OPITO. Lego Challenge. Mechanics In Practice. Name. Pupil Booklet

Transcription

1 Lego Challenge Mechanics In Practice Pupil Booklet Name

2 2 Contents What is the Lego Challenge? 3 What is in the box? 4 Capacities Questionnaire - Before 5 Capacities Questionnaire - After 6 Lessons 1 & 2: Simple Machines: Lever 7 Simple Machines: Inclined Plane 10 Lessons 3 & 4: Simple Machines: Cam 14 Big Build 1: Hammer 18 Extension: Bouncing Ballerina 21 Lessons 5 & 6: Simple Machines: Pulley 22 Lessons 7 & 8: Big Build 2: Crane 27 Glossary 32 Evaluation 34 Vivien.Ellins@opito.com T:+44(0) Minerva House Bruntland Road Portlethen Aberdeen AB12 4QL

3 3 is the Lego What Challenge Have you ever played with Lego? Almost all of you will have come across Lego before now. This is an opportunity for you to use one of LEGO Education s activity packs, generously loaned to Meldrum Academy by and work as young scientists, engineers and designers, whilst playing with actual Lego. You are being encouraged to: Involve yourself in real world investigations Problem solve Make assumptions & predictions Design and make models and then see how these work Reflect (think about) and then perhaps re-design your model Record and present your findings.

4 4 What is in the blue box? There are 396 different Lego pieces in the box, including a motor. Buddy Building System All the models you build for the Activities are designed so two pupils can build at the same time. Each buddy builds his or her own subsystem using either the A or B instructions booklet. These subsystems are then put together to become one complete model. Principle Models You will start by building some of the Principle Models. These are mechanical and structural principles that are normally hidden away in inside everyday machines and structures e.g. gears and cams under a car bonnet. Activities You will quickly move on to Activities which use some of the Principle Models. These Activities follow LEGO Education s 4C approach: Connect, Construct, Contemplate and Continue. Connect You add to your brain s knowledge when you connect a new learning experience to those you already have. What everyday examples can you think of that use the models? Construct Learning is best when hands and minds are engaged Contemplate (Think) When you take time to think about what you ve done, you have the chance to make connections between previous knowledge and new experiences. Questions in this booklet will help you to make connections Continue The core tasks aren t the end of the story. There are extension ideas: you are encouraged to change or add features to your models and to investigate further

5 Lego Challenge Learner s Questionnaire - BEFORE To see how the OPTIO Lego Challenge has helped your learning you will be asked to complete 2 questionnaires; this one BEFORE you start the challenge and a similar one AFTER you have completed the challenge. Please answer each section. Name: Tutor Group: 5 1. Successful Learner Using a scale from 1 to 4, where 1 = No confidence and 4 = Very confident Rate your confidence in each of the following Subjects: Physics (eg. Forces or Electricity) Maths Technical Studies (eg. Materials, Making models) 2. Confident Individual 1 No confidence 2 Not very confident Rate your confidence in each of the following Personal Skills: Reading and following technical instructions Organising my work Problem Solving Working and Communicating with a partner 1 No confidence 2 Not very confident 3 Confident Using a scale from 1 to 4, where 1 = No confidence and 4 = Very confident 3. Effective Contributor 3 Confident Using a scale from 1 to 4, where 1 = No confidence and 4 = Very confident Rate how effective you are working as a member of a Team: 1 No confidence 2 Not very confident 3 Confident 4 Very confident 4 Very confident 4 Very confident Communicating my own ideas to others Listening to the ideas of others Contributing to decision making Being reliable Being responsibility Managing time Meeting deadlines 4. Responsible Citizen Looking ahead: Please tick any that apply In 5 years time, I think I will be 6 th Year College University Job In 10 years time, I think I will be College University Job: Please name if you can

