Centrifugal force versus gravity (ball on a joint placed on rotating shaft)

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the necessary RPM for a centrifugal control valve based on the centrifugal force acting on a ball attached to a rotating shaft. The participant is exploring whether the problem is set up correctly and if it can be treated as a static problem. They note that as the angle of the joint approaches 90 degrees, the required RPM tends toward infinity, raising questions about the validity of their approach. Input from others confirms that the setup appears correct, particularly regarding unit conversions. The conversation emphasizes the relationship between RPM, centrifugal force, and the angle of the joint in the valve design.
LachieD
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Homework Statement



Basically, this is the problem.

[PLAIN]http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/3598/physicsproblem.png

It's related to some design research I'm doing regarding a centrifugal control valve. This is a type of valve that controls the fluid flow based on the centrifugal force that effects the weigths strapped onto the valve shaft. The higher rpm (the shaft is connected to a small turbine powered by the fluid flow), the higher centrifugal force, and the higher the ball should raise (in actual case, connected with the valve disc, but let's ignore that in this ideal case). Now, I'm trying to calculate the neccesary rpm value for a desired angle of the joint holding the ball from vertical line. Ideal system.

Homework Equations



Did I setup the problem correctly? Can this be observed as a static problem as I did? What am I doing wrong? I see if the angle increases toward the value of 90, the neccesary rpm goes into infinity. Is this normal?

Thank you.

The Attempt at a Solution



My attempt is included in the picture.
 
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LachieD: If the input units for n are Hz, post 1 currently looks correct.
 
Yeah, that is correct. Thanks. I was just wondering if the problem was setup correctly.
 
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