Engineering

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Laboratory 3
Rotational Motion

1. PRE-LAB
Read and understand this document
Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper and submit at the
beginning of your lab period:

1. Consider a bicycle with front and rear gears both 4 inches in diameter.
a. If we replace the rear gear with one that is 3 inches in diameter, how does the
speed of the bike change in relation to the base case? (Assume that the pedals
are rotated the same number of times in both cases). Would it be harder or
easier to pedal?
b. Now, suppose the rear gear is 4 inches in diameter again. If we replace the front
gear with one that is 2 inches in diameter, how does the speed of the bike
change in relation to the base case? Would it be harder or easier to pedal?
2. What is the relationship between rotational speed and torque? What is the relationship
between rotational speed and power?
3. If you were designing a system to lift/pull a physically heavy load, would you want to
maximize rotational speed, torque, or neither? Why?

2. OBJECTIVES
This laboratory provides an introduction to rotational motion, torque, and the operation of
electric motors. After completing this lab, you should (1) understand the concept of a gear
ratio, (2) understand the relationship between rotational speed and torque for electric motors,
and (3) have a general understanding of motor operation. You will later apply these concepts to
your class project.

3. EQUIPMENT
4 Pre-Made Gear Blocks with Different Gear Ratios
Low Voltage DC Electric Motors
Power Supply and Electrical Cables
Dynamometer with Roller and Magnetic Rotation Sensor
SimpleDyno Computer Software
Caliper

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4. BACKGROUND
Gears
Gears or rotating parts are used in simple machines to change the speed or magnitude of a
power source. Using two or more gears in tandem can change the speed of rotation or the
torque (turning force) of a rotating system. An example that you are likely familiar with is a
bicycle with a gear-shifting system. There is one set of gears connected to the pedals and
another set of gears connected to the rear wheel. A chain connects the front and rear gears. If
the front and rear gears have the same diameter (Figure 1, Combo 1), the rotational speed and
torque will be the same for both the front gear and the rear gear. If the front gear has a
diameter that is four times larger than the rear gear (Figure 1, Combo 3), each rotation of the
front gear will result in four rotations of the rear gear, since the circumference of the front gear
is four times larger than the rear gear. Your bicycle will therefore travel four times faster in
Combo 3 in comparison to Combo 1 for the same number of pedal rotations. However, since
the radius of the rear gear is smaller in Combo 3 in comparison to Combo 1, a greater force is
required to produce the equivalent torque to propel the bicycle. In summary, Combo 3 will
allow your bicycle to go four times faster, but you will need to exert four times the force at the
pedals to get equivalent torque.

Figure 1: Illustration of a gear system for a bicycle with three different gear ratios.

Electric Motors
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy in the form of a rotating
axle. The speed of the motor will be proportional to the applied voltage for the same load. The
torque of the motor will be proportional to the applied current. For a fixed voltage on the
motor, the speed and torque of the motor will depend on the load attached to the motor.
Without a load, the motor will rotate at maximum speed, called the no-load speed. Under
loading, the motor speed will decrease with increasing load. At some point of increasing load,
the motor will no longer have sufficient torque to rotate. This point is called the stall torque.
The relationship between torque and speed is typically linear as shown in Figure 2(a). The
mechanical power is given by the product of speed and torque. The relationship between

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power and speed (or power and torque) is a quadratic relation that has a point where the
power is a maximum, as shown in Figure 2(b). It is desirable to choose appropriate gearing
ratios for a mechanical system to operate the motor at this maximum power point.

(b)

stall torque
= s - s/n
no-load
speed

Speed ()

P = = -(s/n)2 + s

Power (P)

Torque ()

(a)

no-load
speed

Speed ()

Figure 2: The (a) linear relationship between torque and speed for an electric motor and (b) corresponding quadratic
relationship between power and speed needed to find the maximum power for the motor.

Dynamometer
A dynamometer (often called a dyno) is a device that measures force, torque, or power. The
power produced by a motor can be determined using a dyno by simultaneously measuring the
torque and rotational speed. In this laboratory, you will be using a dyno that consists of a roller
that interfaces with a motor. The rotational speed is measured using a magnetic sensor, and
the torque is determined by assuming values for the rolling resistance (drag) of the dyno roller.
A dyno can be used to construct the torque versus speed and power versus speed curves in
Figure 2. Dynos are used often in real-world applications, particularly in the automotive field. In
this lab, you will use a dyno to measure characteristics of a system powered by an electrical
motor.

5. PROCEDURE
5.1 Measuring Gear Ratios

Each lab setup will have a specific gear ratio. Note the number of the station you are working at
(1-4). Your instructor will give you the theoretical gear ratios at the beginning of your lab. All
tables should be included in your Post-Lab.

