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So, Rule 3.L. has got to be the biggest new challenge in the rules this year - to paraphrase, only gravitational potential energy, no elastic energy this year (beyond the starting spring). I'm curious to know what others are brainstorming. A couple of my students were thinking to build a tall and skinny machine, and have each series of transfers be a separate "floor" of the building. There's also the possibility of having weights dangling from fishing line, ready to be severed by scissors (and not a candle!). Has anyone given any serious thought to hydraulics? A big column of water in the middle with a heavy plunger and a whole bunch of tubing - could that be some sort of "gravitational battery" to power multiple transfers, or would that necessarily involve parallel paths?

SPP SciO wrote:So, Rule 3.L. has got to be the biggest new challenge in the rules this year - to paraphrase, only gravitational potential energy, no elastic energy this year (beyond the starting spring). I'm curious to know what others are brainstorming. A couple of my students were thinking to build a tall and skinny machine, and have each series of transfers be a separate "floor" of the building. There's also the possibility of having weights dangling from fishing line, ready to be severed by scissors (and not a candle!). Has anyone given any serious thought to hydraulics? A big column of water in the middle with a heavy plunger and a whole bunch of tubing - could that be some sort of "gravity battery" to power multiple transfers, or would that necessarily involve parallel paths?

Wow, sorry for the double post, I tried to edit but instead just quoted myself. "Gravity Battery" just sounds better

I have thought about hydraulics but couldn't find a way to get them to work well. As far as ideas a lot of dropping weights what my partner and I are doing.