Solar Splash 2003

7/30/2019 Solar Splash 2003

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Solar Splash 2003Back to Main Page

2002-2003 Second Generation Hovercraft

Construction

Welcome to the 2002-3003 construction of Columbia University's second generation

Hovercraft. This page is organized so that you can easily follow the process that was

involved in creating a craft that promises to be unique, surprising, and as effective as

it is stunning .

CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE

This is an I-DEAS 3-D Representation of the proposedcraft that was conceived, fashioned, and redesigned as

the Design Phase of the project endured early in the

year.

The mission: Take the general hovercraft ideals from

last year, re-design and re-construct a new version that

is faster, lighter, and more properly focused for

competition. The major areas in which Columbia's
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team focused their efforts this year was in lowering the weight of the boat, improving

the layout of the hull for better center of gravity placement, while maintaining

strength and functionality. Choice of materials was the second step towards achieving

those goals. After brainstorming and debate, it was decided that a hull constructed

entirely of fiberglass and Styrofoam would suit the project best.

This 22" long section of fiberglassed foam was created

in order to test the strength of the conceived design

before all-out construction was set into motion. It has

the same dimensions as a section of the lateral air flowducts in our design, and has two coats of fiberglass and

E-ZLam epoxy (see below for process). We tested its

strength by placing it as a bridge between two lab tables and hanging a weight

platform underneath it with all of the downward force focused on a two-inch wide

piece of wood on the top-center of the tube. We ran out of available test weights

before the structure even showed signs of damage (over 400 lbs). Deflection readings

were taken, and it was agreed that the method would make our boat sufficiently

strong.

Before making any structural cuts, we used I-DEAS

drafting software to print detailed 2D technical

drawings that aided us in creating the parts accurately.
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Mark and Chris (left to right) position a guide for the

hot wire cutter (explained in the next picture)

This is the Hot-wire cutting tool that was used to create

most of the hull of Columbia's craft. Electrons flowing

from 3 12-volt car batteries (connected in parallel)

generated a tool capable of precisely cutting our

Styrofoam base like butter. For complex and simple

cuts alike, guides and templates had to first be fitted to the original foam structure.

Neal has wired the cutter, and confirms safety and

effectiveness with authority and style that can only beaccomplished with the highest quality safety goggles.
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Here's an example of the cutter doing its job. The wire

is fed along the (temporary) aluminum guide strip for aprecise cut.

After cutting, the sections of foam are pieced together

using epoxy, and are vacuum-bagged as the epoxy sets

for a superior bond. (More on vacuum-bagging in the

fiber glassing section)

Mark uses a router to cut

groves into the main basehull of the craft. These

groves are where the

"Tube" portions of the

airflow design will snugly fit.
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Here's a view of a segment of hull where the "Tube" has

been inserted into the grooves. In the finished product,

the lift fan will be sending air down these tubes, and it

will be distributed through drilled holes to the bottom of

the craft. As air flows through these holes, and into the

nylon finger skirt (more on this later) the craft will be

elevated, and will float on a cushion of air reducing the frictional resistance, eddy-

making resistance, wave-making resistance that most conventional boats experience.

Exampleof wave

making

resistance

(courtesy

ofhttp://w

ww.dynag

en.co.za/e

ugene/hull

s/a good

source formore on

hull

efficiency

losses)
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This year's design is a complete re-engineering of last

year's attempt at a hovercraft. One of the many features

that sets this generation of boat apart is the departure

from a box-shaped hull, and the addition of more aero-

dynamic features such as this nosepiece. The angled

nosepiece transfers oncoming air flow into lift rather

than drag in the previous model. A head on wind, or simply the air flow from high

speed forward motion will now aid hovering instead of impeding the vehicles motion.

This is a front view of the

foam hull design. The lift

fan will be placed on the

front between the angled

nosepiece, and the flow

tubes. Airflow will be directed down the tubes,


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and will provide the lift needed to hover.

Right side view of the front lift air chamber.

Now we get into the

construction of the lift fan

duct itself. This piece

was carefully cut to

match the diameter of the

lift fan blades, and

involved some tricky hot-

wire cutting (sorry, trade

secret). You can see the wooden mounts inlaid and epoxy-set into the main structure

of the foam. This tri-point structure will support the aluminum brace that will be the

lift fan's structural foundation.


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Lift fan duct (upside down) with fan in place for

adjustments, and for the plaster filling of holes andsanding of surface. (In order to maintain the highest

structural integrity, air holes between the fiberglass and

the the underlying structures must be minimized)

This is how the lift fan duct fits onto the base hull.

Next came theconstruction of the thrust

fan. If you enlarge the

picture, you can see that it is made from epoxy-

laminated sections of 2-inch (thick) Styrofoam. This

removable device will provide our forward thrust during the Sprint competition.
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Wooden braces were

inlaid into the foam and

epoxy-secured. These

will be the supports for the thrust fan mountingsystem.