First, examine the set of gears in your lab setup, and make a note of which gear ratio you are
currently working with. You should notice that the system's overall gear ratio is a cascade of
three separate gear ratios. The first gear system on the apparatus consists of the gear
connected directly to the motor and a gear immediately below it. We will call this gear ratio R1.
Your first task is to measure R1. You may either measure the diameter of the gears or count the
teeth. Use these measurements to find the gear ratio. Note: See Figure 3 to determine
whether the gear is referred to as Gear A (driver) or Gear B (driven) in this lab. It is important

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to get this correct and to remain consistent as any discrepancy can result in incorrect answers
for the post-lab questions.

Gear A

Gear B

Figure 3: Labeling Convention for Gear Ratios, R1

R1
Gear A diameter Gear B diameter
(cm) or (teeth)
(cm) or (teeth)

Station
1
2
3
4

Measured Gear
Ratio (B:A)

Theoretical Gear
Ratio (B:A)

The next gear ratio in the system, R2, consists of the gears on the outside of the upper block as
shown in figure 4.

Gear A

Gear B

Figure 4: Labeling Convention for Gear Ratios, R2

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Taking Gear A as the driver and Gear B as the driven gear (shown in Figure 4), measure and
compute R2 at each station.

R2
Station
Gear A diameter Gear B diameter Measured Gear Theoretical Gear
(cm) or (teeth)
(cm) or (teeth)
Ratio (B:A)
Ratio (B:A)
1




2




3




4

The final gear ratio in the system consists of the white pulley and the roller, where the pulley is
the driver (A), and the roller is driven (B). Measure these components of the system using a
caliper and find the gear ratio, R3. R3 will remain the same for stations 1-3. Although the
thickness of the roller in station 4 is not of uniform thickness, we will measure the diameter of
the thickest part in order to approximate and differentiate the overall gear ratio from the other
setups.

R3
Station
Pulley (A)
Roller (B)
Measured Gear Theoretical Gear
diameter (cm
diameter (cm)
Ratio (B:A)
Ratio (B:A)
1-3




4





The overall gear ratio RTotal for each system can be calculated by multiplying the chain of gear
ratios together as such:
!"#$% = ! ! !

Use this equation to calculate the overall system gear ration for each station.

RTotal
Station
Measured Gear Theoretical Gear
Ratio (B:A)
Ratio (B:A)
1


2


3


4



Be sure to include all tables in your Post-Lab.

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5.2 Measuring Speed, Torque, and Power

To facilitate the torque, speed, and power measurements for this lab, we will be using a
dynamometer. To automate the measurement of the dynamometer, we are using a software
package called SimpleDyno.

The software measures the rotational rate of the dynamometer and extracts torque and power
information from the data. In order to measure the rotational rate of the dynamometer, a strip
of magnets is placed on the roller, and a solenoid is connected to Line In port on your lab
station computer. The changing magnetic field created by the moving magnets is detected by
the solenoid and fed into the computer as electric pulses. These pulses, illustrated by Signal 1
in Figure 5, can be seen in the waveform viewer at the bottom of the SimpleDyno Software.


Signal 1 (waveform of interest)
Threshold Trigger

for Signal 1

Signal 2 (not used in this lab)

Threshold Trigger

for Signal 2

Figure 5: Electric Pulses from Solenoid (used to determine speed of rotation)

There are four lab stations that each lab group will rotate through. You and your teammates
will have to switch stations after each experiment. Each gear station contains a gear block, four
gears, axles, a motor, a power supply, and a dynamometer. Each station will have a different
fixed gear ratio. See Figure 6 for the correct setup for the gear stations. You will use the DC
power supply to run the motor at a voltage of 1.75, 2.25, and 2.75V. For each measurement,
make sure the current output of the DC power supply is limited to 2 A.

Figure 6: Gear Station Setup

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Setting Up the SimpleDyno Software
The SimpleDyno program is not installed on your computer by default. However, you can
download it easily from the link provided by your instructor. Once you have the software
downloaded, you can open the program (If prompted by Windows, click Run).

The SimpleDyno software consists of a Main, Dyno, and Analysis tab. You will be using
the Main and the Dyno tabs during the lab experiment. The Main tab displays the real
time signal input from the solenoid along with several calculated parameters including the
rotational rate of the roller. The Dyno screen characterizes the dynamometer (dyno) with
inputs of size, mass, and input signal type. It is very important that you fill in these inputs
yourself as they are used in the calculations of speed, torque, and power. The following values
in Figure 7 correspond to our current lab setup.

