Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Week 3 - Understanding Old Designs

This week we were formally briefed about the full scale project with by teachers. Specifically, we were shown a video of Milotek’s Futran system and explained how it’s guideway beams work. After this, we looked over the previous semester’s system and compared and contrasted it to what we saw with the Futran video. I pointed to my group how like the prototype version of Futran, the frame and guideway of the current Superway is attached directly to the columns on one side, compared with the final Futran system which instead uses symmetrical arcs and cables for supporting the guideway. We then discussed how the latter system is considerably simpler and more stable, at least for the conventional linear sections of track, as it reduces the effects of torsion and is less obtrusive on the sidewalk.

From home, I made a document on Google Drive to list the questions we want to ask the professor’s contact about his guideway beams, and added eight question to it.


Finally, with Kathlyn’s help, I managed to download SOLIDWORKS for my computer. This will be invaluable going forward so that I can properly analyze the existing designs then make and test new ones.

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