Week 4

Accomplished this week:
- Continued working on Solidworks model of SeaPerch. The model is now almost complete and comprehensive, containing every detail required for the construction which the group has worked out so far.

Figure 2: Changes so far: added mounting brackets for the motors, added the big red floaties on the top, added bushings for the center pipe where the belts will be.

- Finished a bill of materials for the submersible. Extra material was acquired from the Drexel Formula SAE team, because it was just lying around unused.
- Cut all PVC pipes to length to allow frame assembly to take place.
- Assembly of the SeaPerch frame was completed, proving that the modifications to the frame were workable.
- Aluminum brackets were fabricated, to allow the center pole containing the motors to rotate freely.

Bending aluminum around pipe to make a bracket. Safety was a priority in this fabrication procedure.

- Holes were drilled in PVC joints to allow water to enter the PVC pipes making up the SeaPerch frame, making it neutrally buoyant.

A drill press was used to drill holes into the PVC pipe fittings.

Next week's goals including finalizing the electrical system design and making the motors waterproof.

Week 3

This week's accomplishments:
- Group received SeaPerch kit. This was a crucial step forward in that now the group was actually vaguely aware of what they were working with and allowed actual designing to take place.
- Group assembled SeaPerch kit. This again, was a crucial step forward in that now the group could actually get a handle on what they were working with.
- Designing began.

Design so far for the SeaPerch. The two motors are mounted on the ends of a center pole, which rotates. This rotation allows these two motors to move the submersible ahead, astern, up, or down more quickly than a single motor would. How to make this pole rotate has yet to be determined.

- Some website updates happened.

Next week's goals:

Week 2

Our team gained an additional member this week, Emily Gartland.

The group is now determining how exactly to proceed with creating a propulsion system for a submersible. The submersible should be able to do the following:

- Go fast
- Turn
- Go up/down
- Be reliable
- Be quiet (if possible)



The group has determined that it will be able to change the following items in the propulsion system:

- Propellers
- Motors
- Rudders

The group has not received the submersible kit at this point, so it is difficult to make any specific plans for how to proceed at this point, but after seeing what the kit could look like when it was built, the group began to brainstorm possible ways to execute the stated goals.

Week 1

The group decided to create a propulsion system for a SeaPerch submersible system. The group created a website and started adding all of the sections the group needed for it.