Day 08 - Hydraulic Placement
Your placement of syringes will dictate the range of motion of each joint in your hydraulic arm. Thus, it makes sense to map these out carefully. Add arrows to your technical drawing at each joint, alongside a syringe, showing the range of motion enabled by the δh of the syringe. Note that there are multiple syringe sizes and there will be differences in available δh among them, so get some measurements before you mark up your drawings!
Once you have all that, it is time to start gathering materials for your build. Do NOT cannibalize containers that are in use in the room. I will have materials laid out on work tables. If they are not sufficient, let me know and I will scrounge up something additional. In addition to cardboard, we have some foam core board, medium-density foam blocks, dowel rods, armature wire, string, and other related supplies. Be judicious in choosing your materials, but focus on what you will need for a base that has a pivot point. If your arm cannot pivot, it cannot pass any of the required tests.
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.
