Crumple Zone Design Process
1. Identify the problem: The problem is that a 200 gram of water-filled water bottle is dropped, and we have to design and create a crumple zone to protect the egg (from both breaking and cracks) from the bottle being dropped on top of it.
2. Generate ideas:
- "pyramid"4x4x4 hollow pyramid to crumple in and absorb impact
- hard construction paper crumpled into a ball
- Staple construction paper into a cylindrical shape with a weak lower body (to absorb impact and "crumple", and then another cylinder in the middle and above the base cylinder to take the initial hit and "shock absorbers" surrounding it.
3. Research
- Theoretical Research: More surface area = more energy absorbed from impact. Inward crumples absorb the impact better than outward crumples.
- Empirical Research: Crumple zones sometimes called a "controlled crush", in that it is meant to be crushed in order to better absorb the impact. Initially created for cars. Lightweight plastic components reduce vehicle weight and absorb impacts well, making for great crumple zones.
- Why a crumple zone even works "logically": Newton's second law of motion states that force = mass of acceleration, so as the time it takes for an automobile to come to rest or change direction is increased, the force experienced by the automobile (and its occupants) is decreased. Conversely too, if the time to stop is shorter, the force experienced is greater. Crumple zones add time to the crash by absorbing energy.
"Physics in the Crumple Zone Demonstrate How Less Stiff Materials, Like Plastic, Can Help Prevent Injury and Save Lives." Physics in the Crumple Zone. American Chemistry Council, 2015. Web. 07 May 2015. <http://www.plastics-car.com/Todays-Automobiles/Automotive-Safety/Physics-in-the-Crumple-Zone-2.html>.
4. Constraints
- About 3 inches by 3 inches by 3 inches to 5 inches by 5 inches by 5 inches area to work with (crumple zone)
- No cracks or damage to egg
- Most efficiency in least amount of supplies
- Only two final tests allowed
5. Criteria:
- Total Surface Area (More surface area to crumple should absorb more energy-better crumple)
- Total Crumple space (how much of the design will crumple?)
- Projected Effectiveness (will the egg be saved?)
- Impact Absorption (Most crumple)
6. Possible Solutions:
1. 4x4x4 Box
2. 3x3x3 hollow pyramid
3. Staple construction paper into a cylindrical shape with a weak lower body (to absorb impact and "crumple", and then another cylinder in the middle and above the base cylinder to take the initial hit and "shock absorbers" surrounding it.
2. Generate ideas:
- "pyramid"4x4x4 hollow pyramid to crumple in and absorb impact
- hard construction paper crumpled into a ball
- Staple construction paper into a cylindrical shape with a weak lower body (to absorb impact and "crumple", and then another cylinder in the middle and above the base cylinder to take the initial hit and "shock absorbers" surrounding it.
3. Research
- Theoretical Research: More surface area = more energy absorbed from impact. Inward crumples absorb the impact better than outward crumples.
- Empirical Research: Crumple zones sometimes called a "controlled crush", in that it is meant to be crushed in order to better absorb the impact. Initially created for cars. Lightweight plastic components reduce vehicle weight and absorb impacts well, making for great crumple zones.
- Why a crumple zone even works "logically": Newton's second law of motion states that force = mass of acceleration, so as the time it takes for an automobile to come to rest or change direction is increased, the force experienced by the automobile (and its occupants) is decreased. Conversely too, if the time to stop is shorter, the force experienced is greater. Crumple zones add time to the crash by absorbing energy.
"Physics in the Crumple Zone Demonstrate How Less Stiff Materials, Like Plastic, Can Help Prevent Injury and Save Lives." Physics in the Crumple Zone. American Chemistry Council, 2015. Web. 07 May 2015. <http://www.plastics-car.com/Todays-Automobiles/Automotive-Safety/Physics-in-the-Crumple-Zone-2.html>.
4. Constraints
- About 3 inches by 3 inches by 3 inches to 5 inches by 5 inches by 5 inches area to work with (crumple zone)
- No cracks or damage to egg
- Most efficiency in least amount of supplies
- Only two final tests allowed
5. Criteria:
- Total Surface Area (More surface area to crumple should absorb more energy-better crumple)
- Total Crumple space (how much of the design will crumple?)
- Projected Effectiveness (will the egg be saved?)
- Impact Absorption (Most crumple)
6. Possible Solutions:
1. 4x4x4 Box
2. 3x3x3 hollow pyramid
3. Staple construction paper into a cylindrical shape with a weak lower body (to absorb impact and "crumple", and then another cylinder in the middle and above the base cylinder to take the initial hit and "shock absorbers" surrounding it.
Even though the cylinder and box tied in the the this criteria planning graph, we still decided to go with the cylinder because it felt more practical and because in the won in the projected effectiveness and impact absorption.
Summary:
The cylinder was determined to be the best and we will go about creating the solution by making it. The style of graphical model that I made is a SketchUp model. Our alternative plan is the redesign the cylinder by adding more crumple zones to the design.
The cylinder was determined to be the best and we will go about creating the solution by making it. The style of graphical model that I made is a SketchUp model. Our alternative plan is the redesign the cylinder by adding more crumple zones to the design.
Redesigning Crumple Zone
What we changed and why...
Added more crumple space to our new design because the old design was too sturdy in the bottom and didn't have enough crumple space in it, resulting in a completely shattered egg. More crumple zone should increase chances of egg survival - This is theoretical research
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It did not work. The egg was completely shattered, and by watching other group's eggs and my egg shatter, I now understand why - We did not have enough of a crumple zone. For the designs of all the groups that failed (all but 1 group), our designs were all flexible and bendable, but never "crumpable" enough.
Added more crumple space to our new design because the old design was too sturdy in the bottom and didn't have enough crumple space in it, resulting in a completely shattered egg. More crumple zone should increase chances of egg survival - This is theoretical research
____________________________________________________________________________________
It did not work. The egg was completely shattered, and by watching other group's eggs and my egg shatter, I now understand why - We did not have enough of a crumple zone. For the designs of all the groups that failed (all but 1 group), our designs were all flexible and bendable, but never "crumpable" enough.