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Preliminary Design Review:

Pneumatic System

Moises Barba and Francisco Merida

Engineering Design and Development

December 8th 2013

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Element F:

Consideration of Design Viability

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I. MARKET ANALYSIS Potential Competitors

Team 1717 - Dos Pueblos Engineering

Academy

Team 1114 - Simbotics

Team 254 - The Cheesy Poofs

Why are they better competitors?

Team 1717 focuses on important aspects

of the game and divides their team into

divisions that work separately but come

together to build one robot. These

divisions consist of the build team, chassis

team and depending on the game a

collector team. For example in 2013

competition this team built a pneumatic

collection mechanism that would pick

Frisbees up from the ground and throw

them out in less than 10 seconds and this

was an idea brought out by the collector

team, who was focused specifically on

how pneumatics was applicable to their

robot. This is significant because their

pneumatic collector gave them the

privilege of not having to go to their

feeder station every time to get Frisbees.

Instead, they were able to pick up

Frisbees off of the playing field, making

them much quicker between shot pickup

and the actual shot. If compared to Team

4201’s Leo Robot, one can see that the

lack of a feeder system that gathers

Frisbees from the playing field is what cut

off time for their robot to shoot. Their

robot was more often at the feeder station

than the field due to problems feeding

through the feeding chamber. This shows

us that pneumatics is important because

it allows us to solve problems that save us

time on the field, and that give us more

time to be making points.

Team 1114, known as the Simbotics team,

is a potential competitor because they

have more experience and have been with

FIRST long enough to experiment

different uses of pneumatic system. For

example, in the 2005 Triple Play FRC

Competition they were able to create a

pneumatic arm grabber to stack and

organize bins. This system was very

effective because the pneumatic piston

was able to exert force in one direction,

and maintain that position despite how

heavy the bins may have been. This is

because a pneumatics system allows the

user to apply force using air pressure.

Because they were able to use air

pressure to exert a constant, solid force,

they were able to organize a large amount

of bins without any of them falling as they

were taken to their base. Ultimately, this

is what gave them the upper hand in the

competition, and what allowed them to

win 2nd place in the regional competition

for that year. This further shows that they

are experts in this field, and this fact is

confirmed through their own website,

where they explain how pneumatics

works and give a full on manual as to how

other teams can implement pneumatics

into their own bots.

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In addition, in 2004 they were recognized

for winning 8 FRC. 2004 was 9 years ago,

giving room for this team to experiment

various times and get to know what

works best and what does not work. Plus,

they have had time to develop fundraising

that provides them with tools to generate

better products for their Robot for

example a stronger Drive Train or better

chassis.

Team 254 has been in FRC for quite a

while and has also experimented on

different uses of pneumatic systems. In

2010 they used a pneumatic system to

shoot t-shirts at potential fans. This

shooting system is significant because it

shows the depth of knowledge this team

has with pneumatics. Their

understanding of pneumatics is so

profound, that they have the time to

create a system that isn’t even meant for

competition. This shirt launcher is a

testament to the fact that a team’s

understanding of pneumatics is crucial in

the robot design process. Team 254 had a

solid understanding of it, as evidenced

through the shirt launcher, meaning that

understanding pneumatics must have

been worthwhile for their team.

The application of pneumatics into a shirt

launcher is also significant to a team’s

success because it can be used to solve

the problem of marketing the team. Team

254 did this through their shirt cannon,

the Shockwave, which, through the use of

pressurized air, was able to shoot t-shirts

at a rate of 3 shirts per second. These

shirts promoted their team and their

sponsors, giving them more

representation when it came time for

fundraising. Through this, one can see

how flexible the applications of

pneumatics are, and that they can

contribute to Team 4201’s success in and

out of the field.

Cost

Things needed for this build:

• Compressor = $69

http://www.andymark.com/SearchResult

s.asp?Search=compressor

• Tank 500ml=$15

http://www.andymark.com/SearchResult

s.asp?Search=tank

• Cylinder =$30

http://www.andymark.com/product-

p/am-0591.htm

• Hose=$18

http://www.andymark.com/product-

p/am-2137.htm

• 10 fittings =$2.50 Each

http://www.andymark.com/SearchResult

s.asp?Search=1%2F4+fittings

• regulator=$28

http://www.andymark.com/SearchResult

s.asp?Search=regulator

• two solenoids=$83 each

http://www.andymark.com/product-

p/am-2343.htm

• Solenoid breakout=$24

http://www.andymark.com/product-

p/am-0868.htm

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One NITRA™ Union Hand Control

