Mechanical Design and Fabrication of a Test Apparatus for Magnetically Actuated Gear Box Prototypes

            The objective of this project is to design, develop, and demonstrate a test apparatus intended to characterize air worthy magnetic gear based gearboxes for utility actuation winch applications. The test apparatus consists of two carts, one to support the winch and one to provide a controlled load. We have designed, built and demonstrated both carts. The winch support cart is essentially a wagon designed to be easily transported to the test location where it is moored to prevent movement during testing. The second cart is designed to carry up to a 1600 lb. load in order to provide sufficient friction between the tires and ground to prevent slipping during testing. It incorporates a steering system that enables the cart to continuously self-adjust to maintain alignment with the winch line. The actual load to the winch is provided by an electronically controlled braking system that utilizes a load cell on the winch line for feedback to a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control system. The load cart was designed for this application to support the expected dynamic forces. Full characterization of the magnetic winch’s performance over its designed range of operation will enable a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the design and provide a basis for improvement in future winch prototypes.