Days of our lab

So I finally got to get into the lab to test the viscous damper. Richard and I set it all up on Monday, tinkering and learning the software happened on Tuesday, and legit testing started today.

The general concept of the tests is that the frequency and the stroke (amplitude) with limits based on the fluid flow of the actuator, the maximum force on the damper seals (7000 lbs), and maximum velocity (7 in/s).

The special aspect of this damper is that it has a manual pin valve not normally found on dampers installed in the field. This allows us to control the damping coefficient by opening and closing this bypass valve in addition to the main setup. What was great was that the results when the bypass valve was fully closed were in the correct range as calculated by the imperial equations given by the manufacturer.

This is a video from Tuesday of the damper in the test frame being loaded at 2 Hz and 1 inch stroke.

Something that was interesting was a type of 'shouldering' at the midpoint of the sine wave which reduces the tension force resisted by the damper compared to the compression forces. This was expected by the manufacturer since compression is more of a concern so the mass/piston doesn't slam into the support.

Doing the tests today, I did as many tests as possible before it started getting warm. Best plan of attack was to do two of each valve position for each test, starting with the valve open so that the highest force (most likely to heat) would be last.

After prelim work, seems the temperature of the damper makes a huge difference (not just minor) on the performance, so a sensor or infrared gun from the outside is probably the best that can be done with the time given.

Last and current issue: computer in the lab has Excel 2002, can't be read by Excel 2010 or 2011. Will work with different file format but that's a tomorrow problem!

Undergrad coming to a close, planning this summer's vacation!

As the undergraduate classes have now wrapped up forever, there just remains my 3 finals. And then that's it, it's done. Well, only to return late July/early August for grad work, but it's a very different feeling and structure, I'm excited.

I recently had a Skype conversation with Anna regarding our summer plans. So my grand after-undergrad vacation is actually a string of swing dancing workshops across the US.

May 25-28: Camp Jitterbug, Seattle
June 1-3: Stompology, Rochester
June 7-10: All-Balboa Weekend, Cleveland

I would have considered All Balboa Revue in Montreal on June 16 ish, but I'm convocating :P

Planning will go about as such. I leave Waterloo around the 18th, bus to Chicago (eventually South Bend). Stay with Anna for the weekend, go dancing, (possibly join her for Notre Dame lessons). Travel begins Sunday, stop in Des Moines. Day 2 of driving hopefully get to Yellowstone National Park, sleep there, day 3 hike a bit, then drive to perhaps Glacier Lake National Park (weather permitting), sleep and hike there. Day 5 would be driving to Seattle. Insert dancing and drinking coffee here. On the way back from Camp Jitterbug, Anna stops in Des Moines for her brother's wedding, I fly out to Rochester on the 1st for Stompology. Have a blast there, drive back with Julie-Anne. Stay in Waterloo for 2-3 days, then drive out to Cleveland with Dave and Amanda for ABW.

Yes, it's going to be intense, but intensely awesome! In addition to travel, starting grad work, there will of course be UW Swing Club, which will be like a nice 'coming home' kinda feeling I think. :) People are great there.

Oh, and in September will be the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown again because I absolutely adored it last year. So far it seems like Dean, Erika, John, and Mark in the Hamilton/Waterloo area are going, in addition to many Torontonians.

I'm super excited for my summer vacation and everything that coming up, I have a few potential plans, but they're still in the very baby stages, so I want to wait to see if they'll be successful before I announce them.