A system was created for sand traction performance testing of tire prototypes for extraterrestrial use by NASA. The system consists of a suspended sand-filled trough that rotates when driven by the prototype. Sensors are used to determine traction slippage of prototypes, providing a quantitative measure of relative prototype performance. This paper describes system improvements to better simulate extraterrestrial environments and more accurately measure prototype performance. A tire prototype hard stop was designed and built to prevent damage associated with the tire assembly resting in the trough. A rock obstacle was created to simulate rough terrain. A sensor system was designed to more accurately determine tire velocity. Various concepts were developed and prototyped to groom the sand during testing. Computational hardware and software upgrades were made to better facilitate the data acquisition processes. An instructional video was created to explain operational procedures. The sensor system will be integrated with the software and a sand grooming concept will be implemented.
This paper presents experimental endurance results of three undergraduate-designed and built soft soil traction concepts. An experimental approach was chosen due to the limitations of current analytical models of traction on soft soils. The use of analytical models requires detailed understanding of the geometry and mechanics of the tread not readily available. Experimental methods do not require this advanced understanding and provide rapid and realistic results. Building on previous research which showed that the use of high density foam and concave geometry increased the traction performance of a tire in sand, three new concepts are prototyped with a focus on exploring endurance and survivability in aggressive testing. These prototypes employed the use of thinner foam than was previously studied, bed liner, and a combination of Kevlar and bed liner (“Kevliner”). The prototypes were tested in a rotating trough filled with sand where each tread prototype was subjected to distance and acceleration tests with and without a rock obstacle. The damage incurred by the prototype and the percentage of slip between the tire and the trough was recorded during each test to assess the performance of each prototype. Analysis of the slip data collected showed that there was little variation in traction between the three prototypes. This was expected as each concept was based on similar working principles for traction. Therefore, more significance was placed on the physical damage sustained by the prototype to evaluate performance than the slip. The Kevliner prototype proved to be the highest performing prototype. It was the only prototype to complete the entire testing suite. The thin foam and bed liner prototypes both sustained severe damage during an acceleration test with the rock obstacle (the fifth of the six tests). The success of the Kevliner prototype can be attributed to the added strength and durability provided by the Kevlar.
Portable electric air compressors produce noise which can be a nuisance or even hazardous to persons in the vicinity; therefore, noise reduction of these compressors is a desired design evolution. An experimental setup was developed to measure the sound and vibration of existing air compressors and to test new prototypes. The design of a quiet air compressor was performed in four stages: 1) compressor teardown and benchmarking, 2) noise source identification and isolation, 3) development of a morphological chart for quiet noise sources, and 4) integrated solution selection and testing. The systematic approach and results for each of these stages will be discussed. Two redesigned solutions were developed and measured to be approximately 65% quieter than the previous unmodified compressor. The benefits of using a specific design procedure to reverse engineer, test, and develop new concepts are discussed.
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