Polywog
I've finally figured out how to hold a fluke tendon without breaking it! This is the old motor, which I don't like, but it's still working okay.
The new motor-battery system! It fits into the same isolation chamber/fins. The last motor-battery system only can provide maximum continuous power of only 230 watts; even then, with a risk of overheating. This new system has two 350 watt motors (700 watts, total), the motors (see further below) are heat tolerant, and they are made for low speed. The battery pack uses D size batteries, which can be removed. A range of chemistries and weights can be tested. This first set is lead-acid paste batteries, which are about 3-4 pounds heavier than NiMH or LiPo.
BODY CAUDAL FIN
Operating at about 39 watts (average), a "body caudal fin", marine mammal, arrangement of the fins.
Medial Paired Fin
Same motor, motor controller, frequency/magnitude controller settings, batteries, fins, and fin-springs as in the "body caudal fin" arrangement, but in "medial paired-fin" arrangement.
The "medial paired fin" arrangement is important, because the battery in a Phish with this motor alignment can run the length of the Phish. You can see this mophology here.
The next improvement in this design is to replace the motor and batteries in the guts of the Phish with a much more powerful set up. The motor in the Phish, above, can only handle 230 watts of continuous power and when it overheats, the motor tears itself apart. The two motors, below, are capable of about 600 watts and are much more heat tolerant.
I installed driveshaft anchors in the polycarbonate hemispheres which make the two sides of the isolation chamber, mounted the motor, its batteries, and inertial mass on the driveshaft, bolted the hemispheres to the joint ring, and put it in the water. It didn't leak! The displacement was in the ball-park for what we want. The motor, batteries, and inertial mass are close to being balanced on the driveshaft (this is adjustable)! I was really happy with this test.
Test of the isolation chamber! No leaks!
The O-ring came today in the mail. I couldn't wait for daylight to try it out.
I'm itching to get the motor installed in the isolation chamber. Here, I've suspended the batteries and motor (without the lead) on temporary flanges, just to see how it looks. The same polycarbonate hemispheres and motor will be able to go around two joint rings (see below), which is pretty amazing, all by itself. All robotic fish that I have seen have completely integrated motor and fins; you can't just swap out a joint ring and put a different set of fins on the motor.
We're going to test efficiency with this simplified system. No, its hydrodynamics aren't great, but the tests will all be at slow speed.
One of the cool things about this setup, is that we will be able to switch between a "Body Caudal Fin-" or BCF-type fin (above) and a "Medial Paired Fin-" or MPF-type fin, to the left. We'll be able to do this USING THE SAME MOTOR SYSTEM! That's really wild. Before now, different fin types all have different motor systems.
Built around a Torque Reaction Engine
Motor rated up to 218 watts, LiPo batteries providing 29.6V and 15Ah of power. Two Arduino Portenas, one for the motor, another for sensors.
Isolation chamber... stainless steel or polycarbonate?