Suggested Improvements

The one thing I would like to improve on the track is the track support itself. In class on 9/2, one of the captains of the small scale showed us a demonstration of how the whole system works. While the pod was going around the track, I noticed that the supports were very wobbly. Luckily there is two different ways to fix this problem. Through my knowledge of material science, I show below how to find two solutions to fix the deflection problem of the rod.

• Assumptions - 60 inch long, 3/16 inch diameter 6061 Aluminum Rod

Strain on pipe

Moment was derived from last years data of pod weighing 2 pounds and a rod length of 60 inches.

• Solution 1 -Increase the diameter of the pipe
• If we increase the diameter of the pipe, the moment of inertia will go up will which will lead to a smaller stress and strain. The smaller strain will lead to less bending.
• Solution 2 - Use a stronger material
• If we increase the Young's Modulus of the pipe, the strain will get smaller which will decrease the amount of deflection.