This team's proposed project is to develop a device that will carry water containers to aid the domestic water carriers of the SJL district. This device's geometry will be specifically tailored to the slopes and terrain of their area. It will consist of a frame onto which two cylindrical water containers (average-sized buckets) will be loaded, a wheel(s) and suspension system fit to traverse sand, rock, and gravel, handles for the user to grab onto to push or pull the device, and all the necessary straps and features to ensure the load is secure and the device is stable. Furthermore, this device will be explicitly sized for Peruvian women's heights in a range of 150 [cm]to 160 [cm] since they are the prominent people undertaking this task. The resulting device will help them do this job with less force, less assistance, and greater speed than the current practice of simply picking up their containers and carrying them manually while at the same time being affordable.
Our Technical analysis plan consists of utilizing FEA to pinpoint force concentration areas on our frame to then add more support elements, such as beams, or change geometry, such as including chamfers or fillets. This will help us ensure that the more expensive, sturdier materials are only used where needed and cheaper but durable materials are used elsewhere in the frame. Furthermore, this process would lower the weight of our device, making it easier to pull. Essentially, we will be constantly changing the device’s geometry, reducing the dimensions wherever necessary, and checking our FEA model to see if it indicates that we have surpassed our material’s yield strength under load. This “red flag” would indicate to us that more supporting elements, or sturdier materials, are necessary for that section of the frame.
To analyze the device’s ability to traverse steep slopes, we will consider two factors: The force needed to pull the device up the slope and the likelihood of tipping over. We can analyze both factorswith hand calculations. The main factors to consider are the loaded device’s center of mass and the moment created about the device’s wheels. If our device is to tip over, then makingthe device’s axle longer or lowering it closer to the ground would fix the issue. Still, the frame of the device would have to be then adjusted accordingly, as well as the cost of necessary materials.
One of the soft challenges the team is facing is ensuring our device is acceptable to the user. Making it physically usable for them is a challenge in itself, but to convince people that our device is worth investing into, it must prove to be extremely more efficient than their current alternative. People do not tend to change their customs unless it is extremely convenient for them to do so.
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