Lessons Learned - Drag Reduction System (DRS)

Like any engineering endeavor, we encountered challenges that served as valuable learning experiences.

One of these challenges came with manufacturing. Since this was a design that required a very high level of construction quality, we opted for aluminum CNC'ed linkages. However, because of the level of work that this takes with the CAM and machining process, it became very tedious and time-consuming as well as leaving little room for error. If we were to redo this part of a class scale project, we would likely pursue laser cutting a darker acrylic to still maintain part integrity, and aesthetics, while keeping good contrast between our parts for visibility.

                     Broken Pin Whilst Machining

Additionally, we ran into an issue with the success of actuating our mechanism with the two small-scale servos. Unfortunately, they did not output enough torque to overcome the static friction in our joints. This also led to the servo splines stripping and ultimately failing in the final version as seen below.

In hindsight, we likely should've used high torque servos (which would be precise but can be quite expensive) or DC motors (where we would lose some accuracy when actuating).

Lastly, through our iteration process, we experienced various degrees of success with our flexible wing design. Initially starting with a flimsy and unreliable model, we were able to really learn the importance of the design and prototyping process. Through these designs, we eventually ended up with a rigid yet flexible enough foil that fit our criteria perfectly.