6 6 Lego Challenge Learner s Questionnaire - AFTER To help assess how this challenge has contributed to your learning please complete this final questionnaire. Thank you. Name: 1. Successful Learner Tutor Group: Rate your confidence in each of the following Subjects: 1 No confidence 2 Not very confident 3 Confident 4 Very confident Physics (eg. Forces or Electricity) Maths Technical Studies (eg. Materials, Making models) 2. Confident Individual Using a scale from 1 to 4, where 1 = No confidence and 4 = Very confident Rate your confidence in each of the following Personal Skills: Reading and following technical instructions Organising my work Problem Solving Working and Communicating with a partner 3. Effective Contributor 1 No confidence 2 Not very confident 3 Confident 4 Very confident Using a scale from 1 to 4, where 1 = No confidence and 4 = Very confident Rate how effective you are working as a member of a Team: 1 No confidence 2 Not very confident 3 Confident 4 Very confident Communicating my own ideas to others Listening to the ideas of others Contributing to decision making Being reliable Being responsibility Managing time Meeting deadlines 4. Responsible Citizen Looking ahead: Please tick any that apply In 5 years time, I think I will be 6 th Year College University Job In 10 years time, I think I will be College University Job: Please name if you can

7 7 Simple Machines: Lever The lever is probably the most commonly used simple machine. A lever is a rigid bar or solid object that is used to transfer force. Effort, a pivot and a load are the 3 features that are common in every lever. Depending on the positions of these 3 features, you can tell the difference between first, second or third class levers Load Effort Pivot First class levers have the pivot positioned between the effort and the load. Examples of first class levers include a seesaw and scissors. Load Effort Pivot Second class levers have the pivot and the effort at opposite ends and the load positioned between the two. Examples of second class levers include wheel barrows and bottle openers. Effort Load Pivot Third class levers have the pivot and the load at opposite ends and the effort positioned between the two e.g. tweezers and ice tongs.

8 8 A1: Build A1 book I, pages 2 to 3 Press down on the lever to lift the load. Describe how hard or easy it was to lift the load. Label the pivot, load, and effort. Use a circle to show exactly where each one is. Which class of lever is this? A2: Build A2 book I, pages 4 to 5 Raise the lever. Describe how hard or easy it was to lift the load. Label the pivot, load, and effort. Use a circle to show exactly where each one is. Which class of lever is this? A3: Build A3 book I, pages 6 to 7 Raise the lever. Describe how hard or easy it was to lift the load. Label the pivot, load, and effort. Use a circle to show exactly where each one is. Which class of lever is this? How do you think you did? What could you improve on?

9 Lever An Industry Example 9 A Butterfly Valve is a good example of the practical use of a lever in the oil and gas industry. Butterfly valves are used in pipes to control the flow of liquid or gas. The Butterfly shaped disc can be opened to allow the fluid to flow through the pipe or closed to stop it. Turning the lever at the top make is much easier to open the butterfly valve against the tight seal that is in place. Turning the lever makes it easier to open the butterfly valve against the tight seal. Tight rubber seal locks the disc in place. Butterfly shaped disc can be opened or closed to control the flow of the liquid or gas. The diameter of the pipe can be between 15cms and 65cms. Skills at Work Lever - Butterfly Valve - Lever - Hydraulic Press - People who do this in their job include: Mechanical Technician Production Technician Mechanical Engineer

10 10 Simple Machines: Inclined Plane Did you know? The advantage of using an inclined plane has been known and used for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians used inclined planes made of earth to ease the transport of their giant stone blocks to the top of the pyramids.

11 11 Simple Machines: Inclined Plane Simple Machines: Inclined Plane an inclined plane is a slanted surface used to raise objects, e.g. a ramp. Distance Height Using an inclined plane to raise an object to a given height, the object must be moved a longer distance, but with less effort needed, than if the object was to be raised straight up. It s a trade-off either to use a lot of effort to raise a given load a short distance straight upwards or to apply much less force to raise it gradually over the longer distance of an inclined plane. Common examples of inclined planes are ramps, ladders and stairs.

12 12 Simple Machines: Inclined Plane D1:Build D1 book II, pages 2 to 12 Let go of the load. Describe what happens. D2: Build D2 book II, pages 13 to 15 Let go of the load. Describe what happens. How do you think you did? What could you improve on?

