Simulate and Size a DC Motor - VEX Ch. 7

The design team has asked you to verify that the motor raising the arm is capable of handling the torque applied through the gears. Using Autodesk Inventor Simulation, determine the force at the gear faces and then calculate the torque. This value is compared to the specifications of the motor supplied by VEX.

There are four videos to walk the student through the simulation and sizing of a DC Motor. Click on each video to review the content. Pause, rewind, fast forward, and stop features are available as the student reviews the content. The workflow in these videos includes:

Creating a simplified model of the arm assembly.

Setting up the assembly in the Dynamic Simulation environment.

Running a simulation and analyzing the data.

Calculating the torque.

To be able to complete this unit you should have a basic understanding of the Autodesk Inventor user interface, navigation, and know how to work with Assemblies. For review, please refer to Appendix 9, 'Basic Inventor Commands Overview' for further information on these."

In this video, students will review the key phases required to calculate the maximum torque on a driveshaft. To determine the torque of a driveshaft, use the Dynamic Simulation environment in Inventor. The key phases in the required workflow are reviewed in this video.

Video 1: Review the Robot Assembly and Simplified Model

In this video, students review the existing robot assembly and create a simplified model. To calculate the torque on the driveshaft, use the Dynamic Simulation environment in Inventor. To simplify the calculation, a new assembly is created. Start the Dynamic Simulation and review the settings.

Note the Metric equivalent of Imperial force shown 2lbf = 8.9N.

Note: The files required for this activity must be downloaded, and data sets in Imperial and Metric units are available. The data sets provided will work for Inventor version 2013 onward. Download and unzip these files and save them into a new project folder called 'DC Motor.'

Video 2: Run the Simulation and Calculate the Torque

In this video, students determine the torque on the driveshaft by running a simulation. The parameters of the rolling joint are modified and the simulation is run. The results are interpreted and the maximum force is determined. Using this value, the torque is calculated, and the value is compared to the specifications supplied by VEX.

Summary Video

In this video, students Review the workflow required to calculate the maximum torque on a driveshaft. To determine the torque of a driveshaft, use the Dynamic Simulation environment in Inventor. The key phases in the required workflow are reviewed in this video.

Want to try more projects based on VEX robots and other exciting challenges? Click the link: Autodesk Design Academy.

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