| Can the tires of the model car extend outside the maximum dimension of the car (45 mm width) to balance the weight of the device and the funnel full with 1 liter of water? 2. From Competition Statement: "The unobstructed area beneath the funnel will be a minimum of 0.5 m on all sides of the funnel opening." Note: I am confused about the above sentence so can you please explain what are the meanings of the above mentioned statement. 3.Do we need to put only the device in the box of dimension 370 x 165 x 165 mm in its full assembled condition or assembled with the model car too? | |
| No. However see response to part 2. Your car will not have to support the funnel full of water. 2. The funnel will be mounted by the judges at the proper height for all competitors at the start of the competition. The statement about unobstructed area beneath the funnel means that the funnel support stand will be constructed so that your device has at least 0.5 meters of space from the outlet of the funnel and below, in all directions. 3. The device and car must fit in the box. | |
| Does the water source device for the H2Go contest have to remain on the vehicle at all times (from the moment pouring starts until the cart stops) or if the water source device is strictly just used to collect energy in something like a battery and then the battery must be transferred to the cart? | |
| Your device to transfer water energy to the car does not have to remain with the car throughout the competition. | |
| We will be able to put guides on the car? Will this count in the weight of the device? | |
| You can modify the car as you see fit, as long as the car and your modifications satisfy all of Device Requirements #4 conditions. | |
| 1. Must the water stay in a liquid form? 2. Can the car be already built? How much of the car must be completely build by the students? 3. Is stored energy considered a battery? coal? wood? solar? | |
| 1. The water will start as a liquid, and must be in a liquid state at the end of the run when it will be returned to the funnel. Your device must also be judged safe by the judges to be allowed to compete. 2. You can purchase, modify, or build a car completely from components as your team sees fit. 3. Batteries, coal and wood are stored energy sources. Collecting solar power will not be allowed since this involves an external energy source beyond the elevated water. (Device Requirements #1) | |
| Under device requirements #4. "Not to be used as a projectile" What is your definition of a projectile? Is it only meaning the car cannot leave the ground? | |
| Yes, your car cannot be launched through space, but must travel across the ground. | |
| Is there a time limit on how long it takes for the device to collect energy? I noticed there was 20 seconds for pouring so once those 20 seconds are up is the device free to collect energy until the car stops? | |
| There is no time limit. The device can collect energy from the water until it stops. | |
| Because the contest venue is chosen without knowing how far the cars can travel, what happens if the room chosen is not long enough and the car arrives at an obstacle (ex: walls, steps) before using all energy stored on the car? Can the car be moved to a new position and then released to add to the distance traveled? | |
| The organizers of the Student Professional Development Conferences where the design competitions will be held will make every effort to provide sufficient distance to avoid a moving vehicle striking a wall. If this happens, the judges will make an adjustment to the location at the end of the competition, and all vehicles that were stopped by the wall will re-run the entire competition again (two runs as per the competition rules). | |
| As understood from the problem statement the car will use a source of energy to move during the competition. This energy should come from the potential energy obtained from the 1L of water. The question is, what type of energy source should the car use to move? I.E 100% electrical(recharged battery) or 100% mechanical(twisted rubberband). | |
| Whatever method your design team selects. | |
| Can electronics be used to release the car? For example, the car is held in place by a gate and a servo lifts the gate, but the process of lifting the gate adds no power to the car. | |
| Electrical energy to activate a servo would be considered stored energy (Device Requirements 1) and this energy must be returned to it's pre-competition level. | |
| Can car go down a ramp, as long as the ramp fits in the box? | |
| Your vehicle will begin on a flat surface. If you choose to incorporate a ramp you must get your vehicle up the ramp during your competition run. Starting a vehicle at the top of a ramp would represent initial stored (potential) energy and will not be allowed. | |
| Can there be an aspect of the assembled device folded while in the box (to satisfy dimensional requirements) and unfolded while water is being poured/during the test? And can something exceed the box dimensions during the test? | |
| As per Device Requirements 3: Your device may "unfold" itself during the competition as long as it does so itself. If the device uses stored energy to "unfold", the stored energy must be returned to the starting level. During the test runs the device may exceed the box dimensions and does not have to return to box dimensions at the end. | |
| Is there a height restriction on the car? | |
| No. Your vehicle must fit within the box dimensions (Device Requirements 3) and satisfy Device Requirements 4.2 and 4.3 for dimension constraints. | |
| From Device Requirement #3 I gather that the device can expand beyond the required dimensions after the run has begun. My question is, does the device have to contract back to fit the dimension requirements at the end of the run? | |
| No. | |
| In the competition Course Description it states: "The competition surface will be the available flooring at the contest venue. This surface may be indoor/outdoor carpeting, industrial/commercial carpeting or hard flooring. Contestants must be prepared to compete on any of the above surfaces, as the contest venue’s flooring will not be specified prior to the competition." Will we be allowed to bring multiple cars each made for a specific flooring option and pick a desired car to use after seeing the competition flooring? | |
| Yes. Your device will be inspected by the judges during the check in process for the competition after you have seen the competition surface. By this time, your team must have selected the components that you plan to use. | |
| In the problem statement it states: "If any stored energy is used in the device besides the elevated water, teams must prove that the amount of additional stored energy after the device operates is equal to or greater than the initial stored energy." If a weight started off the ground at the beginning of the competition and was somehow moved by the water and struck the car to propel it, would the weight have to return to the same height at the end. Would this weight off the ground be considered stored energy? | |
| An elevated weight would be considered stored energy | |
| Under the projectile restriction: is the car allowed to slide along the ground? | |
| Yes | |
| Can the car be struck to make it move as long as it is kept on the ground? | |
| Yes | |
| Can the water be used to compress air? | |
| Yes |
