Any restrictions on engines?

[StevenB]

I love how the trolling thread has been derailed into something useful.

Let's make a list:
Motors
Electric motor
Rocket motor
Molecular motor
Motorcycle
Motor neuron

Engines
Gasoline engine
Jet engine
Steam engine
Stirling engine
Search engine

I remember reading a model rocketry book which was adamant that the propulsion was a "rocket motor", and not a "rocket engine". But I see now that Estes calls them "engines".
Wikipedia treats "motor" and "engine" as effectively synonymous, at least until someone here goes and edits the article.

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by StevenB

I love how the trolling thread has been derailed into something useful.

I remember reading a model rocketry book which was adamant that the propulsion was a "rocket motor", and not a "rocket engine". But I see now that Estes calls them "engines".
Wikipedia treats "motor" and "engine" as effectively synonymous, at least until someone here goes and edits the article.

A rough rule of thumb I have heard for rockets is that solid and hybrid rocket engines can be called motors without anyone looking at you funny. However a liquid rocket engine cannot be called a motor without someone raising their eyebrows.

All I know is I have an outboard engine on my motorboat...

[Michael Hill]

Originally Posted by StevenB

I love how the trolling thread has been derailed into something useful.

Let's make a list:
Motors
Electric motor
Rocket motor
Molecular motor
Motorcycle
Motor neuron

Engines
Gasoline engine
Jet engine
Steam engine
Stirling engine
Search engine

I remember reading a model rocketry book which was adamant that the propulsion was a "rocket motor", and not a "rocket engine". But I see now that Estes calls them "engines".
Wikipedia treats "motor" and "engine" as effectively synonymous, at least until someone here goes and edits the article.

Yeah, Estes is wrong. My rocket propulsion professor was equally adamant about solids being a "motor" (I'll take his word for it. He basically wrote "the book" on solid rocket motors)

[ebarker]

I'm betting FIRST will allow you to choose between a search engine or a siege engine. I'm digging siege engines. We can create FRC trebuchets to play Aim High all over again.

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by ebarker

I'm betting FIRST will allow you to choose between a search engine or a siege engine. I'm digging siege engines. We can create FRC trebuchets to play Aim High all over again.

Can we use the batteries as counterweight? Or maybe the pneumatic storage tanks (as long as they're not painted)?

[Tom Line]

Originally Posted by Taylor

Can we use the batteries as counterweight? Or maybe the pneumatic storage tanks (as long as they're not painted)?

And yet... the new clippards come with a sticker on them, but we can't put stickers on them

[Bob Steele]

I have often wondered about putting a fly wheel on the robot...
charging it up to high speed before the match and then using that power in a variety of ways during the match...

I don't think the rules allow for this but you could wind springs and use that energy I believe because that is deformation of a material...

The fly wheel would present some interesting engineering challenges.

[Siri]

Originally Posted by Bob Steele

I have often wondered about putting a fly wheel on the robot...
charging it up to high speed before the match and then using that power in a variety of ways during the match...

I don't think the rules allow for this but you could wind springs and use that energy I believe because that is deformation of a material...

The fly wheel would present some interesting engineering challenges.

According to the 2012 (and previous) rules, starting the match with a spinning flywheel would seem illegal but the springs are not.

[R36]
The only legal source of electrical energy for the Robot during the competition is one MK ES17-12 12VDC non-spillable
lead acid battery, or one EnerSys NP 18-12 battery, as provided in the 2012 KOP. This is the only battery allowed on
the Robot.
Batteries integral to and part of a COTS computing device are also permitted (i.e. laptop batteries), provided they’re
only used to power the COTS computing device and any peripheral COTS USB input devices connected to the COTS
computing device.
Non-electrical sources of energy used by FRC Robots, (i.e., stored at the start of a Match), shall come only from the
following sources:
A. Compressed air stored in the pneumatic system, stored at a maximum pressure of 120 PSI.
B. A change in the altitude of the Robot center of gravity.
C. Storage achieved by deformation of Robot parts.

Would be cool, though.

[rsisk]

Originally Posted by ebarker

I'm betting FIRST will allow you to choose between a search engine or a siege engine. I'm digging siege engines. We can create FRC trebuchets to play Aim High all over again.

Well, the search engine does throw a kink into the definition. I think I will call google a search motor from now on.

[BigJ]

Originally Posted by rsisk

Well, the search engine does throw a kink into the definition. I think I will call google a search motor from now on.

So does a siege engine! I don't steam a old train with a steam engine, but I siege a city with a siege engine.

[Suitster]

Originally Posted by BigJ

So does a siege engine! I don't steam a old train with a steam engine, but I siege a city with a siege engine.

It would be possible to argue that a siege engine takes energy from gravity, or "deformation of parts" in order to do work on a projectile

But would that make any gun or bow an engine?

[Nick Lawrence]

Obvious troll is obvious.

Had me going for a second though. Well done.

-Nick