base w magnet in front
This design is more balanced with motors closer to the center of the body and out on wings similar to an airplane like design, this also has a font pointing attachment to distance the magnet from the arduino board
Pros:
Balanced very well
Motors centered, optimal for movement in both directions
unlike our previous designs this one considers the magnet that must be included to fulfill the mission
Shortcomings:
Not very aerodynamic
Very wide and could collide with objects to the left and right of the track
Final Design:
Pictured here is the final AEV that was used on the performance test. The piece off the front with the magnet on it is very important, as the magnet is required to be 2 inches away from the Arduino.
How we arrived at our final design
The beginning of the design process started with brainstorming. Each member of the group was tasked with creating a sketch of what they felt was the most important parts of the AEV. Each group member talked collectively and decided what parts of the AEV were most important. The group came to a few conclusions, with weight being the most important one. The lighter the AEV, the less power would be required to propel it along the track.
The group also valued the importance of balance, as a balanced AEV will be very efficient. The importance of good aerodynamics was another interesting topic that had to be decided on. In the real world, aerodynamics are extremely efficient. However, the size of the AEV decreases the importance of the aerodynamics substantially.
When the AR&D stages came, propeller configuration came to the forefront. This was maybe the most important of all of the testing, as the placement of the propellers was the deciding factor for our final AEV. The group was close to using the front back design for the AEV, but decided against it , as it made it very difficult to add the front magnet piece.
The final X design was the most effective way to keep the design lightweight, and have enough room for necessary pieces.