Piezo-electric concept will not work

We spent the last few weeks looking into what we need to build the piezo-electric concept. It turns out that our understanding of the actuators that we were hoping to use isn't near what we would need.

The actuators have a stopping force of 300lbs, but that is at 0.00" displacement.
The controller alone for what we are theorizing would cost up toward $30,000 and the actuators would be $2000 each. Way over our $3000 budget.

This means we will be falling back on our secondary design, the locking spring force applicator. This change late in the semester will set us back a bit.

Piezo-electric Design

We have decided to move forward with the piezo-electric design. We need to start detailed design of the piezo design to see if it will work with our budget. We have chosen the spring locking force applicator as our secondary design.

First Presentation

Our first presentation went well. We presented our concepts and discussed moving forward by choosing a concept and starting detailed design.

Rotating force

Linear actuator design

Piezo-electric Design seems to be ideal at this point.

Concept Sketch Spring Lock

We are considering how we plan to apply the rotating load. We think the most adjustable and clean way is to use a spring locking force applicator. This will eliminate messy wiring and complicated linkages.

This sketch shows the basic assembly and function. The spring compression can be adjusted with a screw, pushing more or less on the plunger with roller attached.

This sketch shows how the spring roller assembly would fit on the overall rotating assembly.

Centrifugal Concept Sketch Video

Here's another video sketch explaining one of our concepts in more detail.

Rough Concept Sketches

We have generated several concepts that have a lot of potential. They're shown here in rough sketches.

Piezoelectric actuators will be mounted around the composite disc. These actuators will fire off in sequence in a rotational motion. This will simulate a rotating load without the need for actual rotation.

This method involves using a linear actuator and a series of linkages to transfer a vertical force to a horizontal force that acts on the circumference of the disk. This allows the electrical wires needed to operate the actuator to remain fixed while the linkages spin.

This horizontal design was inspired by the orientation of a lathe to keep the system stable at high speeds.

This concept utilizes the centrifugal forces that are in effect at high rotational speeds. This concept uses a purposeful unbalance to apply a load to the disc. The limitation is that it is difficult to control the load magnitude because it has 3 variables that effect it. It will need to be very fine tuned. 

Communications Problem Definition

The problem has been defined. We are working remotely with Dr. Kohlman so ease of communication isn't ideal. So I have made a video that details out the problem definition to be sure we are on the same page.

This proved to be a very effective communication tool.