13 Inclined Plane An Industry Example 13 A mud hopper is an example of an inclined plane used in the oil and gas industry. Drilling mud is a specially-made liquid used in the drilling process. It is made from a mixture of dry and liquid materials mixed in the mud hopper. Sides of the funnel form an inclined plane 1. Mud flows through the pipe 2. Pouring in the dry ingredients 3. Drilling mud In the pictures above: 1. Mud flows through the pipe at the base of the blue hopper. 2. The dry ingredients are poured down the inclined plane and pick up speed. This enables them to mix smoothly and evenly into the drilling mud. 3. The drilling mud is then used to cool and lubricate the drill-bit during the drilling operation. The mud also carries away any rock chipping's that are created during drilling. These chipping's are then inspected by a mudlogger. People who do this in their job include: Drilling Engineer Mudlogger

14 14 Simple Machines: Cam Did you know? Spring-loaded cams are used by rock climbers to tightly grip rock crevices so that they can then attach climbing ropes.

15 15 Mechanisms: Cam A cam is a shaped frame turning about an axis, like a rotating wheel. Follower Cam Axis A cam is used to control the timing and degree of movement of a follower. Cams can be circular, pear shaped or irregular shapes. Cams and cam followers are very prone to wear due to friction. Cam followers often have tiny rollers attached to them to reduce this friction. Common use of cam mechanisms are clamps, an electric toothbrush and an engine camshaft.

16 16 Mechanisms: Cam H1 Build H1 book III, pages 26 to 27 Turn the handle and describe the movement of the follower. How do you think you did? What could you improve on?

17 17 Cam An Industry Example Oil and gas platforms produce all the electricity that they needed on the platform. Turbines are used to produce the electricity they are normally driven by gas. A back-up system is on stand-by should the main power system fail. The backup system is driven by diesel oil. A cam system is used to open and close the valves needed for the diesel system The camshaft is the central, rotating axis The 2 cam lobes turn allowing the valves underneath to open and close in turn VIEW ANIMATION: People who do this in their job include: Mechanical Technician Production Technician Mechanical Engineer

18 18 Big Build 1: The Hammer Watch the Lego video clip of the Hammer This is a building activity The person building subsystem A is The person building subsystem B is How do you think you did? What could you improve on?

19 19 The Hammer How can you make a Hammer machine that makes it easy to hammer different nails into different surfaces? Let s find out! Build the Hammer (all of book 4A and book 4B to page 11, step 14). Make sure that the Hammer lifts and drops smoothly. If it is too stiff, loosen the bushings and make sure all other elements fit tightly together. Which gears have most friction when tested by hand? How much force is needed to push the axle through each gear? 8-tooth spur gear 24 tooth 24-tooth crown gear 40-tooth spur gear 4 = most force, 1 = least force Which gears have most friction when tested by the Hammer? How many hits with the Hammer are needed to push the axle through each gear? 8 tooth 24 tooth 24-tooth crown gear 40 tooth Which is the better test system, and why?

20 20 Hammering An Industry Example Seismic is one of the most important tools in exploration work in the oil and gas industry. It uses sound waves to investigate the structure of rocks Underground. On land a thumper truck is used. It hammers the ground repetitively with a heavy iron plate. The sound waves travel down into the ground and are reflected back up by the rock layers below. A system of listening microphones in another truck picks up the reflected sound waves. Thumper truck Seismographic recording truck Thumper truck uses repetitive hammering on land to carry out seismic surveys.

21 21 Extension: Bouncing Ballerina (book 4B page 23, step 21) Try out these cam shaft designs (dance programme) Connect each cam shaft with one of the 4 dance diagrams Dance 1 Dance 2 Dance 3 Dance 4 Other Ideas * Hiding your cams - can anyone guess your dance programme * Making the ballerina s arms wave * Making your own cam profiles

22 Teamwork Working with others Working with others or working in a team is very important in the engineering industry and in many other industries too. People in the team need to work together to get a big job done. Often problems arise along the way and they need to be solved. Good communication, talking with your team about a problem, can really help you find a solution. Look at these videos to see how good team work helps these industry apprentices get their job done. Video 1 - Teamwork Video 2 - Teamwork Video 3 - Teamwork 3 -

23 22 Simple Machines: Pulley Effort Drive Wheel Did you know? A pulley is also called a drum and may have a groove around its circumference. The drive element of a pulley system can be a rope, cable, belt or chain that runs over the pulley inside the groove. 50kg 50kg 50kg 100kg

