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May any part of my system hang over the edge of the 4' x 8' board or must
the entire system be contained inside of these boundaries?
Parts of your system may hang over provided they are not in contact with
anything off the board. See Item # 4, problem statement.
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It was stated in Q&A # 4, Update 1 that a material can be placed in
the destination box to stop the balls from bouncing. Does that material have
to be placed in by the device or can the material be placed in by the operator
prior to starting the device?
It can be placed by you during assembly.
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Is the sheet of plywood being supported in such a manner that a C-clamp
can be attached to the edge across the 3/4 " dimension?
No. See item 2 in the problem statement. Also see Q&A #28.
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Are the surfaces of the platform, box, or plywood base painted?
No. All surfaces are untreated.
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Is it permissible to draw position lines and marks with a pencil on the
4x8 board to achieve an exact system setup?
No.
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Is it permissible to slide thin sheet metal under the edges of the 4x8
board?
No.
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Is it permissible to hammer nails or to screw screws into the outer vertical
edges (the 3/4in x 4ft and 3/4in x 8ft sides) of the 4x8 board, even though
they will leave small holes after being removed?
No. See Q&A # 7, Update 1.
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Does the 4x8 board lie on the floor in the competition room?
Yes.
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What is the minimum height of the competition room?
Typical indoor ceiling height (at least 8 ft).
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How many people can be used to assemble the system?
A maximum of four.
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If a ramp is used to transport the balls by which the heavier end is supported
by some vertical support, then the motor is used to remove the support causing
the ramp to pivot and thus lifting the balls to travel down the ramp, does
this violate the potential energy rule?
Yes. See Q&A #'s 16, 17 and 18, Update 2.
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If the ramp in Q&A # 38 is returned to its original position before
the balls come to rest, is the run valid?
Yes.
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Can the kinetic energy generated from the ramp in Q&A # 38 be used
to power another device?
Yes, provided Q&A # 39 holds.
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Do we get a fresh battery for each trial?
Yes.
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Can permanent magnets be used in the system?
It depends on how they are being used. If there is a significant net change
in magnetic potential energy (for any individual magnet), the design will
be disqualified. See item 4 in the problem statement and Q&A #'s 16,
17 and 18, Update 2.
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Answer # 17 states that "if potential energy of any system component is
used to supply power to the transport process ... the run will be disqualified."
Does that apply even if the potential energy of the component after the run
is greater than or equal to the energy before the run?
No. A run will be disqualified only if there is a net loss of potential energy
of a system component, and if the lost potential energy was used to power
the transport process.
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Does the destination box have to stay upright throughout the run?
Yes.
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Are "practice runs" permitted within the 5 minute set up time? If so,
can the practice run be "powered" by a different battery from that being
used for the actual run.
There is nothing to prohibit "practice runs" during the allotted assembly
time. ASME will only provide a single fresh battery for each official run.
You may use your own batteries for the "practice runs."
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Our system transports the balls to the box in a container. Is it OK if
this container is vibrating within the box after the transport?
The time stops "when the balls come to rest." If the balls are still vibrating,
they have not "come to rest." The transfer time stops when the balls stop
moving completely.
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Can a compressed gas be used to impart energy to the system or balls even
though the gas is at a higher energy state after being released?
No. All net energy used in the transport process must come from the battery.
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Item 5 under "Conducting a Trial" in the "Contest Guidelines" states that
a one to two minute presentation must be given before running the device.
Is this optional or required?
Required.