Portable Drop Testing Apparatus Using Electromagnetic Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drop testing apparatuses are cumbersome, expensive, and unsuitable for testing small or large components due to size and weight limitations, making it difficult to obtain diverse information about impact load characteristics, and are costly and time-consuming for airframe-level testing.
Innovation Solution
A portable drop testing apparatus connected to an external crane, featuring a magnet unit with an electromagnetic force system that disengages to allow a dummy structure and test specimen to fall, equipped with load cells and sensors to measure impulse and strain, enabling precise data collection and adaptable for various component sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a small-sized drop testing apparatus is used, then the apparatus is portable and can be moved to work sites, but it can only detect simple impact load characteristics and cannot obtain diverse information
Solution Approach 1:
The portable drop testing apparatus is designed to perform multiple testing functions including impact load testing, vibration testing, and acoustic noise measurement. By integrating diverse sensors (load cells, accelerometers, microphones) and multiple testing capabilities into a single portable unit, the apparatus can obtain comprehensive information about product performance under various conditions, resolving the limitation of small apparatuses being restricted to simple impact testing only.
2Loss of information
If a large-sized drop testing apparatus is used, then diverse crashworthiness information can be detected, but the apparatus is expensive and unsuitable for testing at airframe level due to size limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The testing system is divided into modular components including the portable testing apparatus, separate sensor units, and configurable test setups. This segmentation allows the same core apparatus to be adapted for different testing scales from small components to airframe-level structures by reconfiguring the test setup and selecting appropriate sensors, eliminating the need for multiple specialized apparatuses of different sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus uses adjustable testing parameters including drop height, test mass, and sensor configuration to adapt to different testing requirements. By changing these parameters rather than changing the physical size of the apparatus, the system can perform both component-level and airframe-level testing with the same equipment, achieving versatility across testing scales.
3Loss of information
If a large-sized drop testing apparatus is used for component testing, then comprehensive data can be obtained, but additional jigs and boundary condition structures are required making the process costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus extracts and integrates essential testing functions directly into the portable unit, eliminating the need for separate complex boundary condition structures and specialized jigs. The self-contained design includes integrated sensors, power supply, and control systems that can be directly attached to test specimens, greatly simplifying the overall testing setup while maintaining comprehensive data collection capabilities.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus increases the reliability and accuracy of measurement results, allowing for drop testing of components from small to large sizes, including aircraft components, while being cost-effective and time-efficient, and can be used for diverse tests such as vibration and pressure measurements.
Implementation Method 1
a magnet unit including a magnet holder and a hook, wherein the magnet holder is configured to be fixed to a plate when an electromagnetic force is created
Data Source
AI summary
A drop testing apparatus is provided. The drop testing apparatus includes a plate connected to an external crane, a magnet holder provided at one end of the plate and fixed to the plate by an electromagnetic force, a counterweight provided at another end of the plate and facing the magnet holder, a dummy structure connected to the magnet holder through a connecting member and having a test specimen installed at one side thereof, a load cell unit provided between the dummy structure and the test specimen to measure impulse of the test specimen, and a controller configured to control the electromagnetic force to be created in the magnet holder and to receive the impulse measured by the load cell unit. When the electromagnetic force is cancelled, the connecting member disengages from the magnet holder, and the dummy structure and the test specimen fall onto the ground.