Physics: Egg Drop

[Guest TheLastStop]

I have been brainstorming ideas for a design of an "egg catcher". This is not the traditional "egg dropper" but instead, i need to build a device that will catch an egg in freefall and bring it to a stop without breaking it. The restrictions are only that it is not more than 1 meter tall, and that it does not weigh more than 40kg. The raw egg is going to be dropped from 30 feet approx.

 

I though that using air as a cushion would be best, so i think what i might try is to get a leaf blower and stand it up-right. Then i will affix a mesh bag or something to the end of it so that the egg will fall into the bag and the air will slow its decent gradually (maybe even suspend it in midair if it lands in the cent enough =p).

 

Any of you have more innovative ideas? I dont want to do something as cleche as a shoebox filled with packing peanuts.

[Guest TheLastStop]

I neglected to mention the fact that my apparatus will be on a force plate. And the force plate will measure the deccelaration of the egg. The person whose deive can disapate the impact of the egg over the longest period of time or "make the lowest peak" on the graph (which is: Newtons on the y-axis and time on the x-axis). This also means that the lower the initial weight of the device, the better.

[RICHARDBATTY]

I neglected to mention the fact that my apparatus will be on a force plate. And the force plate will measure the deccelaration of the egg. The person whose deive can disapate the impact of the egg over the longest period of time or "make the lowest peak" on the graph (which is: Newtons on the y-axis and time on the x-axis). This also means that the lower the initial weight of the device, the better.

Try a tube and piston. Drill large holes at the top and get smaller and smaller towards the bottom and finnish with no holes. The piston and catcher will have to just have enough friction to stay at the top on its own or you could use grease to help it to stick a bit. The catcher could be three or more rods spreading at 45 degs up from the rod coming from the piston with a net stretched across them. The rods will need to bend slightly inwards when the egg tensions the net and pulls it down so the rods tips will close above it. You may wish to pre bend the rods so that with egg in the net they dont press on the egg from the sides. Start with thin wire rods and increase the number untill the egg just stops comfortably short of the piston rod. Start with smaller fewer holes and drop similar weight onto the piston and increase the number/diammeter of holes untill you get a smooth drop to a stop as the air cussion forms where the holes run out.