SENIOR PROJECT

Introduction

For my senior project I designed and manufactured the gear train and differential for a radio controled baja car.

Analysis

Based on my requirements for the RC car I needed for the car to go at least 20 miles per hour and have the left rear tire and the right rear tire move at different speeds. I completed a fulll gear train analysis to make certain that these requirements would be met. After initial analysis I decided on using a gear train with a 24:1 gear reduction to ensure the right amount of power to the tires without having to much torque.

Testing

The main requirements for the differential and drive train was the ability for the drive train to convert the engine output through a gear reduction to propel the car 20 miles per hour, and the ability for the left and right wheels to turn at different rates. In this video of the slalom and sprint competition the left and right weels can be seen spinning independently in the slalom. The car is seen accelerating to max speed in the sprint.

Budget

Because our competition was much less expensive than last year's competition we came in under budget. Our budget was also assisted by our winning prize money at the competition.

Construction

The construction of the gear train and differnetial took many different manufacturing skills including using the lathe, mill, and hand tools. The construction of this system also required working with various lenders and using some previously existing parts. Because the gears in the gear train were very small each part had to be machined to a tolerance of only a few thousandths of an inch to ensure that the gears would all mesh correctly.

Results

Our car won first place in the RC Baja Competition at the University of Idaho. You can see our winning race in the video to the left. Our car also was able to to accelerate to our desired speed of 20 mph consistently in testing.

Schedule

Our schedule had a few hickups along the way, but in the end we finished our project before competition day, which was our main goal. We were also able to finish our testing in a timely manner