Our team is using a 2 wheel launcher with a gear ratio of large:medium:small (or something like that). It works fine for the first 12 balls we shoot. But once we get to the 13th ball the left motor starts to overheat. I’ve programmed it to go 64 when the trigger isn’t pressed and 127 for when you hold it. We have checked the friction of both wheels and they’re about the same. The only exploitation I can think of is that one of the gear on the left aren’t as loose/tight as on the right.
Here are the specs in case you need them:
2 high speed motors
2 omni directional wheels
runs for about 40-50 seconds before overheating
large gear to small medium gear to large gear to smallest gear
only left motor overheats
I would, first of all, highly recommend that you call the gears by the number of teeth they have. Right now, the terms “large gear” and “small gear” are very ambiguous, no offense. The largest gear has 84 teeth, the next one has 60 teeth, the next one has 36 teeth, and the smallest (the pinion) has 12 teeth.
Knowing the number of teeth you have will help us to get a better sense of what you are saying. Then we will know the gear ratio you are using.
Aside from that, I would say that using two motors is too few. If you have two more motors avialable, you should use them. A four motor flywheel is much easier to make than a two motor flywheel. Two motor flywheels require some form of black magic
And somehow I think most of us do not have black magic.
I don’t necessarily agree with 2 motor flywheels not being the best option. Having to build one cause of lack of motors I found if you condense the external and reduce as much friction as humanly possible a two motor flywheel can work perfectly fine. I am running a 1:21 external and speed ratio internally for about a 33.6 ratio if I remember right. And my flywheel shoots just fine and from what testing I have done so far can go the entire match without over heating.
i recommend you dont slow your flywheel down so much. one thing i noticed what that our flywheel had an easier time staying 100< constantly rather than slowing down and speeding back up. the flywheel preserves the momentum well.
Lubrication! Along with proper spacing. Using white lithium on the gears and some form of graphite on the bearings. Maybe design a ratchet system so the motors aren’t always spinning.
If your shot is going further than you want, lower the motor speed a bit in your code. If your motors are struggling, there’s no point making them have to do more than they need. As others mentioned, you could tack on another motor to each wheel.
First case of damage is not enough motors for the strain. or pushing too hard to soon, we have programed in a spin up time of 1.5 seconds.
The second time damage occurs if the moment of firing when launching the ball pushes against the drive of the motor causing a current spike.
With a ratchet on a gear we are trialling cutting power at the moment of shooting and letting the stored Angular Momentum launch the ball and then powering the motor back up for the next shot. All to prevent motors overheating.
We killed a motor in our first competition without a ratchet gear. Started with a 3 motor launcher finished with 5 motors to compensate for the death of a motor. Still won the comp…
Since only your left side overheats, you can put down (at least some) of your issues to friction. White lithium grease and graphite on bearings. Perfectly straight axles. Build a ratchet mechanism. Maybe if it’s possible you could consider a transmission system that transfers your flywheels motors to running your lift. Be it, if your design permits.
