Yeah, i know, very broad. Trying to impart maximum %wheel velocity. Given a ball diameter, what would be the optimum wheel size? As ball size increases, is there a linear relationship with flywheel mass, size?
Choose a wheel radius ( r w ) substantially smaller than the projectile radius ( r p ) so that the overall shooter size is driven primarily by the size of the projectile. (New Flywheel Shooter Analysis - #7 by brettle)
Should we be choosing to minimize size, or maximize effeciency? IIRC, a team used a bicycle tire for infinite recharge with some pretty amazing results.
We generally pick an arbitrary size and work with compression and flywheel mass to start tuning, assuming that the larger diameter = longer contact which imparts more momentum.
Curious what other teams do and what data they have?
I think the optimal flywheel is more than its size. When it comes to accuracy, longer contact duration is a plus as you mentioned. For your robot’s geometry you can also choose to go with something like multiple flywheels. (E.g: 1690’s 2020 bot). In my understanding you need to have sufficient torque and stable feeding speed for the game pieces too. (E.g: 1986’s 2017 bot). Having a high coefficient of friction between the flywheel and the game piece helps a lot. By being thoughtful on these factors, you can adjust for your needed geometry.