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The effective length of link 4 (c) and the angular offset (delta) between link 4 and the output vector P can be determined from a geometric analysis of the lengths c1, c2, and the relative angle beta, as defined in the figure.
This has the effect of modifying the output sweep between left side only, right side only, full range, narrow centered, and various intermediate combinations.
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The analysis repeated for the prescribed dial settings for left, right, center, and full sweep ranges (120°, 300°, 215°, and 20°, respectively). The XY position of the resulting nozzle location, P, with respect to the global XY coordinate frame is shown below.
A velocity analysis was also performed to determine the angular velocity of the output nozzle with respect to the rotation angle of the nozzle.
Simulation Conclusions
As seen in the figures above, the sprinkler successfully achieves the four distinct sweep ranges. It is noted that there are some slight discrepancies between the left and right side sweeps. The full range sweep is likewise biased towards the right. However, for the intended application, the accuracy of the ranges is more than sufficient
Also, the velocity analysis suggests there are further nonuniformities in the water distribution. It is particularly noticeable in the full sweep, where the water nozzle travels much quicker through one phase of the right side portion, possibly resulting in less dense water distribution to that portion of the yard and in a slightly larger area compared to the left (due to the position sweep right bias).
Overall, the sprinkler is effective in controlling its output range as designed, in spite of slight inconsistencies.
SolidWorks Modeling
The following animations demonstrate the motion of the sprinkler with the four dial settings addressed in the MATLAB simulation to verify the resulting sweeps.
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