Valve Pneumatic Fitting

HVU14=$14 each

http://www.automationdirect.com/adc

/Overview/Catalog/Pneumatic_Compon

ents/Pneumatic_Fittings_-a-

_Air_Couplings/Push-to-

Connect_Pneumatic_Fittings_(Thermop

lastic)/Manual_Hand_Valve#

TOTAL = $370.00

Consumer Payment

The consumer payment comes with

important donations. In this case it what

would be the donations. These donations

would come from a team formed to

actively do FRC. In order to be in FRC they

have to offer fundraising time, and if in

this fundraising they are not capable of

acquiring two-hundred dollars they have

to meet with our mentor and discuss how

much effort they put into fundraising such

amount. Other sacrifices consist of being

on time and ready for any task given to a

certain group within the team. This

means that the whole team is separated

into little groups that specify there means

into separate categories. Full dedication is

necessary to accomplish certain goals that

are needed and this is what FRC considers

as a “being part of the team.”

Fitting In

Knowing about pneumatics fits in many

ways, for example just like other teams

(team 225, 1717, and 1114) have applied

their pneumatic systems I think we could

do the same. We could apply it to lift the

robot, or to have a good grip on

something, we could even apply this

pneumatics system to a drive train which

would work on pneumatically shifting

gears in order to have more torque or

speed depending on what situation the

robot finds itself in. Of course the

application of the pneumatics themselves

depends on the game that is given. As a

baseline we know that for sure we are

going to use pneumatic shifter in order to

have more speed or torque when

necessary. All in all, pneumatic systems, if

wanted to, could applied to any situation

given within the boundaries of FRC

overall.

Marketplace Study

Da Vinci Schools

Team 4201

Mentors of this Team

Freshman, sophomore and Juniors

First Robotics Competition as a

whole

Other teams that compete against

our robot

Mothers, fathers

Volunteers for the team 4201

For the people who sell

All the above are details of who will

benefit from this market, as seen

everyone will benefit because we will

encourage the use of pneumatics for

future people in FRC. Another detail

gathered from our stufy, and worth

mentioning is that because this isn’t a

product that the team is literally

purchasing for personal benefit, it makes

it easier to justify. In the case that it

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would be meant for one specific person,

justifying this problem would be much

more difficult because the consumer

wouldn’t have Team 4201 in mind. In this

case, because most of the people

benefiting from this product are on the

team, we are able to justify this problem

by showing how it will benefit the team

overall, rather than one specific person.

Demand

In team 4201 there is no one who really

knows how pneumatic systems actually

work and this could be seen in the past

years that the robot has been developed.

Not one in FRC within the last two years

has applied any mechanism or a

pneumatic system to the robot to make it

do a certain task. We know that the

demand for some type of pneumatic

system will present itself whether that is

shifting gears, making the robot jump or

simply using it to actually grip something

with a claw of some sort. As explained

earlier one of the things that should be a

baseline and a definite is applying

pneumatics to a gear shifter. Ultimately,

there is a demand in the fact that

pneumatics will allow our team’s

successes to increase. As briefly analyzed,

previous years haven’t shown us much

success due to the fact that we haven’t

been as effective with all of the resources

we are presented with. Pneumatics has

been one of those resources, and out of all

of the ones we haven’t used, is quite

frankly the most effective due to its

adaptability to many different problems

and efficiency.

Who and Why

This product will be used by Team 4201

and anyone that is directly/indirectly

associated. Use can be defined anywhere

from receiving satisfaction that our team

has won, to literally controlling the

system during competition.

This product is worth buying because it

will expand the Team 4201’s

resourcefulness, giving them more tools

to solve more problems. As demonstrated

by our competitors, pneumatics can be

used to solve an array of problems:

shifting gears, shooting shirts, grabbing

bins, making claws, making feeders, lifting

robots, etc. More importantly, this range

of solutions assesses two larger

problems: success on the field, and

marketing for the team.

Success on the field will be almost fully

guaranteed by using pneumatic systems

because pneumatic systems will allow

Team 4201 to solve problems in more

unique and efficient ways. A prime

example of how Team 4201 could have

done so in the 2013 build season is by

having used a pneumatic gear shifter,

instead of not shifting gears at all. Our

Engineering Tostado specifically stated

that Leo’s inability to shift is what made it

so slow, and thus, what gave it less time to

shoot Frisbees and score points. Firstly,

pneumatics would have given the team

the ability to shift from low gear and high

gear, meaning that the problem

mentioned by Tostado could be solved. So

too, the implementation of pneumatics

would have expanded the Teams

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knowledge of how to apply pneumatics to

assess other problems that needed to be

solved, even that of using pneumatics for

the 2014 season.