24 23 Simple Machines: Pulley Pulleys are wheels that are moved by ropes, chains or belts around their rims. In a belt driven pulley a continuous belt joins two pulley wheels. The wheel to which an external force is applied (effort) is called the drive wheel,and the other the driven wheel. When the drive wheel turns the belt moves and causes the driven wheel to turn in the same direction. If the drive wheel is smaller than the driven wheel, the driven wheel will turn more slowly than the drive wheel. Belt driven pulleys rely on belt friction to transmit motion. If the belt is too tight the belt will create wasteful friction forces on the pulley axle and bearing. If too loose the belt will slip and the effort is not used efficiently. Slip is an overload protection safety feature of beltoperated machinery. For heavy lifting jobs; multiple pulley wheels can be combined into a lifting system that makes lifting heavy objects easier. Using a single pulley to lift a load doesn t make it easier, but it changes the direction of motion. It only allows you to lift a load up by the pulling of the Rope. Pulleys can be either movable or fixed. The difference between fixed and movable pulleys are that fixed pulleys do not move up or down when the load is being moved. Common examples of pulleys are found in window blinds, curtains and flagpoles. VIEW VIDEO: Pulley -

25 24 C1 Build C1 book I, page 18 Turn the handle and describe the speeds of the drive and the driven pulley wheels. Then gently increase your grip on the output pointer and describe what happens. C2 Build C2 book I, page 19 Turn the handle and describe the speeds of the drive and the driven pulley wheels. Then gently increase your grip on the output pointer and describe what happens. C3 Build C3 book I, page 20 Turn the handle and describe the speeds of the drive and the driven pulley wheels. Then gently increase your grip on the output pointer and describe what happens.

26 C4 Build C7 book I, pages 26 to 27 Turn the handle and describe the speeds of the drive and driven pulley wheels. Label the drive and driven pulley wheels. Use a circle to show exactly where each one is. 25 C5 Build C9 book I, pages 32 to 35 Pull the string to lift the load. Describe what happens C6 Build C10 book I, page 36 Pull the string to lift the load. Describe what happens. How do you think you did? What could you improve on?

27 26 Pulley An Industry Example Pulleys are used on oil and gas drilling rigs to help raise and lower the drill string. This is the system of drill pipes, tools and the drill bit, essential for drilling oil or gas wells deep into the surface of the earth. The system is very heavy. It needs to be raised and lowered with great care at different times throughout the drilling operations. In this diagram of a drilling rig pulleys are part of: Part 13: the crown block Part 11: the travelling block The drill string is Part 25 is and the drill bit is Part 26. People involved in the drilling practice are the drill crew. They include: - Driller - Roughneck The role of a Roustabout is to keep the drilling area in good working order. You can find out more about these roles at

28 27 Big Build 2: Tower Crane Watch the Lego video clip of the Tower Crane. For this big build activity you and your buddy should change roles from your last big build. If you were A building the Hammer, you will be B building the crane. The person building subsystem A is The person building subsystem B is Build the Tower Crane and Load (Building Instruction 16A and 16B to page 28, step 38)

29 28 Big Build 2: Tower Crane Place the Tower Crane on the lid of the blue box. Why do cranes use pulleys? Cranes use pulley systems because they can pull with less effort than is needed for a direct lift. Two or more pulley wheels can be combined to make the lifting easier or quicker. Mechanical Advantage is a measure of how much easier or faster a machine does a piece of work. First, observe the mechanical advantage and predict with which speed pulley setup A will lift the load. Test your prediction. Mechanical advantage My prediction for Speed Length lifted Lifting time Speed A (page 28, 1 step 38) How do you think you did? What could you improve on?

30 29 Tower Crane Fill in your results for A in the table below. Change the pulley setups for B (page 29, step 39). Observe the mechanical advantage then predict with which speed the load will be lifted. Test your prediction. Mechanical advantage My prediction Length lifted Lifting time Speed A (page 28, step 38) 1 B (page 29, step 39) C (page 30, step 40) Change the pulley setups for C (page 30, step 40). Observe the mechanical advantage then predict with which speed the load will be lifted. Test your prediction.