Figure 7:Dyno Tab Critical Parameters

NOTE: Due to the altered state of the roller at Station 4, Roller Mass (g) = 494 and Roller
Diameter (mm) = 37.5 at Station 4 only. All other parameters should remain the same. Be sure
to change these two parameters back to the Roller Mass and Roller Diameter values shown
above after you have completed Station 4.

Amplifying and Detecting the Solenoid Signal
In order for the software to detect the electric pulses from the solenoid, we must manually
configure the signal threshold and amplitude. In Main of the SimpleDyno software, the
signal threshold level (Channel 1, green line) must be set below the peaks of the signal. A
revolution of the roller is detected when the signal peak intersects the threshold line.

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If your signal does not resemble the Good or Better examples in Figure 8, go to Control
PanelHardware and SoundsManage Audio Devices. Right click on Line In and click
Properties. Set the Line In level to approximately 30%.
o Bad example:
Does not detect

Microphone at 5%

Boost at +20dB

Power supply: 2V

Boost at +20dB

Power supply: 2V

Boost at +20dB

Power supply: 2V

o Good example:

Microphone at 5%

o Better example:

Microphone at 20%

Figure 8: Solenoid Input Signal Examples

Connecting the Power Supply to the Motor

Because of the method that the SimpleDynosoftware uses for determining speed, torque, and
power, it is important that the motor receive a step input of voltage. In other words, it is
important that the power to the motor is applied quickly and at full voltage. To facilitate this,
there is an inline electrical switch to the motor. Before turning on the power supply, ensure
that the switch is in the off position.

Adjust the Power Supply Voltage to either 1.75, 2.25, or 2.75V using the tuning knobs on the
front panel of the DC power supply. Once you are satisfied with your voltage adjustment, click
the Turn on Sensor button in the Main tab of the software. Next, click the Power Run
button and provide a descriptive name for the measurement you are about to perform. (Make
sure you remember where you save the files, as you will need them for your lab report.)

Approximately 2 seconds after you click Save in the dialog window you can throw the switch
to apply power to the motor. Watch the display graph of RPM vs. time as the motor speed
increases and then reaches a steady-state value. Once your motor has reached steady state,

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wait a few seconds, and then throw the switch to the off position. At this point, the software
will take a few seconds to calculate the power and torque curves for your motor. The Power
Run button will display Done when the calculations are complete. To quickly view your
results, there is a radio button on the bottom left of the Main tab that reads Power Curve.
By clicking on this button you should see a rough graph of your data (note that you cannot use
a screen shot of this for your lab report).

Before you leave the lab, make sure that everyone has a copy of the saved data files from the
Power Runs. You should have three saved data files per station. Without these files, you will
be unable to complete the lab report.

6. ANALYSIS
Summary of Collected Data
Using the following table as a guide, create a table that summarizes the important values that
you found from your lab experiment.

Voltage
(V)
xx

Theoretical Gear
Ratio

xx

No Load Speed
(rpm)

Stall Torque
(N*m)

Stead State Speed

(rpm)

Max Power
(W)

xx

xx

xx

xx

Determine the Relationship of Torque and Gear Ratio

On the same set of axes, plot two torque curves taken at the same input voltage but with two
different gear ratios (you can choose which two).
How does the gear ratio affect the torque?
How does the gear ratio affect the speed?
In a designed to pull a heavy load, what should the gear ratio be with reference to B:A?
In other words, should A or B be larger (recall that B is attached to the wheels)?

Determine the Relationship of Power and Speed
For two different voltages at the same gear ratio (pick one), plot the power vs. rotational speed
curves on the same graph and compare.
Does the speed at which the motor produces maximum power change? If so, why?
!
(Hint: = !! ! + ! where ! is stall torque and ! is no load rotational speed)
!

For all plots, use a spreadsheet or mathematical software program (e.g., Excel, Matlab, etc.;
consult with instructors if you have questions on this).

Comprehension Questions
1. If the wheel that touches the roller is spinning at an angular velocity of 150 rpm, what is
the angular velocity of the motor (Assume that R1 and R2 both equal 4:3, and use your
measurements for R3 to determine RTotal)?

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2. If the wheel that touches the roller is spinning with a torque of 1 N*m, what is the
torque applied by the motor (assume the same setup as Question 1)?

7. REPORT REQUIREMENTS
The analysis for this lab will consist of a standard lab report. Include the following in your
report:
Tables
o Gear ratios
o Results
Plots
o Torque curves at different gear ratios (same graph)
o Power curves at different voltages (same graph)
Answer analysis questions
Answer comprehension questions

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