Designing an Air-Powered Car: Seeking Advice

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the design and construction of a small model car powered by air, specifically utilizing a dustbuster motor. Participants explore the feasibility of using the motor's airflow for propulsion, considering design constraints and the limitations of the motor's capabilities.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks advice on designing a model car that runs on air, emphasizing the weak force of air power and the importance of weight in the design.
  • Another participant suggests considering a ducted fan setup, questioning whether the fan that comes with the motor is also required.
  • A different participant expresses skepticism about the suitability of a dustbuster fan for propulsion, noting its characteristics of high pressure and low flow, and suggests obtaining a fan curve for better understanding.
  • One participant mentions the advantages of propellers over centrifugal fans for producing airflow, which may be relevant for the car's design.
  • A participant proposes testing the motor by reversing its polarity to check for airflow and suggests consulting an electrical expert before attempting to over-drive the motor for extra power.
  • The original poster questions whether the available airflow would be sufficient to rotate a duct fan or propeller connected to the axle for movement.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the effectiveness of the dustbuster motor for propulsion, with some suggesting alternative setups while others remain uncertain about the airflow capabilities. The discussion does not reach a consensus on the best approach to take.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge limitations regarding the motor's design and performance characteristics, as well as the need for further experimentation to determine the effectiveness of proposed solutions.

kinroh
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hey guys!

i need your oppinion and advice/suggestions on somthing.

My group for university has to design and build a small model car within the dimensions (300x300x700) mm
that runs on air, using a dustbuster motor. i don't have the model name but we can assume the motor we're dealing with is quite weak.
Now, there can't be any mechanical connection with the motor and the axle of the car- since we need to harness airflow.
weight plays a crucial issue when designing such vehicles..air power is a relatively weak force. We can't use any explosives or dangerous materials.


any words of advice would be great!
 
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Are you restricted to also using the fan that comes with that motor? In any event, I'd be looking at a ducted fan to start with.
 
I wouldn't think a dustbuster fan would be all that well suited for propulsion (high pressure, low flow). If you could get (or construct) a fan curve, that would be helpful, but you'll likely find that your pressure drop will be virtually nonexistant regardless of your duct size, so your airflow will be whatever the max that fan can produce is.

The reason airplanes and air boats use propellers is they are better at producing higher airflow and no static pressure than centrifugal fans, which are better at producing pressure, but not as good at producing airflow.
 
yeh, we have to use the dustbuster motor, which is designed for optimal sucking.
How do you think we should set up a ducted fan?
 
I don't have a Dustbuster right handy to disassemble, so I'm not sure what the internals are like. Maybe start by just reversing the polarity of the motor and see if you can feel any significant airflow coming out of the suction nozzle.
There's also the possibility of over-driving the motor for extra power (ie: higher than standard voltage), but I'd consult one of our electrical guys like Berkeman before trying that.
 
yeh makes sense. I am just wondering, if the airflow we can work with is enough to actually rotate a duct fan, or propeller that is connected to an axle to move the model foward.
 

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