Pro/E

Hey guys,
Here is a list of the things i need to draw up our hovercraft on Pro/E:

• Fan Dimensions (a link to our fan will do)
  
• Battery Dimensions
• platform thickness
• Platform dimensions (if other than .3m in front and .5m in back)
• I can look up the NXT and sensors
• skirt height
• gap height

That should do it, if i run into any problems i'm sure i'll be able to figure it out

PDR and PDP Assignments

Hi everyone -

here are your assignments for the PDR and PDP. Make sure you have the handout from class about the instructions for the report and presentation. i'm pretty sure it's also on the web for download if you don't have.

we're going to try to nail down the report FIRST, and from there we can just copy the majority of the material and put it into powerpoint.

here are the assignments:


JOE and KEVIN (section 8 of handout):

- find another Gantt chart and redo it so that our timeline can be continually updated and not just set. it needs to show progress bars that fill up. basically, it needs to be an active version.

- compare with our older version and include in the new one where we're ahead of schedule or behind

- email me a PDF of it for the PDR and PDP


JUSTIN, JON, and COLIN (section 5e and 5g):

- complete control algorithm. obviously it'll change a little once we're testing, but please make a complete code, not just pseudo code.

- detail the sensors, their placement, and servo motors, and how we'll be using them.

- complete Pro-E 3D and drawings of sensors, servos, NXT. Be in communication with Pat and Charlotte concerning light sensor design and circuitry.



PAT and CHARLOTTE (section 5d and 5e):

- please finish a complete circuit diagram for our light sensors

- complete bullet point description of diagram and circuitry for PDR and PDP

- complete PRO-E 3D and drawings of the batteries and light sensors alongside of the programming team.


JOE and ADITI (section 5a):

- complete PDR section for the Hull structure. discuss material, weight, construction method to be used. this includes both platform and skirt. contact Brett or Kyle for needed details.



OK, here's where we all need to pitch in:

- tomorrow, the lab's open and we need to get in there to measure our fans outputs (CFM, pressure, etc.).

- also, our fans need to be modeled up in PRO-E, and we'll need help. who can help tomorrow with doing this? who feels proficient enough at PRO-E? I'm planning on working on it.

- Kevin, thanks for volunteering to do a bunch of PRO-E modeling/drawing. Please model and draw the platform, skirt (soft), battery pack, and prop fan. get info from kyle and i about the fans.


brettpjansen@gmail.com

this could get a bit confusing, but we really have to hustle. our presentation is on MONDAY people. thanks again! let's get some work done...

Budget

Our budget file >>;

http://teh.sage.googlepages.com/MoneySpreadsheet.xls

Meeting (October 1st, 2009)

• Planned to meet at Regents Computer Lab at 6:30pm
• Plans changed-met at Stamp lounge around 7:15pm
• Decided to make our own light sensors-photo cells are $3 for a pack of 5 at Radio Shack
• Electrical subteam needs to find something to connect to the NXT for the light sensors
• Decided to purchase a $200 German fan.
• We need to order parts as soon as possible
• Went over placement of sensors

Meetings

Hey everyone!

I'm thinking about our future full-group meetings, we need to make sure we're setting this meeting as a priority. For this to happen, it'd be great if you all could please post your most available time during the week so that won't get crowded out by other stuff...I can still do Thursday evenings if that works for everyone.

Also, subteams should work amongst themselves to find a consistent meeting time. I'd like to put a deadline on finding all meeting times for all teams by this Thursday. Please post them once an agreement is settled.

For this week's meeting, can you all do Thursday at 6:30?

Thanks so much! I'm really happy with the progress we've been making.

Brett

Gate Mechanism

I had an idea to use a servo motor like an arm. All we need to do is get the touch sensor to run into the wall and then that will have the servo motor, with some object attached, to act as a arm and press the button. Then when the gate goes down the touch sensor will be disengaged and the arm will come back down.

Cardboard

Hey,
You guys dont need to buy cardboard for the hovercraft. I have some carboard boxes at home which we can use. Just tell me if you will need them or not.

PS:Is the structure team meeting today or not????

hey guys,
did any of you do the problem set 3 questions??
if u did then how did u do problem 2 part a??

meeting today

hey everyone -

so sorry for organizing this so late. i'm going to the special lecture tonight from 5-6pm, but i'd like to meet after that. what time from 6:15 on can people meet tonight? this is a crucial meeting for our presentation tomorrow, so please make it a priority. thanks everyone.

Skirt Material

I kind of looked up some materials we could use for the skirt. Kyle said most probably we would use a heavy duty trash bag. Here are some other options:
-neoprene coated nylon
-polyurethane coated nylon fabric
- sailcloth
maybe we can also use the shower curtain material well I don't know if that would work

I think I won't be able to make it to the meeting tomorrow. I am only free in the morning between 10 and maybe till 12. You guys will be having the meeting around 6 right?

