Day 03 - Define the Problem
Now that we've refreshed our knowledge of the math and science behind hydraulics, we're ready to start applying that knowledge. In the back of the room on one of the work tables, you will see two cutting mats set up with taped-off sections. There are 5 cups with coarse gravel in each, and two clamps.
You are to take a photo of the setup and upload it to an EDP document. Then you need to define the problem. Remember, there are several parts to a properly-defined problem in engineering:
- Who needs this problem to be solved?
- What is the problem?
- What is the value of a solution to this problem?
- What are the requirements the solution must meet?
- What are the constraints that limit your options for solving the problem?
You must have answers to each of those questions to fully define the problem. In this scenario, treat me as your client. I have opened a project for bidding by the teams in the room, and the bid is to see which team can develop the most competitive hydraulic arm for my purposes. In my case, I just need an arm strong enough to lift a small cup with a modest amount of gravel up off the table and put it into a nearby bin. The faster this operation can be completed, the better, and my competitors will also be trying to take cups of gravel from me, so feel free to design an arm that can disable the other arm somehow. You will ultimately test your prototypes against one another; may the best design win!
Hydraulic calculations
- calculate the area of a circle (Acircle = πr2).
- calcuate the mechanical advantage of a system (M.A. = Fout/Fin)
- know that in general, output distance traveled must be multiplied by M.A. of the system to know input distance traveled
- calculate the volume of a cylinder (Vcylinder = πr2h)
- calculate the radius of a circle given its diameter (r = d/2, or d = 2r)
- know that in general, M.A. = Fout/Fin = Aout/Ain = Δhin/Δhout
- hydraulics
- the branch of engineering concerned with the conveyance of liquids through pipes and channels, especially as a source of mechanical force or control.
