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Kinetic Energy of Hydraulic Door Closer

Accelerometer Study

The goal of this project was to learn more about the dynamics of a commonly used mechanism involving a linkage. For our chosen experiment, an accelerometer was used to determine the energy stored in the hydraulic system that opens and closes handicap doors. All of the dynamics of this process were modeled using an accelerometer placed on the four-bar linkage at the top of the door. The data were analyzed in MATLAB. A video of the door opening and the attached accelerometer are seen to the right. A model of the kinetic energy of the system made in MATLAB is shown below.

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matlab.JPG
doorcloser.JPG

What I Learned

I learned the importance of conducting multiple iterations of the same experiment and developed a better understanding of the intricacies of dealing with noise in data.

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