Batteries for Presentation

For the purposes of the presentation, we decided to use the AA 2600mAh high capacity NiMH Rechargeable battery. We based this decision on this fan:

http://www.sofasco.com/products/dc_axial/d9232.html

The total weight of the cell of 8 batteries should be about .48lbs and the cost per battery is about $1.50..so around $12 for the whole thing.

This is only for the presentation, we might have to rethink the batteries depending on what fans the structural team decides on.

By the way, Pat is free the entire day tomorrow to meet and I can meet between 1 and 3pm or between 6 and 7pm.

g Meeting #2- Cambridge lounge, 3rd floor @6:00pm

• · Kyle made a spreadsheet of calculations and explained it to the group
• · Discussed ideas for levitation fans
• · Discussed types of skirts we could use: bag skirt / wall skirt (air mattress, suspension)
• · Justin is trying to get imaging software to create a design for our presentation
• · Went over types and placement of sensors

o Decided on using ultrasonics

• · Came up with ideas for gate mechanism

o Casing, servo motor, spinning gear to move mechanism with teeth

• · Materials

o Batteries – rechargeable, Li-Ion or NIMH

o Circuits- “switch” (name?)

• · Team dynamics
• · Plans for after the first milestone

PROPULSION FAN

hey guys,
I think Colin did the research about the propulsion fans we can get out in the market I did something different. I basically researched on which type of fan should be used as a propulsion fan.
The propulsion fan should be axial. The benefits of an axial fan are that it provides more thrust and high volumetric flow rate . The levitation fan should be centrifugal because this would generate more pressure and lift the hovercraft.
There are also benefits if the propulsion fan is ducted. A ducted fan provides more thrust and has a smaller diameter than a free propeller. If the diameter is big this would help to catch more incoming fluid and distribute its power and thrust on a larger fluid volume.
Having shorter blades can help to operate the hovercraft at higher speeds.
The disadvantage of a ducted fan is that it is heavy.
A shrouded fan is a good fan because it has a very short ring around the prop to control tip losses.
Here are some websites
http://4wings.com.phtemp.com/tip/tpdduct.html

http://4wings.com.phtemp.com/tip/tpdduct.html

http://4wings.com.phtemp.com/index.html

Batteries

I found a pretty good site for batteries and found a few possibilities that we could use. The real choice is between Li-ion and NiMH. To me it seems that NiMH is the best choice, but we should discuss it at the meeting.

NiMH:

http://www.all-battery.com/aa2300mahnimhrechargeablebatteryflattopformakingpacks.aspx

http://www.all-battery.com/aa2600mahhighcapacitynimhrechargeablebattery.aspx

Li-ion:

http://www.all-battery.com/li-ion18500rechargeable36v1300mah.aspx

Propulsion Fans

I'm having difficulty finding propulsion fans but here are three small fans I found:

http://www.safetycentral.com/bapopihefanw.html

http://www.safetycentral.com/bapopihefanw1.html

http://www.spacesavers.com/batteryfan.html?utm_source=GoogleProducts&utm_medium=productfeeds&tum_campaign=Froogle

Lego products for NXT

Hey everyone!

Here's the website for the different attachments for the NXT. Justin, please take note of the cost so we can get a fair idea of what we'll have left after ordering these primary parts. Thanks!

http://search2.lego.com/?all=u1&cc=US&i=1&l=2057&pt=shop&q=NXT&u=&u1=q

sorry about the link...the hyperlink wasn't working.

Brett

First Team Meeting notes

Hey everyone...here's the first team meeting notes...


ENES100 Team 3
Meeting #1

• Read over Milestone #1 requirements
• Decided that Joe is working on the Gantt Chart
• Brainstormed design thoughts
o Overall design
• 1st design- “guitar pick”, fan in front, more speed than accuracy
• 2nd design- two platforms, brakes
• 3rd design-“volcano”, combination of 1st and 2nd design
o Platform material
o Speed vs. accuracy
o Method to open the gate (Ask Prof. Murphy how much force is needed to push the button to open the gate)
o Uniform air flow – suggested to incorporate something hanging underneath the vent
o Pros and cons of each design
• 1st design: pros-simple and cheaper; cons-control and torque
• 2nd design: pros-brakes, less area, balance; cons-complex, expensive, servo taken, wider
o Voted on a design- “volcano” design
• Next meeting we all need to turn in our money ($35)
• Break up into teams
o Programmers: Justin, John, Colin
o Electrical: Pat, Charlotte
o Structural: Kevin, Joe, Aditi, Brett
o Project Manager: Brett
o Scribe: Charlotte
o Treasurer: Justin
o Design Manager: Kyle
• Next Meeting: Cambridge lounge(?); September 17th at 6:30pm