Trebuchet
Mechanics.
Trebuchet
Mechanics.Download it for free here. An Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file; 1.3 MB.
TrebStar should be particularly useful for those elementary physics/science classes that are studying energies and forces. Plots of these as a function of time or configuration parameters can be used as a basis for a variety of projects in the classroom. What things other than range efficiency can be used to determine how good a design is?
Download MacXTrebStarfree.zip here
This is a .zip file, 2 MB.
Download PCTrebStar.zip here
This is a .zip file, 3.1 MB.
Both of these versions will warn you that you are downloading an application from the internet, which can be dangerous because of malware and viruses. I have checked both versions for viruses, and perhaps you should too. These warnings can be easily skirted in both platforms. On the Mac, go to the System’s preferences/security and privacy file and check the box allowing the download to proceed. There is something similar on the PC side. You may have to deal with similar warnings from your antiVirus application.
I was inspired to work on the simulation of the trebuchet by the article in July 1995 of Scientific American, back when it was a pretty decent publication. As I recall, it stated that a team of men at the Naval Academy had tried to write one, but achieved only partial success.
My work started with a desire to learn Mathematica by applying it to this problem. This eventually succeeded by using Lagrangian mechanics to derive the three differential equations of motion for both parts of the movement (the initial sliding phase, and the movement of projectile at the end of the sling). The equations were long and complicated, but were easy to transfer to other programming languages and solved by conventional numerical methods. Solutions using Fortran, Javascript and even Visual Basic soon followed.
Eventually I determined to wrap it around a user friendly interface using what was then called RealBasic, a new language at the time, published by Real Software. The experience of learning how to write an interface provided a pleasant and rewarding experience, and I soon had one good enough and by 1999 eventually took on the form that is available today on this website. Although a few competitors eventually emerged, TrebStar was the first.
Over the 18 years since that time, many changes occurred in the internet with various browsers coming and going, and the constantly updated and changing generations of computer chips. The professionals at RealStudio did an outstanding job of making the maintaining the code smooth for me, for which I will always be grateful. For about 18 years I sold it for a nominal sum ($15) and had many satisfied customers. The company and language have changed over the years, and they are now known by Xojo, and they continue to offer a great product.
The message is that the code is reliable and useable by hurlers of all ages and determinations. The champions at Punkin Chunkin, boy-scouts and hobbyists, and whole classrooms of students got some enjoyment out of it, and I am proud to now offer it to the world for free. Happy hurling!
The first law of thermodynamics of the trebuchet is that the efficiency of the mechanism, whatever its configuration, cannot be greater than 100%. The corollary is that you can’t do better than putting all the potential energy of the counterweight into the kinetic energy of the projectile, releasing it at the optimal angle for range. Thus, as shown in the Manuscript, “Trebuchet Mechanics,” the greatest range possible is Rm = 2*(m1/m2) h, where h is the distance the counterweight of mass m1 falls, and the mass of the projectile is m2.
The second law of thermodynamics of the trebuchet says you can’t even get really close to that ideal limit. The real world imposes friction and losses of various kinds, so the efficiency of the machine will be something significantly less than 100%. it will be, in the best of worlds, something like 60 to 80% or so. This means the treb you build will go R ≈ 0.7 * 2*(m1/m2) h.
The third law of thermodynamics says that there is the state at the end where all motion ceases and there is no energy to extract. Obviously, this is at the end of the throw, where the beam is pointed straight up, and the counterweight is closest to the ground. Hopefully, your design will have it a little above the ground!
"Will It Break?" is a manuscript for serious trebuchet builders that will help you to design and construct your dream. It provides methods for understanding and predicting the forces and stresses in your design during the hurl. Includes easy-to-use formulas for choosing dimensions and materials for all of the parts. Is the axle diameter large enough? Is the CW box strong enough? Will the beam break? How about the sling and the sling release prong? Forces tending to break the truss.
It includes a discussion of the forces acting on all the parts, their handy scaling rules, and many completely worked examples. Provides easy guidance for the novice, and leads for the experts. Tips to improve the safety of your operation. This is a sequel to my popular, free "Trebuchet Mechanics" manuscript, and has a more "practical" emphasis. 42 pages, 21 figures.
It works!
"Onager Physics?" is another free manuscript that
analyzes the physics of the Onager (Mangonel). It
concentrates on the properties of the rope bundle, or
skein, that generates the torque on the beam, but has
some more general remarks on the scaling properties,
efficiency and energetics as well. Download the file
Onager Physics.
