Idaho APPS(Advanced Pumpkin Propulsion System)

• Base• The base will be made of square tubing and will

include a hitch for easy transportation.• Will include cross supports for aiming plate.

• Sabot• The sabot will cradle the smaller pumpkins while

inside the barrel preventing air pressure from escaping in the gaps between the pumpkin and barrel.

Product Vision • Propulsion System/Barrel• Use compressed air in 2 separate holding tanks using

ball valves to choose which tank is active.• Butterfly valve for trigger to minimize flow restriction.• Barrel will be made of schedule 80 PVC

• Aiming System (Horizontal & Vertical)• The propulsion system will sit on a rotating plate to turn

the barrel left or right and will have locking capabilities.• A scissor carjack will be used for vertical aiming rang of

0°-45°, or a rack and pinion gear system.

Tank 2

Tank 1

Ball Valves

Compressor

Compressed Air Layout

Plan of Attack• Second semester will include more prototyping until a

viable design is achieved.• Testing the prototype will yield similar data to a full

scale model. • Construction of the full scale model should begin in

February.

 Unresolved Issues• More testing will need to be done to determine the

exact ratio of tank volume to barrel volume• Hard connections located between the barrel and base

will need more detailed design• Sabot material that provides the best seal and

minimizes friction; this will require more research and testing of various materials

Client: Dr. John Foltz Advisor: Dr. Tom HessSponsor: College of Agriculture

Team Members Andrew Schmohr Kara Peer Shelby Smith Josh Bouma Ramzi Sadeddinsarama

Project DescriptionThe University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has asked our team to design and build a custom pumpkin cannon for their annual Clearwater Corn Maze in Lewiston, Idaho.

The cannon should launch 8 inch diameter pumpkins about 200 yards and will be be operated by the public during the corn maze festivities. This requires the design to be safe for users of all ages and “cool” enough that everyone will want to shoot it.

There are other pumpkin launchers available so we are aiming to design one with more "wow" factor for the size, capacity, and cost. The fun event may ultimately be turned into a local competition that others could enter into. This pumpkin cannon is to wet appetites and get people coming back for more.

Timeline

0 50 100 150 200 250 300050

100150

Pressure vs. Distance

Distance (ft)

Pres

sure

(ps

i)

Pressure (psi) Distance (ft)30 3640 4750 14260 17870 22680 223

120 292

Pictures from Prototype testing here – waiting for Shelby to upload