Co2 Dragster Project

By Noah Chang and Michael Bussanich

Step 1 - Identify the Problem

The problem is to create a wooden car that can be pushed forward using Co2. The car starts on an elevated track and is pushed forward using CO2. The car must be lightweight and aerodynamic, the more lightweight and aerodynamic the car is, the faster the car will move. If the car is more aerodynamic then it will move faster because there is less drag from the wind. Also, the wheels must be thin to make the car have less friction.

Framing Design Brief

Framing Design Brief

Power Plant

Co2 Cartridge

Wheel Base

Axle hole

Dragster body

Screw eyes

Step 3 - Investigate and Research

Drag- pull along forcefully

aerodynamics - the study of the properties of moving air, and especially of the interaction between the air and solid bodies moving through it.

Weight- a body’s relative mass.

aesthetics -a set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty

speed - the rate at which someone or something is able to operate

acceleration - increase in the rate or speed of something

Mass- a coherent, typically large body of matter with no definite shape

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Step 3 - Investigate and Research

Newton’s laws:

1. Law of inertia, an object at rest will stay at rest and object in motion will stay in motion.
2. Law of Force, force equals mass times acceleration
3. Law of Actions, for every action there is an equal but opposite reaction

The two fastest cars in the world are Hennessey Venom GT (270 mph) and Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (268 mph)

They are the fastest cars in the world because they are aerodynamic and have been designed very well. Their flat designs and curves allow wind to flow off of them easily to create less drag. They also both have very powerful engines.

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Step 3 - Investigate and Research

Two fast dragsters designs are the Nitro Ninja and US Army. The are fast because they are aerodynamic and are designed with a very powerful engine.

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Step 3 - Investigation and Research

Materials Information:

Step 3 - Investigation and Research (Research Questions)

1. Oak wood is more dense and is harder to cut while bass wood is lighter and easier to cut.
2. Aluminum is cheaper than Steel and steel is a mixture of iron and chrome and is rust resistant.
3. ABS is impact resistant, so we use that for our wheels. LDPE is less strong and easier to puncture and bend
4. We use zinc plated eye hook instead of a stainless steel eye hook is because a stainless steel eye hook is more expensive.

Research Questions: Compare and Contrast:

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1. Oak Wood vs Bass Wood ,
2. Aluminum Rod vs Steel Rod,
3. ABS vs LDPE
4. Zinc plated eye hook vs Stainless steel eye hook

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Use these resources:

• http://www.wood-database.com
• https://www.mcmaster.com/
• http://www.technologystudent.com/joints/joindex.htm

Thumbnail Sketches

Step 4 - Identify Possible Solutions

Idea 1:

Idea 2:

Step 4 - Identify Possible Solutions

Idea 1:

Idea 2:

Step 5 - Choose Best Solution

Step 5 - Choose Best Solution

The best solution is idea 2 because it has better qualities than idea 1. Although idea 1 takes less time to build and is easier, build 2 is more aerodynamic and weighs less. For example, on idea 2 there are cutouts on the side and the back that decreases the mass of idea 2. Also, idea 2 would function much better than idea 1 and go faster than idea 1 due to its aerodynamics. Idea 2 is much more aerodynamic than idea 1 since it has a gradual slope while idea 1’s slope is steeper.

Step 6 - Develop Solution

Step 6 - Develop Solution

1. We had to make some changes as we worked to improve our design. The changes we had to make were making the axle shorter so that the wheels would not be wobbly.
2. The cutting was difficult because we had to get it very precise, sanding was difficult because the car was very skinny and flimsy so we had to be very careful, and cutting the axles was difficult because we had to cut it to an exact measurement.
3. We would like to improve on the sturdiness of the car, making smoother curves, and making the car straighter because it is uneven on both sides.

Step 6 - Develop Solution

Final Idea

Step 7 - Implement Solution

Step 8 - Test / Evaluate Solution

Average Weight: 182 grams

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Average Time:

1.21 seconds

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Average Speed:

18.5 m/s

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Step 8 - Test / Evaluate Solution

Works Cited

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-3/Newton-s-Second-Law

https://www.bugatti.com/veyron/veyron-164-super-sport/

http://www.draglist.com/draglist/category.php?VIEW=Extended&CATEGORY%5B%5D=TOPFUEL&x=dragsters&SORTBY=MPH+DESC%2CYEAR%2CET