User:Neilp/enes100/hovercraft2

problem/project Goal
11/18/12 6:40PM NP

Our goal for this project is to create a working hovercraft model from scratch. We want it to be a major improvement from the model created by the past hovercraft groups. Our plan is to make it both lighter, and more structurally sound than the previous models.

The last version of the hovercraft I worked on in week 1 (and had almost zero changes made to it in week 2) used a plastic frisbee as the "shell" of the craft. That coupled with lots and lots of duct tape, bubble wrap, and about 18" of rope comprised the last hovercraft (excluding the fan). Right now we are still debating which types of material to try for the hovercraft.

We have ruled out cardboard as well as plastic, and we are attempting to use Styrofoam. In week one the alternate hovercraft group also attempted to make their hovercraft out of styrofoam. Their design was massive and required three "helicopter" fans to support it (the design failed). We plan on using the styrofoam to create a smaller hovercraft. The design of which we have not decided on.

My First Task
Rather than use the plastic Frisbee as the "shell", we need to find a different material that will be lighter. So far we are thinking of using Styrofoam, as it weighs a lot less and can be molded to fit out needs. We each decided it would be best for us to brainstorm ideas for the shape of the craft on our own, and put them together Monday. So far I have thought about three designs which would most likely work the best.

-A circle shape, like the previous model.

-An oval shape that can be slightly adjusted for better airflow

-A triangular shape one

We will have to do some testing but one of those three is our best bet no doubt.

7:00 pm NP Sign Out

Summary of actual work over first weekend
This week I was out with family almost the entire time, so I mainly did research and tried making various models with what I could find around the house.

I looked at different materials to use instead of styrofoam, but none I found are more cost effective (seeing as our goal is to beat plastic, not make it the lightest possible). I constructed a hovercraft using a stack of four paper plates, which I did to try and match the thickness of the styrofoam we are planning to use. After attaching an old 120mm computer case fan (the fan we plan on using is roughly the same) I got it up and running with a 9V battery attached. The model was not structurally stable enough to support the weight of the battery, but considering it was a craft I kind of just threw together it would seem our idea is promising.

Week1 Narrative
This week (due to the Thanksgiving break) we all decided to do our own research and test things and come back together and share them on Monday. I built a cheap hovercraft model with inferior parts compared to the one we plan on building, and got it to work fine. The weight issue needs to be worked out but I will have to wait till Monday. Everything is looking good so far and next week we should have a solid if not final model complete.

My Second Task
Now it seems we need to focus on the battery mount for our hovercraft. We have already narrowed down the design and materials that we are going to use but not yet the placement of the power supply. Once we have the hovercraft up and running we can focus on that.

Summary of actual work over fourth weekend
12/6/12

Met up with group to finalize hc production, turns out we need to revamp the whole thing. As it stands our model can function at the bare minimum, meaning it can be turned on and hover above the ground, but nothing more. We seem to have over estimated our fans ability to push air, and thus our model will not propel itself. We practically destroyed the model we currently are using and are going to reconstruct it from scratch.

12/8/12

We are still using styrofoam as the shell of our model, as it still maintains the lowest weight to stability ratio, however, we are now planning on using duct tape for the skirt. About two minutes ago the old skirt was ripped up and we are not constructing one entirely out of duct tape. With this we feel we will finally have tackled our problems as the skirt was giving us the most issues. I spent the last few days researching different skirt designs as Professor Edelen recommended, and it turns out duct tape is a decent choice for "around the house" products. The model works surprisingly better than it did before and we will continue to make progress.

Week4 Narrative
This week we had to deconstruct our previous model, and redo it entirely from scratch. This turned out to be quite alright because the newer model is even better. The duct tape skirt took a while to make properly (with the right holes in place, etc.) but in the end it proved very effective. I would like to see more of this project in the future and regardless of whether I have to work on it again for school I will most likely mess around with it on my own because it is something I could build with house hold objects.



Team Page
Hovercraft NEKK