Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:31 pm
So you do a bit of maths in your spare time hey tech 
Yes, I do some. It is far faster to do the math than to build 5 sub par launchers.FORE!!!! wrote:So you do a bit of maths in your spare time hey tech
Turns out I made the math error. I did everything correctly, including the conversions in to imperial. The thing I did wrong was I used pi x diameter = area instead of pi x radius^2 = area.Technician1002 wrote:Do the math. Unfortunately you have mixed metric an English units. The "piston" diameter is not the correct figure to use for the pushbutton. The force is calculated using the cross section area of the valve seat. This is a little smaller than the diameter of the piston and larger than the operating shaft under the button.edit 2:
Would I be right in saying I need ~7.3 pounds of force to open the push-button valve at 300 PSI assuming the 'piston' is 5mm in diameter?
For sake of math the area needs to be calculated, but since forces in pressure and button pressure are in English units, it would be best to convert the dimensions to English and work from there.
1 millimeter = 0.0393700787 inches. 5mm = 0.196850393. First part done.
Area = Pi times Radius squared. Radius is 1/2 diameter..
R = 0.098425197 inches
Radius squared = 0.009687519
Pi times R squared = 3.14159265 X 0.009687519 = 0.03043424 square inches.
Force equals pressure times area.
Force = 300 X 0.03043424 sq in. = 9.130271904. So yes, your figures are in the ball park if your dimensions are correct. The force of any spring will be added to the result.
If I made a math error, feel free to point it out. I am human and do make mistakes once in a while.