OBJECTIVE
The Soap box derby team is designing and building a downhill gravity racer (soapbox racer). The objectives of this design project are to: (1) construct a fast and safe downhill racer, (2) compete and win the Portland Adult Soapbox Derby (PDX), and (3) investigate the possibility of patenting a portion of our design. The team is motivated by the desire to explore new facets of engineering, and to compete in and win the competition.
Team members from left to right:
Ammon Serr
Ryan Runolfson
Aaron Anderson ‘Safety and work-space’ coordinator
James Seaman
Jason Williams
Jenny Gill
Michael Summers (team leader)
Team Report
Check out our team report!
Summary
The Portland Adult Soapbox Derby (PDX) is an annual event held in Portland Oregon which draws teams from all over the United States. The team will build a downhill racing vehicle powered solely by gravity. The PDX regulates the race by establishing rules for the construction of the vehicles. The vehicle must be sturdy, fast, safe, have a functional breaking system, and fit within the size requirements.
The proposed design has one aspect that can be used for other applications aside from soapbox racing. That is our outrigger design. It has potential for the medical field, bicycles, and anything else that can be though of for it. We are going to investigate what it would take to patent this design.
The intellectual merit of this project includes almost every engineering discipline studied in the first three years of undergraduate Mechanical Engineering. Because the racer is powered entirely by gravity, its success is therefore dependent on the efficiency of the system, most importantly friction reduction. Computer simulations of the air flow and other mechanical systems will be performed and analyzed. The mechanical systems of the racer will offer opportunities to explore other areas of engineering such as vibrations, dynamics, and strengths of materials. Areas of design include steering, braking, suspension, and ergonomics.
The team will have to satisfy the financial constraints while designing and building a competitive soapbox racer. This is an excellent senior design project and provides a great opportunity to practice and develop multiple engineering skills.