These are the triangular

mounts that Columbia's

team machined for

maximum support and

minimum weight. They

are made from aluminum and have webbed arms to reduce air drag and mass while

retaining strength.


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Some pictures of the machining process that

produced the fan-mounts. (left to right) Using drill-press

to fashion the centerpiece, Chris cuts a wingpiece to

approximate dimensions, Neal grinds a wingpiece to

specification.

Thrust fan foam structure with mounted and centered

aluminum mount.
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Finally, the foam

structure can be laid out

for further planning and

admiration.

Pieces of wood are set

into the foam base in

order to provide a

structured surface on

which to secure thebatteries and motors. Pre-drilled holes with threaded inserts will facilitate the

attachments.

These pictures show

where the motor will be
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mounted, and that the set-in wooden pieces have been plastered so that they are

secure, and will match the plane of the hull and create the strongest fiber-glassing

possible.

The positioning of the motor, and thrust fan support

system.

This series shows wooden strips imbedded into the bottom of the main hull. These

will be used to attach the fingers of the "skirt" steadfastly to the craft)


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E-Z Lam will be the brand of resin that we will use for our

fiber-glassing stage. This process is very time sensitive, and will take careful

planning to execute properly.

Each piece must have its holes filled with plaster, and

must be carefully sanded in order to have the best

surface for the epoxy and fiberglass to bond with.


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Reducing dust with a shop-vac for health reasons, as

well as to keep the surface to be glassed as bare aspossible.

Two sheets of fiberglass are placed onto the top surface

of the hull, and are trimmed to specification.

"Two parts A to one part B" and mix vigorously...


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Starting from the middle out

(to prevent air pockets), the resin and hardener was dabbed

onto, and worked into the sheets of fiberglass. Here is a short video clip of the

process.FIBERGLASSING

Pontoon mount bases

with threaded inserts

were imbedded into the

foam on the sides and bottom of the hull, and were then

fiberglassed over.
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We then covered the whole

surface with wax paper and

put cloth over it to help smooth during the vacuum-bag

process. The vacuum-bag is then placed around the whole

piece, and the vacuum in the 3rd picture creates a pressurized environment so that the

fiberglass can set most effectively.

After some glassing, the air flow holes were drilled into the base of the hull andsanded for round corners and smooth flow.
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Team Yearbook Photo
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Special thanks to

Bombardier for these two

outboard transmissions.

During endurance

events, one of thesetransmissions will be

mounted to the rear of the

boat in catamaran mode.

Columbia's team modified the transmissions, and

machined the rest of the mounting braces by hand out of

lightweight aluminum. Timing chains are used to

transfer the motor's rotation to the driveshaft of the

transmission.
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These are the props to be used on the outboard motors.

The prop on the left was hand made from delicate balsa

wood, spray foamed, and fiberglassed for strength.

It was made to be ideal for our motors and to maximize

efficiency during our endurance events.
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This is the steering system that was custom designed to maneuver our boat in both
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hover and catamaran modes. A push-pull cable was connected to a custom-machined

control horn lever which is attached to the air or in water rudders depending upon

configuration. Here is a shortmovie clipthat demonstrates the mechanism.

This is the beginnings of

a test setup of the lift fan

motor. This device

forces air into the lift duct

and distributes it through

the hull tubes and finally

into the air coushion

contained by the finger

skirt. A timing belt is used to transfer the motors power, and to spin the fan at an

estimated 4500rpm. The

D-Pack motor has a

typical output of 2.29 hp,

and weighs about 7.5

pounds.

Cages were made to protect the belts and moving parts. Copper screens were cut to fit

the lift and thrust ducts

for absolute safety.
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Left: Underside of the

hull showing the skirt

fingers.

Right: A rule of thecompetition is that the

hull must have the same

structural components in

all configurations. This

photo shows the pontoons mounted to the side for the hover configuration.

Mark sits in the boat for the maiden attempt at

hovering, which turned out to be a success. Click

herefor a short movie clip of Neal testing the hovering

capibilities.
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Two thrust fan rudders were made via the usual foam cutting procedure. To

strengthen the structure (so that it could withstand the pressures to be applied)

aluminum and steel skeletons were implanted into the foam, glued in, plastered over

and sanded for a smooth surface. Click for a short movie clip of the machining of the

skeleton.SKELETON MACHINING
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After glassing the thrust rudders, we mounted them on the rear of the thrust duct, and

finalized the steering

mechanism and linkages

so that they would turn in

tandem.
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This cart is being created

to function as a nimbletransportation vehicle and

also as a portable

workstation that can be

easily dissassembled. It

has smooth turning

capabilities, and will feature two raised pieces of lumber so that the boat is propped up

about 36 inches from the ground.

The electrical system was

created on a removableplank which rests on a platform in the base of the hull so that if water should collect,

the electronics are elevated safely.
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Solar Splash 2003

Documents

Transcript of Solar Splash 2003