View Single Post
  #6   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 31-10-2015, 17:19
Bryce2471's Avatar
Bryce2471 Bryce2471 is offline
Alumnus
AKA: Bryce Croucher
FRC #2471 (Team Mean Machine)
Team Role: Mechanical
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Rookie Year: 2007
Location: Camas, WA
Posts: 424
Bryce2471 has much to be proud ofBryce2471 has much to be proud ofBryce2471 has much to be proud ofBryce2471 has much to be proud ofBryce2471 has much to be proud ofBryce2471 has much to be proud ofBryce2471 has much to be proud ofBryce2471 has much to be proud ofBryce2471 has much to be proud of
Re: pic: Carbon fiber monocoque drivetrain Top view

Quote:
Originally Posted by gblake View Post
Like some of the other posters, I'm no expert; but I immediately wondered why the design includes so many 90 degree corners and edges.

Aren't sharp corners/edges the exact places where structures made from carbon fiber, or similar materials, are most likely to fail, when the entire structure flexes?

Isn't the key to success allowing many fibers to share a load instead of letting the load get concentrated onto a few fibers (at corners/edges)?

Color me curious.

Blake
From what I understand of this material. It is important to give the structure three dimensional aspects so that it can't have strength and rigidity in the important directions. This can be achieved in a number of ways. The two ways that have been discussed in this thread are using a filler material, and forming a structure with flanges, corners, and box shapes. In this design, I have gone the flanges and corners route.

Imagine a flat piece of carbon fiber that is 4" wide. In some directions it is strong, but in others it is very flexible and not very strong. Now imagine that same amount of carbon fiber is instead a 2" by 1" C channel. In that configuration, it might break along its corners if enough force is applied, but it would be a lot stronger and more rigid for the same weight.
__________________
FLL Team Future imagineers
2010 Oregon State Championships: Winners
2011 International Invite: First place Robot design, Second Place Robot Performance
FRC Team Mean Machine
2012 Seattle: Winning alliance
2013 Portland: Winning alliance
2013 Spokane: Winning alliance
2014 Wilsonville: Winning alliance
2014 Worlds: Deans List Winner
Reply With Quote