Simple Torque inertia question

In summary, if you are trying to calculate the torque required to rotate a vertical load, you would need to include the moment of inertia, the weight of the object, and the friction between the object and the bearing.
  • #1
thesnesinator
2
0
Hi I am designing a 3 axis robot but need help with one calculation.

How do you calculate the torque required to rotate a supported vertical load.

For instance the torque required to rotate a dead weight sitting on top of a thrust bearing. I am looking for some formula from mechanical design books but haven't found anything.

Sorry about asking such a basic question.

Regards,
Tim
 
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  • #2
thesnesinator said:
Hi I am designing a 3 axis robot but need help with one calculation.

How do you calculate the torque required to rotate a supported vertical load.

For instance the torque required to rotate a dead weight sitting on top of a thrust bearing. I am looking for some formula from mechanical design books but haven't found anything.

Sorry about asking such a basic question.

Regards,
Tim

Welcome to the PF, Tim. The equation you are looking for is:

[tex]\tau = I \alpha[/tex]

Where tau is the torque, alpha is the angular acceration in radians/s^2, and I is the Moment of Inertia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_of_inertia

.
 
  • #3
Thanks Berkeman,

If I'm using a Stepper motor that has an input pulse of 100Hz (90 degrees a second in this setup) is my initial acceleration 1.57 rad per second^2?
 
  • #4
thesnesinator said:
Thanks Berkeman,

If I'm using a Stepper motor that has an input pulse of 100Hz (90 degrees a second in this setup) is my initial acceleration 1.57 rad per second^2?

If the motor swings 90 degrees in a second, that is an angular velocity omega:

[tex]\omega = \frac{\pi}{2}[/tex] radians per second.

The acceleration would be during the time it takes to go from omega = 0 to omega = PI/2 rad/s. The angular acceleration is the change in the angular velocity with respect to time.
 
  • #5
thesnesinator said:
Hi I am designing a 3 axis robot but need help with one calculation.

How do you calculate the torque required to rotate a supported vertical load.

For instance the torque required to rotate a dead weight sitting on top of a thrust bearing. I am looking for some formula from mechanical design books but haven't found anything.

Sorry about asking such a basic question.

Regards,
Tim

Don't forget to include the frictional force from the thrust bearing.

http://www.roymech.co.uk/Useful_Tables/Tribology/Plain_Bearing Friction.html

CS
 
  • #6
Umm, don't forget to in include the weight either T = F.R . Which would be the "torque required to rotate a supported vertical load" as described in the first thread. Where F is the weight of the item and R is the horizontal radius of the load from the pivot position (without acceleration).
 

What is torque?

Torque is a measure of the rotational force applied to an object. It is calculated by multiplying the force applied to the object by the distance from the point of rotation to the point where the force is applied.

What is inertia?

Inertia is the resistance of an object to changes in its state of motion. It is directly related to an object's mass, with more massive objects having a greater resistance to changes in motion.

How is torque related to inertia?

Torque and inertia are directly related to each other. The greater an object's inertia, the more torque is needed to cause it to rotate at a certain speed. Similarly, the more torque applied to an object, the faster it will rotate, which also increases its inertia.

What is the equation for calculating torque?

The equation for torque is: torque = force x distance. This means that the more force applied to an object and the further away from the point of rotation it is applied, the greater the torque on the object.

How does torque affect the motion of an object?

Torque causes an object to rotate around an axis. The direction of rotation depends on the direction of the applied force and the orientation of the object. If the torque is greater than the object's rotational inertia, it will cause the object to accelerate and change its rotational speed.

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