Today we decided to meet up again in order to continue
progress on the roller coaster after most of our year 10 examinations. In light
of the lack of progress in the past two construction days, it was essential
that we started to make substantial progress on our roller coaster as the
roller coaster is due on Friday. As a result, upon considering our material
choices and reflecting on similar past projects in Engineering course, we decided to purchase two
40mm x 3mm x 3m (L x W x B) strips of aluminium in order to construct our
tracks. We used foil tape in combination with packaging tape to create a sturdy
wall on either side of the aluminium strip to create the track. This ensures the car does not
derail. The foil tape maximizes the strength of the wall (as it is dense in
metallic material) while the packaging tape provides a smooth layer and
prevents the car from sticking to the foil tape (since the sticky side will be
exposed towards the car). Furthermore, the length of aluminium also minimizes
the friction between the car’s wheels and the surface, unlike the rough surface
of the cardboard strips.
We constructed a slope and the loop by bending the aluminium
strip around spherical and cylindrical objects (such as paint containers). Unlike
past construction materials, this strip had the right balance between
malleability and elasticity, enabling us to effectively use it to
construct our roller coaster track. The initial descent slope was also attached to a chair to ensure that the drop is at a >50-degree angle, and that the maximum height of the roller coaster (the drop) is at 75cm. The chair also serves to be a support, as per the requirements on the design specifications. Subsequent to various tests with the toy car, the track was secured onto a thick wooden board at critical points by firstly drilling a hole in the track using a power drill and then countersunk by a deburring tool in order to insert a countersunk screw. These screws were chosen as they both hold the track in place, and ensure the track is smooth, minimising the effect on the car's performance.
We then attempted to create the banked turn of our track using this aluminium strip. However, due to the rigidity and thickness of it, we were unable to succeed in bending the banked turn at the right angle. Thus, we resorted to using a Hotwheels track only for the curved track section of our track, which was acquired from Toy R Us and scheduled its implementation during the next group meet-up on Thursday. We also finalised on the decision to organise the course in the format: 50-degree drop, loop, large hill (to maximise kinetic energy), a banked turn, and finally a smaller hill (due to the lack of kinetic energy at the end of the roller coaster course).
We then attempted to create the banked turn of our track using this aluminium strip. However, due to the rigidity and thickness of it, we were unable to succeed in bending the banked turn at the right angle. Thus, we resorted to using a Hotwheels track only for the curved track section of our track, which was acquired from Toy R Us and scheduled its implementation during the next group meet-up on Thursday. We also finalised on the decision to organise the course in the format: 50-degree drop, loop, large hill (to maximise kinetic energy), a banked turn, and finally a smaller hill (due to the lack of kinetic energy at the end of the roller coaster course).
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