Help with large 3" cannon
I am needing some help designing an air cannon. It will have dual air tanks with a diameter of 4". The barrel will be 3". The length I was planning on having is 5 feet for the barrel and 3 feet for the tanks. I need it to be able to launch a baseball between 350 and 500 yards. Also, would I be able to accomplish this with a ball valve?
Last edited by TG75 on Wed Mar 27, 2013 8:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Possibly, you haven't supplied any relevant data in terms of pressure, or material. A baseball 500 yards is quite a feat. To accomplish that with just a ballvalve, you would need fairly high pressure and a much longer barrel to deal with how slow a ball valve opens. If I was going to guess, given the large projectile, you would prob be dealing with pvc, which means relatively low pressure. To overcome the low pressure design, you would need a huge chamber and a long barrel, probably much longer than 5 feet.
I would have to say a piston valve would be the easiest way to get a fast and efficient valve. Most are built within a T fitting, allowing an over/under barrel/chamber design. You could use a ball valve to 'pilot' or trigger the piston valve. Check out this video by a fellow Spudfiles member and expert:
Watch it a few times like I did, it really is a great way to get a feel for piston valves.
Watch it a few times like I did, it really is a great way to get a feel for piston valves.
- mattyzip77
- Sergeant 3
- Posts: 1249
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2011 12:22 pm
- Location: Taxachusetts
500 yards is hard to get with a golf ball pneumatically nevermind a baseball.why do you need to launch a baseball so far???
Go Bruins!!!!
I'm sure someone with a mathematical background would easily tell you how far a baseball fired at X angle and X speed would go. A baseball does present interesting problems as a ball leaving the barrel with no spin, I would assume, would act like a knuckleball pitch. Keep us posted what you come up with.
Hey dude, I randomly saw this on Random Cannon of all things, it seems to be what ur looking for as far as a design.
http://img531.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 203kf4.flv
http://img531.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 033ez5.flv
Spudtyrrant: "ty for you comment yeah i made the piston out of red oak so its nice and sturdy its very light only about 12 ounces i was trying to give the piston the largest amount of area possible for faster actuation i can put a soccer ball in front of the barrel @ 80 psi and dry fire and it will send the soccer ball a good 100feet"
Spudtyrrant:
barrel: 10ft 3" sch 40 approx: 850 ci
chamber:11ft 4" sch 40 approx: 1659 ci
valve: 4"tee 3" full porting piston valve 1 1/2" travel
pilot: 3/4 inch modded sprinkler valve with popoff(with string attached so it can be fired from a distance)
bumper: a plunger with holes cut in it for air flow
stand: made from an old wheelchair( will be replacing wheels) and dolly welded together well without further ado here she is:
http://img531.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 203kf4.flv
http://img531.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 033ez5.flv
Spudtyrrant: "ty for you comment yeah i made the piston out of red oak so its nice and sturdy its very light only about 12 ounces i was trying to give the piston the largest amount of area possible for faster actuation i can put a soccer ball in front of the barrel @ 80 psi and dry fire and it will send the soccer ball a good 100feet"
Spudtyrrant:
barrel: 10ft 3" sch 40 approx: 850 ci
chamber:11ft 4" sch 40 approx: 1659 ci
valve: 4"tee 3" full porting piston valve 1 1/2" travel
pilot: 3/4 inch modded sprinkler valve with popoff(with string attached so it can be fired from a distance)
bumper: a plunger with holes cut in it for air flow
stand: made from an old wheelchair( will be replacing wheels) and dolly welded together well without further ado here she is: