Performance analysis of the automata in a blossoming flower clock in the 18th century

Abstract

This paper presents a performance evaluation of an automaton mechanism in a Blossoming Flower Clock that is preserved in Beijing palace museum. Even though the mechanical structure inside this clock is uncertain, the feasible mechanisms for these automata are synthesized through a systematically design procedure in a previous study. In this paper, the historical background of this clock is introduced first, and then the dimension design, kinematic and dynamic analysis are proposed to provide the numeral results for a performance characterisation. The proposed procedure can also be applied to other automata for reconstructing and analysing the mechanical performance.