Wind Turbine Model
Over the summer I visited a mechanical engineering company where I observed how important CAD design and coding are for engineering porjects. For this reason, I decided to independently learn the basics of both skills and put them to practice by undertaking this project.
STEP 1
CAD design
The first step of the project was the 3D design of the wind turbine. After conducting background research on the structure of wind turbines and familiarising myself with SolidWorks, I began designing all the components I needed. My first attempt to assemble the pieces failed, as I noticed the blades were too long, the nacelle too small and the parts did not assemble together. After multiple trials and countless hours of hard work, my model was finally ready.
STEP 2
3D Printing
Once the 3D design was finished, I was ready to have it printed. As I was uploading my design, a new challenge arose: selecting the printing material, infill density and filament size. I conducted some research to narrow down my options to ABS as my printing material, 50%-80% as my infill density and 100µm as my filament size.
STEP 3
Programming the Arduino Board
Through the use of an Arduino board, I can completely control the DC motor. In order to achieve this, I have had to familiarise myself with Arduno coding and use my knowlege of electricity and resistors to create an adequate circuit. Never having used coding before, I initially found it very challenging, but after some practice I managed to achieve the desired result.
STEP 4
Testing the Model
Once the model was 3D printed and the Arduino board programmed, I was ready to test my creation. Needing a flat and hard surface, I decided to set up my apparatus on a table. After assembling the components of the turbine, I carefully inserted the DC motor in the nascelle, securing it to the rotor by applying pressure. Next, I connected the motor to the circuit using wires. Using the button on the breadboard, I powered the motor and, just after a brief moment, the turbine began to move.
