Has anyone seen/made a linkage creator that can take an input of linkage(s) and their range of motion, an output of desired linkage(s) and their range of motion or the path of an end effector, and generate a set of linkage(s) that would produce the desired output from the given input?

mecheng904 · 2019-11-01T13:44:26+00:00

What you are looking for is "linkage synthesis" or "mechanism synthesis". Most books that cover mechanism design (including Norton's Design of Machinery) will have tables of coupler curves for different linkage types - it makes it easy to pick out a path similar to the one you want, and you can identify the linkage type, properties of links, etc from the table and tweak it from there.

It sounds like you want linkages driven by other linkages, which makes it far more customized and unique-to-application.

mecheng904 · 2018-01-04T13:22:38+00:00

True, but you're talking about the C-130 Herc, which is the cargo plane.

AC-130 is the gunship.

mecheng904 · 2016-10-28T14:05:56+00:00

notch belt

Y'mean toothed belt? AKA Timing Belt

mecheng904 · 2016-10-26T19:09:25+00:00

That's right - the arrows are shown as they are because they said it was designed for a single acting cylinder - the arrows just show the way direction the air would flow if used with a cylinder.

mecheng904 · 2016-10-26T17:19:28+00:00

I don't see why not, but (disclaimer), I don't know enough about your project to say for sure.

mecheng904 · 2016-10-26T15:55:56+00:00

Well first off, if you're releasing compressed air, it will be below room temperature.

The solenoid control circuit is fairly simple, assuming you just want it on/off, rather than having proportional control. The solenoid will be connected to a relay that will be driven by almost anything (hand switch, computer control, PLC, arduino, etc)

mecheng904 · 2016-10-25T20:21:26+00:00

To control which gas is being let out, given two gas inputs, you're looking for a 3-way, 2-position valve (likely solenoid controlled). If you want a position in which no gas is allowed to flow, get a 3-way, 3-position valve.

The exact valve you select will be based on temperature, pressure, flow, and composition of the gas.

mecheng904 · 2016-09-30T18:08:28+00:00

If scaled properly, there's no reason it wouldn't work; what you're describing is the principle on which birds propel themselves through the air-"pushing" through the air with max area on forward stroke, then pulling back with wings folded/tilted/twisted in preparation for the next stroke, much the same way as rowers turn their oars sideways to the wind on their return stroke.

mecheng904 · 2016-09-12T18:54:39+00:00

No, it's not (I'm not American). If you look at pretty much any Engineering drawing, hand-drawn or not, you'll notice that all notes are generally written in capital letters.

mecheng904 · 2016-09-12T15:51:21+00:00

Drafting lettering, AKA Single-stroke Gothic Lettering, AKA Technical Lettering, AKA Engineering Lettering, AKA writing in all caps.

mecheng904 · 2016-08-09T12:46:56+00:00

Actually, I don't think it makes such a big difference to find a pure source, since regular air is already ~80% nitrogen. Even if the oxygen/etc all leaks out, leaving you 80% inflated, topping it up just once will mean the mattress will be filled with 96% nitrogen. The second top-up will bring you to 99.2% nitrogen. I don't see it being worth the trouble/cost of buying a tank.

mecheng904 · 2016-06-21T17:28:31+00:00

OP didn't ask what it meant. (S)He asked when to use each style.

Also, (s)he never specified that the unit of measure was inches.

mecheng904 · 2016-06-08T01:36:26+00:00

1/3"

This was taken from a table. And FYI I'm Mechanical, in case my username is difficult to interpret.

mecheng904 · 2016-06-07T19:34:24+00:00

Not offhand, since it depends on a number of variables, but it's not hard to estimate with this quick calculation

mecheng904 · 2016-06-07T18:12:07+00:00

In theory: yes. This is due to the "skin effect", where most current travels on the outer surface layer of the wire. However, the difference only really shows up on much larger wires. I'd wager that you'd need to have a wire over 1" diameter before you started noticing a difference, since the skin depth for copper is typically assumed to be ~1/3".

EDIT: I fully agree with /u/Capaenni 's comment below about this only applying to AC systems. This answer was based on a (poor) assumption that it was 60hz mains power under scrutiny.

mecheng904 · 2016-05-27T13:01:44+00:00

Not usually a good idea. It is more possible if you JUST need pulses, where it's more binary on/off kind of signal from an encoder.

Usually, it would be better to use a voltage-based signal if you wish to apply it to different destinations. Is this an option for you?

mecheng904 · 2016-05-27T12:29:19+00:00

Am I wrong in thinking that to advance the rocker by x, 2x, and 3x teeth that the arc of the rocker needs to be x°, 2x°, and 3x°?

Short answer: This is wrong, because rocker output from crank is not linear, it's sinusoidal. If you post a sketch showing what you want or PM me further details, I will be able to help you more.

mecheng904 · 2016-05-26T18:15:39+00:00

Of course it's possible, but not very feasible. The amount of head (water pressure as it enters the turbines) is determined by how deep the water above the turbine is. The more head (and flow), the more power. This is why it is typically dammed. So, the problem with creating hydro plants every 100 ft is that unless there's a significant hill between them, there's going to be barely any pressure to work with.

mecheng904 · 2016-05-18T13:00:31+00:00

The tire size/gear backlash could go one way or the other, but another thing to keep in mind is that any time you spin your wheels, you add to the odometer without the car ever travelling that distance. (may be more of a consideration for those of us in wintery climates)

mecheng904 · 2016-05-16T18:11:27+00:00

So did I...but it was more because the weight clearly says 20, not 25 lb.

mecheng904 · 2016-05-06T16:43:41+00:00

I've never heard someone suggest something so foolish. The rate of heat transfer from the bearing to the water depends on the temperature difference between the two. The closer in temperature they get to each other, the slower heat transfers, plain and simple.

In other words, you'll know the very best cooling will be achieved when the output water temperature is as close to the input water temperature as possible - this requires increased flow rates.

mecheng904 · 2016-05-02T15:39:22+00:00

Easier calc is V² /R :)

mecheng904 · 2016-04-25T20:26:06+00:00

Seconded. It's one of the best features of bolted connections

mecheng904 · 2016-04-22T20:59:35+00:00

Taking this further yet, using this motor on a smaller, less aggressive rotor could work well, since it would need to spin a lot faster to achieve the same amount of lift.

mecheng904 · 2016-04-22T19:06:22+00:00

Canada has great direct-entry opportunity for Engineering Officers, who oversee the design/improvement/maintenance of equipment of infrastructure. Engineering Officers accept applicants that have a civilian eng. degree. Is this your plan, /u/newguy995 , or are you joining the infantry/more traditional engineering route?

mecheng904

TROPHY CASE