Dynamics of a Door Closer Mechanism:
The purpose of this project is to analyze a selected door closer mechanism (the picture is in this link: https://gamestudies.org/articleimages/111_Figure_1.jpg )
Either one student or a team of two students should pick a door with a closer mechanism and study it. This study must include the kinematics of the mechanism.
For this purpose, the following tasks are expected:
1. Finding geometric measurements.
2. Determining the angular velocity and acceleration of the door under study with reasonable accuracy and explain what are the desirable characteristics of these curves.
3. Analyzing the kinematics of the system including finding all linear and angular velocities and accelerations as functions of the angular velocity and acceleration of the door.
4. Mechanical Efficiency: The door should close as soon as possible, however it shouldn’t make too much noise when it closes (doesn’t slam), and it shouldn’t be too slow so it actually closes, i.e., pushes the lock latch in.
5. Safety of the door. If the door hits a person it shouldn’t hurt the person, it should stop with minimal effect on the person.
6. From every position, the door should start closing. Find what spring and energy dissipation can accomplish this.
This problem is intentionally open-ended. The project deliverable is a type-written scientific report with relevant formulas, free-body diagrams, charts, etc. that clearly explains the problem, the method of analysis and the results.