Our competitors have already proven that

pneumatics is worthy of using, as some

teams even thought it was so useful that

they used pneumatics to make a t-shirt

cannon. It is almost not even a question to

ask if pneumatics should be included in

the 2014 season or not. The answer has

been yes ever since our team started,

simply because it can solve more

problems, more effectively than any other

tool/resource at our disposal.

Our product will not be bought but

instead it would be useful like a tool and

why should they bother to try it? This is

because can be, and will be applied to any

circumstance because in many ways it

gives power where a motor or a sim

motor cannot. If it is that we create a type

of pneumatic system that works

standardly in a drive train and it is useful

to other teams in this other teams will

gain product use and they will try it. As

shown to us by our competitors, the range

of problems that pneumatics can solve,

and the effectiveness by which it can do

so shows that our consumers (the team)

will be inclined to use pneumatics as

another tool to solve whichever problem

presented in the 2014 season.

Manufacturing

Our products are manufactured by Viair,

CKD, Bimba, Nason, and Norgren. These

companies provide us with air

compressors, tanks, fittings, solenoids,

joints, gauges, regulators, and pneumatic

hose. These products are purchased

through AndyMark. Using these

companies for the manufacturing of our

product is more than reasonable because

these companies are experts in their

fields. For example, CKD is internationally

recognized as a solenoid provider for

companies and organizations like FRC.

They have the manufacturing tools

necessary to produce solenoids on a large

scale, meaning that their products have

been proven to be effective by consumers.

Our role in the manufacturing process is

to simply put these parts together, which

means that we won’t have to depend on

any lower scale machinery to make our

design come to life.

Our product will be manufactured in Da

Vinci Science where we will be able to test

and see results afterwards. Because the

purpose of knowing pneumatics is to

apply it to FRC challenges, then it will

most definitely be applied in the 2014

build season. The knowledge taken from

our research and our studies would be for

the purpose to orient people and give

them something that no one knows how

to use. Members themselves will be

working through the manufacturing

process by putting the pneumatics

components together, testing the

components, and possibly, using the robot

on the field. This is more than reasonable

because we give our peers the sense of

confidence they will need in order to

apply pneumatics to any competition they

are in.

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Element: D

Design Concept Generation, Analysis, and

Selection

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I. DESIGN APPROACHES

a. Pneumatic Gear Shifter

How it works

The solenoid valve directs air into either

port A or port B. When air is directed into

port A, the shaft will move outward,

causing the gears to shift to a low gear.

When air is directed into port B, the shaft

moves inward, putting the robot on high

gear. Internally, the gray box’s piston is

attached to that shaft, so whenever air

flow is provided, the piston will be

pressured to move in the direction of the

air flow. The diagram to the left illustrates

this fact.

Does this approach solve the problem?

Yes, this approach assesses both portions

of our problem because it 1. Will give us a

stronger understanding of pneumatic

systems, which is significant in that it will

allow us to incorporate these types of

systems into any other part of the robot &

2. Allows the robot to shift in an effective

manner. This approach essentially knocks

out two birds in one stone, which is

important to our team because we still

have yet to incorporate pneumatics/ even

understand how they work. Ultimately,

the acquisition of knowledge and

practicality of solving the problem makes

this approach the most attractive out of

all four.

b. Pneumatic Bot Lifter

How it works

This can be calculated by figuring out the

following equation: psi = lbs/ area of piston.

As stated in the “Climbing the Pyramid - FRC

Techno Tribe 3265” video, the bot weighs

about 60 pounds give or take. These 60

pounds are being pushed up by the air going

Advantages Disadvantages

.5 second shifting Another thing to add on robot (time)

Help team understand pneumatics

More programming (time)

Higher pound force due to motors being able to devote force to each shift

Complicated to understand without proper mentoring (time)

B A

A B

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against the piston, meaning that the piston’s

head is what is withholding the downward

force that the bot is counteracting with. To

find pounds force, we divide 60 lbs by 2(3

inches squared) otherwise known as (the

surface area of the combined piston heads).

