Full-Scale Track Section Fall 2017

This week the team presented current work in progress. Switching system, track design, L beams were some of the topics of interest. We were also able to organize the work clearer to have a more efficient semester. See below:

The team is working to create a CAD replica of the exact track layout we are planning to build. By doing so we will have a representation to be able to show the team to have some information to work off of. We will also be doing some FEA testing and some motion analysis to get more accurate specifications to give to the bogie and solar teams. We hope to have the design done by the end of the week to be available to present on Presentation 2. Unfortunately because of NDA the design can not be posted on this page.

Week 4 and 5 have been on presentations of the specific groups in the Spartan Superway project. Today, we signed an NDA with Futran to obtain their drawings for their project in South Africa. We will be using these drawings to understand the parts coming in and the overall construction of the railways.  For now, the focus will be on the guideways, vertical supports, and the footings of our track. So far, this will be a rough idea on how the footings will look, which can be seen below. The vertical columns will be fitted in place of these footings. Other designs have been looked into, and we may modify this as we move along with the project. For the railways, we are hoping to get them verified on which drawings we will actually be using so that we can modify and improve on the structural integrity of the tracks, along with adding a third rail and switching mechanism.  However, the drawings we received were outdated, so we will have to see next week whether or not there wi...