PID Ping Pong Ball Levitation
Recommended for grades 9–14.
Introduction
Levitation is a process in which an object is suspended against gravity by a physical force. Many methods can be used as the levitating medium, including magnetic repulsion, viscous liquids, sound waves, and air currents. In this Project, we will use an air stream provided by a fan to provide the levitating force on a ping-pong ball. Controlling the ping-pong ball is not easy, so it requires a good control system, which you can build using LabVIEW.
Objectives
In this Project, you will build a device to levitate a ping-pong ball in a long vertical tube using the force of air. You will use a small DC fan powered by a Vernier Power Amplifier to provide the lift force for the ping-pong ball. The fan should be secured to the bottom of the tube in such a way that there is an air-tight seal between the sides of the fan and the tube, but that the top and bottom of the fan are open to provide air intake and exhaust. Your LabVIEW program should allow the user to control the speed of the fan (the lift force on the ball) from the front panel via a voltage control to the fan motor. When program execution ends, the fan should automatically turn off.
Sensors and Equipment
This project requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You will also need a SensorDAQ interface and LabVIEW software for data acquisition.
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
The preview does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book for classroom use.
Standards Correlations
No standards correlations for this experiment.
Experiment 12 from Engineering Projects with NI LabVIEW and Vernier Lab Book
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.