This gives us 10 lbs force, meaning that for

every inch of the pneumatic piston, the

system must provide 10 PSI. Because there’s

a total of 6 inches of area, the system must be

adjusted to 60 psi to lift, even greater as to

get the robot to a higher position.

Does this approach solve the problem?

Yes, but this approach only assesses one

portion of our problem, that our team’s lack

of knowledge of pneumatic systems has

bottlenecked our team’s potential. This is

because this system involves the lifting

mechanism, whereas we’re focusing on

shifting the drive train. This approach can

also be taken on, however, in addition to

approach number one, so that we get an even

stronger understanding of pneumatic systems

through different applications.

Advantages Disadvantages

Reliable lift Potential to fail if lbs force exceeds psi

Cleaner system

Air pressure may lower due to prolonged stress

Stronger understanding of

pneumatics

Complicated to understand without proper mentoring (time)

c. Pneumatic Shot Adjuster

How it Works

There are other possible explanations as

to how a pneumatic shooter can be

adjusted. The easiest way to actually

grasp the idea of a pneumatic shooter is

by attaching a cylinder to a base plate

where the shooter is located. By using this

cylinder we can make the piston attach

directly to the base plate. This cylinder

definitely has to be big enough to be able

to adjust the shooter in numerous

elevations. By using a cylinder you can

also have the capability to make the

shooter get low enough for the robot to

seem compatible. By programming the

pneumatics to elevate or lower to a

certain distance it can almost be

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guaranteed success when shooting at a

particular goal.

Does this approach solve the problem?

Well this approach makes moving the

shooter in different angles a lot smoother

and easier. The only disadvantage is the

time it will take only to perform this task

plus it is really doubtful that this robot

will be able to climb. But that will depend

on the designing of the pneumatic system

all over the robot itself. There is not a yes

or no answer this question must depend

on the situation we are in and how much

weight we are playing with overall in the

robot. There is the possibility that with

this type of shooter we are capable of

performing a faster shot in less time but

that would depend on how fast the

shooter is lifted.

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II. DESIGN SOLUTIONS

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III. Design Specifications

The design requirements are as follows:

1. The parts do not interfere with other functions of the robot

2. The parts aren’t exposed 3. The design look clean and concise 4. The device will be able to function

in this given format

The parameters/constraints/ requirements are as follows:

1. Must not cost over 500 dollars. 2. Must be implemented in 2014

challenge.

Components (from Andymark.com):

1. Valve, pneumatic, double solenoid

(am-2343) (qty. 2) 2. Air Tank, 500 ml, plastic, 1/4"

NPT ports (am-2481) (qty. 1) 3. Norgren pressure gauge (am-

2003) (qty. 2) 4. Norgren Regulator and Bracket

(am-2020) (qty. 1) 5. Fitting, pneumatic, elbow, 1/4"

tube press-in, 1/4" NPT male (am-2189)(qty. 1)

6. Pneumatic fitting, union tee, 1/4"

tube (am-2015) (qty. 1) 7. 20 meters of Pneumatic tubing,

1/4" od, polyurethane, black (am-2137) (qty. 1)

8. Pneumatic fitting, straight, 1/4" tube, press-in, 1/4" NPT male (am-2010) (qty. 10)

9. Nitron On/off Valve (qty. 1)

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With these three constraints in mind,

Francisco and I created a symmetrical

design that would be able to direct air to

gearboxes on both sides of the robot. The

primary component that keeps the entire

system running is the compressor. This

compressor is placed in that rear middle

end of the robot chassis, where it can

adequately direct compressed air to both

sides of the bot. The pneumatic elbow

fitting will then be connected to a t joint.

This t joint will have pneumatic tubing

directed to the left and right long sides of

the robot. About 1/10’ths down these

sides, we will have the air tank. A short

distance from the air tank, we’ll have a

regulator to ensure that we do not blow

our solenoid. Immediately after, we’ll

have the solenoid valve, which will then

connect to the gear shifter itself.

These parameters were determined with

simple logic.

1. The parts do not interfere with other

functions of the robot

This was determined on the basis that we

need the robot to be fully functional. It is

only logical that the pneumatic system

won’t interfere with other portions of the

design.

2. The device will be able to function in

this given format

We need to make sure that the system

works in the format it is in. Furthermore,

we made this a constraint to ensure that

this would happen. Without functionality,

we won’t be able to shift, and will be in

the same position we were last year.

