Mechanical Regulator Movement?

[aepstein]

Can we rig a mechanical motor to the 60psi Regulator in order to turn it during the game? We'd like to control the pressure going to the piston based on how hard a kick we need and want to do this with a motor connected to a simple turning mechanism to adjust the regulator.

Is this legal per the rules, or would this be a modification to a pneumatic system that would be disallowed.

Thanks for your insight.

_Alan

[Mike Betts]

First of all, you really should ask this on the official Q&A forum at FIRST.

My opinion:

1. You must use a legal KOP motor.
2. Most inspectors will have heartburn if you motorize the primary regulator. The heartburn would come in that the motor could adjust the pressure above the specified 60 PSI. However, I think that the secondary regulator may be fair game.

Regards,

Mike

[Racer26]

+1 to Mike's sentiment: Primary Regulator, no. A secondary regulator, a hesitant yes but ask Q&A, however, I can think of better ways to do it.

[aepstein]

I'd be most interested to hear your suggestions of secondary ways of managing this.

[Racer26]

We have in the past used multiple valves and pulsing them on and off through fancy code to achieve different speed, direction, and position of a pneumatic cylinder, including stopping a cylinder in mid-travel. You have to be a bit careful of the mechanical abilities of the valves if you plan to do this (we had one valve start producing metal shavings from being switched faster than it was rated for).

EDIT: you could also have a system where you have a cylinder A. it is connected, through two T fittings, to TWO valves, B and C. B is downstream of a regulator to 30psi. C is downstream of a regulator to 60psi. (You have to account for the return air here too somewhere.) Switch one valve, you get 30psi at the cylinder, switch the other, you get 60psi.

Another alternative is your motor-driven regulator concept, only you apply it to a flow-control fitting.

[AdamHeard]

a motor cleanly attached to a secondary regulator could actually be a much slicker setup than the multiple valves (assuming they want more than 2 positions).

[Racer26]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

a motor cleanly attached to a secondary regulator could actually be a much slicker setup than the multiple valves (assuming they want more than 2 positions).

I think you meant assuming they dont want MORE than 2 positions, if you're referring to the position of the cylinder. You can't stop a cylinder in the middle by playing with a regulator.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by 1075guy

I think you meant assuming they dont want MORE than 2 positions, if you're referring to the position of the cylinder. You can't stop a cylinder in the middle by playing with a regulator.

Poor terminology on my part, I was thinking in terms of controls and meant positions as in different pressures (your system wants 5 positions, 5 different pressures...).

[Joe Johnson]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

Poor terminology on my part, I was thinking in terms of controls and meant positions as in different pressures (your system wants 5 positions, 5 different pressures...).

This is a great way to implement a variable kicker. If you have a cylinder connected to the end of your latex tubing (or other spring kicker spring) then you could get multiple kick force by simply moving your regulator knob to different positions -- in this case "positions" would indeed be the correct word because for every regulator knob position you would get a different psi in your cylinder and that would translate to a different position of your cylinder.

By the way, this could also make your cocking method simpler as well.

Imagine this:

• Spring A moves your kicker toward retract.
• Spring B moves your kicker toward kick and has its "fixed" end attached to a big nasty air cylinder.
• Assume that at PSI_A the two springs are equal.
• Assume that there is a latch that holds the kicker in the cocked position
• Start process assuming kicker has just kicked.

Shooting process:

1. output PSI < PSI_A, Spring A overpowers Spring B, therefore, kicker moves toward cocked
2. Latch latches
3. Output PSI = PSI_Desired_Kick_Energy > PSI_A, cyclinder moves the "fixed" end of Spring B in such a way as to store the appropriate amount of energy in Spring B such that it will be able to overcome Spring A AND have the right level of energy in the kicker to kick ball appropriately -- but it doesn't move because of the latch
4. Release Latch
5. Spring B overcomes Spring A and imparts energy into Kicker
6. Kicker kicks ball
7. Repeat

I like it. I like it A LOT! It provides a lot of features for not that many actuators (latch cylinder, Spring B cylinder and regulator motor)

Who's getting the official answer on this one?

Joe J.