Trebuchet Design Project Presentation

Team H.E.D.Huy Nguyen | Edward Lau | Daniel Vizcaino

Lab Section Tuesday 4-6 PM

Outline

Background information Problem Definition Approach Results Improvements Conclusion

What is a Trebuchet?

Treb"u*chet n.-A military engine used in the Middle Ages for throwing stones, etc. It acted by means of a great weight fastened to the short arm of a lever, which, being let fall, raised the end of the long arm with great velocity, hurling stones with much force. Source: dictionary.com

Define the Problem

Step 1 of the design process is to purpose the need and define the problem.Purpose: Design and build a

working trebuchet that will launch a 1oz Hack Sack®

Constraints

As with any project there are constraints: Trebuchet must fit

within a 4 x 3 x 2.5 foot container

Operator must be 10ft to the side when launching

No hazardous materials may be used

Objectives/Criteria

The goal is to launch the 1oz Hack Sack® as far and accurate as possible

The trebuchet must solely be powered by a 12lb counterweight

Performance score= flight distance (m) - centerline offset distance (m) - 3x mass (kg)

Trebuchet must be set up and ready to fire in under 60seconds

Approach

Preliminary Ideas Design Construction Refinement Analysis Decision/Implementation

Preliminary Ideas & Sketch

The base is made up of 2 3ft. Pieces of 2x2 wood separated by 2 1ft. Pieces of 2x2

Connect 2 2.5ft. Pieces of 2x2 wood vertically to the base

The vertical pieces are centered

The arm has a hole drilled through it where the dowel is inserted

The dowel rests on grooves at the top of the vertical pieces

All connections will be made with screws

Refinement Sketches

The vertical pieces were removed a foot from the end of the trebuchet to maximize the sling arm

Supports were added to the vertical pieces

The base was changed from 3ft. to 4ft. long

Final Design

Final Design Sketch

Supports were added to the side of the trebuchet that will be connected both to the base and the vertical pieces

The dowel will be inserted into the vertical pieces instead of just resting on top of the pieces

A hole will have to be drilled into the vertical pieces so that the dowel can be inserted

The supports for the vertical pieces and the vertical pieces themselves will be attached to the base using carriage bolts

Results/Discussion

Normal launch distance: 70ft. Official launch distance recorded:

59ft. Final Score: -1.31 Final Rank: 11 (1st in lab section)

Improvements

Lighter wood Wheels Better release mechanism Different support structure

Conclusion

Using higher quality wood made the trebuchet more durable but added extra weight

Weight and size were factors that should have been more thoroughly explored

Launched a final distance of 59.0 ft The most important thing we

learned was communication and teamwork

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank: Professor Litton and Professor

Golanbari for all the help Home Depot for materials Machine shop for letting us use it