3. The parts aren’t exposed

Ensuring that parts aren’t exposed is very

significant because during competition,

there is a very high chance that we’ll be

bumping into other bots. Therefore, we

must ensure that the parts aren’t exposed

so that the pneumatics system is not

damaged.

4. The design looks clean and concise

Considering that we’re making the chassis

from scratch, and we’re using nice metals,

we thought it would be significant to

make this look clean. It will add to the

overall feel of the robot, and will have a

greater intimidation factor on the field.

Reflection

The device will in fact, and has done so

already, worked in this given format. On

November 27th of 2013, we met with Fuz,

our project mentor, who specifically

helped us set up this system. We had his

professional approval of its ability to

function, meaning that we have met goal

#2. After conceptually thinking about how

this system will be implemented, we

realized that it would look clean, and not

be exposed. This is why we’ve decided to

use a t style joint prior to the two

solenoids. Doing so keeps the system nice

and clean on the robot, and ensures that

nothing is exposed. This problem was also

solved by using only one tank, as doing so

minimized the space required for the

system to work.

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IV. DECISION MATRIX

Ease of use Chassis Adaptability

Weight Price Total Ineffective Ok Great

Design #1 7 + 6 = 13 13/2 = 6.5

6 + 4 = 10 10/2 = 5

7 + 8 = 15 15/2 = 7.5

7 + 7 = 14 14/2 = 7

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Design #2 8 + 9 = 17 17/2 = 8.5

8 + 7 = 17 15/2 = 7.5

7.5 + 8.5 = 16 16/2 = 8

8 + 8 = 16 16/2 = 8

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Design #3 10 + 9 = 19 19/2 = 9.5

8 + 9 = 15 17/2 = 8.5

10 + 9 = 19 19/2 = 9.5

9 + 9.5 = 18.5 18.5/2 = 9.25

36.75

V. DESIGN JUSTIFICATION

For the past 2 years, Team 4201 has

lacked an understanding of pneumatics,

and even an effective system to shift the

gears of its robot’s chassis. No specific

group of people has taken the initiative to

assess these two problems. Although

other solutions may have distracted us

from using pneumatics, such as not

shifting gears at all, no other solution

directly assesses this problem with the

level of added benefits and effectiveness.

Against Other Solutions

The only other solution to gear shifting on

the market is Andy Mark’s Sonic Shifter.

Andy Mark’s Sonic Shifter, although it

assesses the problem at hand, which is

that the team needs to be able to shift to

gain speed, fails in that it does not provide

the same type of response and force as a

pneumatics system. This is evidenced by

Andy Mark’s catalog on the Sonic Shifter:

“This is a slow, weaker method of shifting (compared to

pneumatic), taking 1.5-2 seconds and pushing with up

to 8.5 pounds of force. A robot driver may need to back

off of the throttle to let a servo shift gears while

moving.”

When compared to the pneumatic shifter,

the two motor approach is WEAK:

“This is a strong, fast method of shifting, lasting under

0.5 seconds and pushing with 26 pounds of force (if

using 60 psi). This pneumatic shift can be done while a

robot is accelerating.”

From this evidence, it is clear that using

two motors would bottleneck the

potential of our robot by a complete

second and a half AND by 14 pounds of

force! Secondly, a pneumatics system

allows us to accelerate while shifting,

meaning that we won’t have to stop or

slow down to shift.

Lastly, this system would cause us, once

again, to ignore implementing pneumatics

into our robot. This is significant because

this means not only that we’re losing

speed, but that we’re losing the potential

to implement pneumatics in other parts

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of our robot. The fact that our proposed

approach requires pneumatics, almost

forces us to learn and fully understand

pneumatics, which will help us greatly in

the future career of Leo by allowing us to

use pneumatics for whichever application

necessary.

Against Similar Designs

Design #3 is the better design out of the

two others because it is easier to use,

cheaper, lighter, and can better adapt to

the chassis.

It better meets these 4 categories due to

the fact that, after calculations, Design #3

costs $30 less than Design #2, and $45

less than Design #1. The best part is, that

is doesn’t lose performance by lacking

these funds; instead, it is better because it

lacks this amount of funds. This is

because the parts that contribute to the

price difference between designs are

unnecessary. For example, it is

unnecessary for Design #1 to have 2

tanks, just as it is unnecessary for Design

#2 to have two regulators. These

unnecessary parts aren’t only pointless,

they make the robot heavier, more

complex to use, and don’t adapt to the

chassis as easily. The two regulator

system is unnecessary because it requires

for us to adjust both regulators to the

same psi, making it more difficult to use.

