Hey, there! How many air tanks are we allowed to use? No manual specifies anything about not being able to use more than one, but the diagram in the manual only shows so we’re unsure as pneumatic rules are so strict…
R84-J allows tanks, and there are no further restrictions on quantity.
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If it doesnt say you cant. You can.
There’s no limit.
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To quote an old Q&A, a many as you can fit inside your legal starting configuration.
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No legal limit, but note that the more stored air you have, the harder it is to ensure that you have full tanks at the start of each match.
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KInda. While some teams vent stored air at end of match for safety reasons, and some designs require releasing pressure at end of matches, there is no rule that requires you to do so. If you design your mechanisms, such that you can remove all game pieces, and safely remove your ROBOT from the field with stored air pressure, you can just top up the tanks between matches. Starting matches with precharged tanks at maximum allowable pressure is typically a very good idea. As long as the rules allow it (and this year’s do) we always precharge in the pits, using a pit battery, before we shutdown and swap in the match battery.
Obviously it is a good idea to figure out how much air you will need for a match, your consumption and replenishment rate and design your storage capacity accordingly. You are trading off design and packaging volume (used by air tanks) against power consumption (used by the compressor) and delivery rate. Some designs will run mostly off stored air, some will run the compressor most of the match. If you have a power hungry design/game strategy, running off stored air can be a big advantage at the end when you are running out of power.
No maximum limit to number/size of tanks, but I wouldn’t have so many that your compressor can’t charge them to 120 psi within <5 minutes. Ideally less, since there will probably be some times when you’re running to a match with less than 5 minutes. I’m not sure if there are any rules specifically against running the compressor while going between your pit and queue, but I wouldn’t do it personally.
Also do yourself a favor and design your robot cart to have a slot for a spare pneumatics battery, you don’t want to be draining your field battery before the start of the match.
3946 has definitely charged tanks and changed batteries in the queue. I’ll be queueing this year, so I really looked this up, and haven’t found anything directly against it provided you do it through a tether (that is, RJ45 cable). If I get more specific guidance later, I’ll let you know if I can.
I know it’s common in queue. I’d just be hesitant if a team started charging in their pit and kept the compressor (and robot) running while walking it from their pit to the queue (presumably continuing to charge it after arriving in queue).
I can’t think of a specific first rule of “The only locations during a competition you can run your robot is your pit, a practice field, the actual field, the queue, or another location specified by on site volunteers.” But that’s a corner in the rules I have not looked at very much.
We definitely have charged in queue, and once or twice while in transit, after emergency repairs. As far as I know there are currently no specific rules against it. You will upset the safety folk, and get stopped if charging causes your ROBOT mechanisms to move around in any way they deam unsafe. If you have a safe way to do so (no one running behind the ROBOT with a tethered laptop, etc) and the ROBOT stays within its STARTING CONFIGURATION it should be ok. However, it should be part of your pit service plan/checklist/routine and normally should be done there.