31 30 Redesign Needed? Tower Cranes are often built to match special needs. Now redesign the Tower Crane to make it the best in its class. We have highighted some question you could explore. Choose one area that you would like to investigate. Then design a test that will help you explore how it functions and possible additional improvements you could make to your new Tower Crane. What if you wanted to pick up from one place and put down to the left or right of that place how would you change the structure where the jib meets the tower? What if you wanted to lift loads more quickly how would you change the arrangement for raising the pulley? What if you want the crane to lift loads higher - how would you change the tower? What if you wanted to lift heavier loads - how would you change the pulley?

32 31 Cranes An Industry Example Cranes are used both offshore and onshore in the oil and gas industry. A crane on the offshore platform lifts containers and other essential supplies from the supply vessel onto the platform. The containers hold smaller items like food and drinking water or small pieces of equipment like valves, tools and drill bits. Larger items like drill pipes and steel piping are loaded individually. Onshore cranes are used to load the supply vessel. All lifting operations require specialist training.

33 32 Glossary A Acceleration: Advantage: Axle The rate at which speed increases. If a car is accelerating it is moving faster. The ratio of the output force to the input force of a machine. A rod through the centre of a wheel. It transmits force from an engine to the wheel in a car. B Balanced Force An object is balanced and does not move when all the forces acting on it are equal and opposite. C Cams A none-circular wheel that rotates and moves a follower. It converts rotary movement of the cam into reciprocating or oscillating the movement of the follower. Counter balance A force often provided by the weight of an object you use to reduce or remove the effects of another force. A crane uses a large concrete block on the short arm of its jib to counter the unbalancing effect of the load on the other longer arm. Crank An arm or handle connected to a shaft or axle at right angles enabling the shaft to be easily turned. D Driven gear Driver E Effort machine. Energy F Fair testing Follower Force Fulcrum G Gear Gearing down See follower The part of a machine, usually a gear, pulley, lever, crank or axle, where the force first comes into the machine. The force or amount of force that you or something else puts into a The.capacity to do work Measuring the performance of a machine by comparing its performance under different conditions. Usually a gear, pulley or lever driven by another one. A push or a pull See Pivot A toothed wheel or cog. The teeth of the gears mesh together to transmit movement. A small driver turns a larger follower and amplifies the force from the effort. The follower turns more slowly. Gearing up A large driver turns a smaller follower and reduces the force from the effort. But the follower turns more quickly.

34 33 I Inclined Plane L Lever Load M Machine Mass Mechanism P Pivot Pulley Pulley wheel Pulley block S Slip Speed Strut T Tensile forces Torque A slanted surface or ramp generally used to raise an object with less effort that is needed to lift it directly. A cam is a special sort of inclined plane. A bar that pivots about a fixed point when an effort is applied to it. Any force a structure is opposing, such as a weight or mass. The amount of resistance placed on a machine. A device that makes work easier or faster to do. It usually contains mechanisms. Mass is the quantity of matter in an object A simple arrangement of components that transforms the size or direction of a force, and the speed of its output. The point around which something turns or rotates, such as the pivot of a lever. A wheel with a grooved rim used with a belt, chain or rope. Changes the direction of the applied force. A pulley does not move with the load. One or more pulleys in a moveable frame with ropes or chains running around them to one or more fixed pulleys. The pulley block moves with the load and reduces the applied force needed to lift the load. A belt or rope slipping, usually on a pulley wheel as a safety feature. See Velocity A member of a structure that is in compression. Struts prevent parts of structures from moving towards each other. Forces in a structure that pull in opposite directions trying to stretch the structure. The turning force coming from an axle U Unbalanced force A force that is not opposed by an equal and opposite force. An object feeling an unbalanced force must begin to move in some way W Weight Work See Mass We calculate the work done by multiplying the force needed to move an object by the distance it is moved.

35 34 Lego Challenge Your thoughts about this challenge will help us when we do it again with other pupils. Name: Tutor Group: What 3 things did you ENJOY MOST in the Lego Challenge, and why? ENJOY MOST WHY? Words that might help you: real-life challenging buddy-build industry constructing crane working Inclined hammer fun models cam Now complete the form on page 6. Thank you!

36 Here are some roles within the industry that may interest you! IT Technician Mudlogger Environmental Advisor Geologist Production Technician Mechanical Engineer Geophysicist Human Resources