So too, this takes up more space on the

chassis, adds weight, and is 28 more

dollars. The extra tank is unnecessary in

the exact same way; it adds weight, adds

15 more dollars, leaves less space, and

would be more difficult to set up. This

leaves us with Design #3, which has only

one tank and one regulator. The process

of setting the system up, using it between

matches, and formatting it on the chassis

is a lot more streamlined than Design #2

and #1. This is because there are fewer

parts, and fewer adjustments to make.

Overall, Design #3 is simpler, and still

solves the problem just as effectively as

the other two designs.

Understanding Pneumatics

Thus far, Team 4201 has not made a push

to understand pneumatics and see its

benefits. One of the many purposes of this

project is to directly assess this fact.

A lack of understanding is demonstrated

through Team 4201’s Leo Robot. The

images below portray that Leo did not

have a mechanism which would shift their

gears. Although this created less

complications/spacing issues, the robot

was only able to travel at a slow speed

with high torque. In turn, they weren’t

able to swerve around defense robots,

travel to the nets quickly, and overall,

increase their chances of having a

successful round. In the image below, you

can see the gearbox that controls the left

side wheels.

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What you do not see, however, is a way

for gears within this box to shift from low

speed to high speed. That is the main flaw

with this approach, and as explained

earlier, bottlenecked Leo’s winning

potential because it slowed them down

drastically.

This example is significant to the

justification of this design because it

shows that the lack of a pneumatic system

is what bottlenecked Team 4201’s robot

from travelling at high torque and high

speed. Although there are other solutions

to the gear shifting problem, pneumatics

is the only approach which gets the

effective results illustrated in the

comparison against the Sonic Shifter.

What all other solutions fail to do is

unlock the knowledge of pneumatics: one

of the most widely applicable and

effective systems within FRC.

Understanding pneumatics through the

motor shifting approach is very beneficial

not only because it allows our robot to be

quicker, torquier, and more adaptable,

but because this will provide us with the

knowledge to apply pneumatics to ANY

problem presented in the 2014 build

season. We’ve already seen pneumatics’

applicability; a team used it to make a t-

shirt cannon, an arm grabber, and even a

feeding system. Because pneumatics was

capable of being applied to such a wide

range of problems, we know that

pneumatics will be just as adaptable

during Team 4201’s 2014 season.

Whether it be shooting, shifting, or

climbing, pneumatics will lead our team

to success.

Winning

The effort, which has been solid, and

expense, which will only be a minimal jab

to our team’s finances is justifiable in

terms of our market size and plan to

reach the target market. Firstly, it is

justifiable for our market size (40 team

members), because the impact of success

on these members is beyond explainable.

As demonstrated in “The Voices” Team

4201 video, one can see that the team’s

existence and success has motivated

students greatly to pursue careers in

engineering. This proves that any and all

efforts must be taken to ensure that we

are encouraging students to follow this

path. In our case, we are spending a total

of about 400 dollars, and it is quite easy

to say that it is worth 400 dollars to set

students on a pathway towards a

successful career in Engineering. The

establishment of high interest, which will

be a result of our pneumatic shifter, will

help team members stick strong and stay

passionate to Engineering because the

shifter will ensure higher success rates in

Leo. Thus, the higher success rates will

translate into greater encouragement of

team members, as they will not be

disillusioned to pursue engineering in

their future. So too, this shifter will attract

greater attention from sponsors, who will

donate more money in light of our

successes. Once again, these donations

will ensure better resources, and thus,

higher success rates.

18

Element E:

Application of STEM Principles and

Practices

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I. INVESTIGATION

The main scientific concept (which

includes many within) that needed to be

investigated in order to understand our

project was how a pneumatic system

worked overall. This would include from

the beginning point where the air itself is

developed and where the air transfers to

work in order to perform a specific task.

The science approach was on how the

pneumatic system was put together and

how it worked internally. This included

watching videos on how to set

pneumatics so that a cylinder’s piston

would be pressured out. By first watching

the “Team 2485 Pneumatics Tutorial”

video we got a rough idea on how to put

the pneumatic system together. However,

there were holes in our understanding;

we did not know how the solenoid

worked internally, how it was attached to

the overall system, and how the piston

worked inside the cylinder. We soon

investigated that a solenoid performed

the task of switching direction in which

air flowed, in amounts of seconds through

a small electric charge that had to be

applied to one of the two terminals on the

solenoid itself. The reason the direction of

air flow needed to be switched was

because of the way a piston works inside

the cylinder. In the diagram to the right,

the air pushing through part A of our

cylinder is forcing the bottom T form of

the piston to exert out (towards the right)

while in part B of the cylinder the air

contained within it is being exerted back

(towards the left) to the solenoid and

released out. In order to make the piston

retract back in to the cylinder, a small

electric charge is applied to the solenoid

terminal.

This then

switches the

direction of

air flow,

causing air

to be

pushed into

Chamber B of the solenoid. Once an

electrical charge of 12 V is applied to the

opposite solenoid terminal, the solenoid’s

inner gaskets direct air into chamber A,

causing the piston to move rightwards.

Through diagrams and videos, we were

able to understand the concept of

pneumatics in a general idea and with this

knowledge research how it could be

applied differently to FRC.

The engineering approach became after

we understood what happened internally

in the pneumatics system. We had to

investigate the different uses of

pneumatics in FRC after knowing how

pneumatics worked itself. We researched

different teams and how they applied

pneumatics to their system. We

researched the three top teams in FRC

and learned how they applied

pneumatics, and by doing, so we realized

the different ways that our team could

Chamber A Chamber B Solenoid

Terminal A Terminal B

20

apply pneumatics to potentially be one of

the winning teams. On element D under

design approaches, you can see more

depth of the result of investigating

different applications of pneumatics

within the top teams. This approach,

which meant analyzing the different uses

of a system is related to Engineering in

that Engineers are constantly reanalyzing

the applicability of a product to its

market. In that same way, we were

analyzing the applicability of pneumatics

to our robot.

II. THE CONCEPTS

Pressurized Movement

Pressurized movement is in relation to

how a piston works and how that is the

main goal of a pneumatic system. That

would include air,

friction, work, and

force. Using these

components, a

pneumatic system

is able to insert

pressurized air

into one of the

piston’s air

chambers, causing

the piston head to

be moved either

left or right. This

concept was

implemented in

our system in that

the gearbox had a

small piston which

was responsible

for the shifting of the gears. Whenever the

piston was in the forward position, it

would be on low gear. In the rearward

position, it would be on high gear.

Dynamic System

A pneumatic system can be applied to

different circumstances. This flexibility

allows us to integrate a pneumatic system

to different applications. For example, on

a drive train we can implement

pneumatics to switch gears in order to

have more torque or more speed

depending on what is most necessary.

Because pneumatic systems are so

dynamic, we will be able to use them for

many different problems during the 2014

season.

Activation of Solenoid

A solenoid works through the use of an

electric charge. When applied to its

rightmost terminal, the solenoid will

internally open a series of smaller

gaskets, allowing for air to flow through

output port A. Applying a charge to the

opposite

terminal

would then

cause air to

flow through

output port B

in the same

way. This is

significant because it allows us to control

whether a piston should be exerted or

should be in its home position.

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Space Conservation

When we apply pneumatics to a system

we must make sure that the system works

properly within the given constraints and

parameters. We must consider every

system that might affect the efficiency of

the pneumatic system, and that the

pneumatic system does not interfere with

any of the other working systems around

it. This means that we must chose the

design which best conserves space, and is

why we chose Design #3 for our top

design.

Stress

The maximum amount of stress our

system can handle overall is 125 psi. This

is because the CKD 12V solenoid can only

handle up to 125 psi

and can only work

with 12 V. Without

the solenoid, the system will not work at

all. The solenoid is so crucial to the

system’s function that its ability to work

is completely dependent on it. This is so

because the solenoid allows us to control

the positions of our piston, and if broken,

would keep the piston in one rigid

position. The rigidness would be due to

one of the solenoid pathways to one of its

ports being completely busted open,

causing all air to fill up through that

pathway and to the piston’s chambers.

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III. PROJECT MANAGEMENT

IV. EXPERTS

What are training or credentials your

expert needs to have?

One of the two most important training

“credentials” our expert requires is an

FRC Mentoring Credential and a degree in

Engineering.

Firstly, this is because the ability to

express ideas clearly and concise from an

expert allows the apprentice to actually

learn from the expert. Understanding is a

key role in learning. That is why our

mentor has to understand pneumatics in

a general matter and also in a very

concise matter, because only if he

understands pneumatics thoroughly will

he be able to answer and guide anyone

through the preparation and build of a

pneumatic system.

23

Our mentor has to have at least a

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.

Logically a bachelor in the engineering

field means that a person has had

experience with engineering at least three

to four years in that certain field.

Specifically, engineering is having a

scientific theory and applying that theory

to solve a problem that exists. With this in

mind, we know that a person with a

Bachelor in Engineering must know how

to solve a problem mathematically and

also know how to approach a problem by

designing and developing new solutions

to that problem.

It would be even more beneficial if the

mentor/expert had a degree in

Mechanical Engineering (BME). This will

benefit us in that if our mentor has a BME

degree, he/she will understand the

mechanics of different systems, of which

include pneumatic systems. Their

understanding will better our effort by

providing us with any clarifying

knowledge, and thus, keeping our project

going.

V. PROGRAMS

Special computer programs,

technology or equipment you might

use?

Special computer programs that could be

used are programs like CAD, Photoshop

and Robot C.

• CAD- Computer-aided design

Using any program like CAD could fall

into sub-categories like using Inventor.

Essentially what these computer

programs do is develop 3D diagrams that

are specific to what the product will be.

However, the programs themselves can

go more in depth, which means the

program’s output must show materials

needed to do a specific part, specific

dimensions, strains and stresses that can

be applied to the product. Think of the

program’s output as a digitalized version

of what a product will need and how it

will turn out.

• Photoshop

Using Photoshop one could add graphics

to the 3D diagram of the product. Of

course, using Photoshop is the access to

the visual appeal of the product and

adding not only color but texture to the

product overall. By creating a visual

appeal of the product or in pneumatics we

can apply the different brainstorming

solution in which our product will finalize

in. After this we can us Photoshop to add

color to the pneumatic system and

categorize from all of the other systems

that would be applied to the final

graphics. Why should we add color just to

the pneumatic system? When trying to

find a single part of the pneumatic system

once it is integrated with the other

systems of the device, it will be hard to

memorize the position of every detail. By

categorizing them by color one can find a

part and where it is specific to the

pneumatic system just by looking at the

Photoshop version of it. In addition,

Photoshop provides an added level of

24

realism to the product, because it allows

us to crop and insert the photos of the

actual parts. This then leaves us one step

closer to the final presentation of our

product.

• Robotc

Robotc is a computer program designed

for people who want to command

technology to do certain tasks. We can

think of Robotc as being a whole new

different language for people. This

language allows people to write certain

commands for technology to follow. For

example, a computer needs to know that

when a certain key is pressed, a letter

must be written on the screen. This type

of command is done by programming

through similar Robotc computer

programs. A computer knows that when

the key with a symbol “c” is pressed than

the screen should appear with a letter c

and move on to the next symbol that

would be pressed. Robotc is one of the

programs that allows these type of

functions. In pneumatic systems Robotc

will enable us to control the solenoid and

command it to open and close and when it

needs to shift the air to another hole. This

program will also enable us to command

the solenoid to have timing in it so at

what time the air must be switched so

that the piston returns to its “home”

position. This is done simply by using

Robotc to command an electrical charge

of 12V to either one of the Solenoid’s

terminal.

Computer w/ RobotC/Photoshop

A computer that has all the programs

listed above is necessary. Without a

computer, it is physically impossible

write a program that a solenoid would

follow. Diagrams could be done by hand

but the most professional presentation of

diagrams and sketches are done by

computer where every angle and every

material with specific constraints

attached to it. Computers make our lives

easier in color coding specific parts in our

pneumatic systems, and making our

designs closer to reality.

• Power Distribution Board

Having a power distribution board allows

us to have a safety in our solenoid usage.

Essentially what this board does is

distribute the power to each terminal and

have a safety fuse that will ensure that not

too much power or too little power is

inputted into our solenoid. Putting too

much power in the solenoid would either

burn the solenoid’s contacts or disturb its

electromagnetic coils and gaskets. Putting

too little power means the solenoid will

not work at all/work under strain. Thus,

having a power distribution board

ensures quality and safety.

• Battery

A solenoid needs an electrical charge to

work and the only way to apply an

electrical charge is by having a supply of

electricity. The supply of electricity comes

from a battery. Why not use an outlet

power? Batteries help with the

transportation and mobility of the

pneumatic system. By latching a battery

25

to a power distribution board we have

exactly what we need in order to make a

pneumatic system work anywhere and

everywhere instead of having to depend

on an electric outlet of power at all times.

So too, an electrical outlet would only

work with an adapter to 12V.