User:Apagnotta41/ProjectOne

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Problem Statement
Our group is to complete finish a wind turbine that a previous group worked on in the last semester. The turbine is already completed so we will design funnel that will increase the power level of the turbine. We will first sketch the funnel and then create it in CAD so that we can use a 3D printer to print it. Then we will test them and see which one will increase the power level the most.

Project Plan
The first week is all about research. We will research different designs that can be implied to our project. Also, we need to research the different tools that we will be using. The second week is about the design. We will need to come up with different designs that can help improve the wind turbine. After that, we need to build them and add them onto the turbine. Once that is completed then we can run our tests to see which design will improve the power level the most.

Week 1 Narrative
This week we met with our groups for the first time. We decided what we had to do in order to improve our wind turbine. However, first we all had to research stuff in order to know what we are talking about. I specifically had to find out how to make the wind turbine a lot more sturdy. For unknown reasons the group prior to us created a flawed design that is not even close to sturdy. It wobbles a lot and could break at any second.

I have come up with a couple designs that could work. I want to cut out four legs and extend them from the bass to right below the propellor in order to support the turbine a lot more. This will hopefully make it a lot more sturdy and keep it from breaking.

Week 2 Narrative
This week my job was to actually implement my design for stabilizing it. However we came across a setback. When we were straightening the plexi glass that supports the turbine it actually broke. So I had to come up with a way to support the frame along with the whole turbine. So i thought we could cut out a piece of square wood that would go over the frame and support the frame. Then from there I cut out two legs and extend them from the base to right below the propeller.

I decided to use hot glue to attach the supports to the plexi glass. The reason I did this was because I was afraid that if we used screws that the screws would just destroy the plexi glass. I decided hot glue and it seems to be very sturdy, there is no wobble on the wind turbine any more.

Here you can see the crack, we put super glue on to hold it in place.





Week 3 Narrative
This week we met together as a team and figured out we need to test and create shrouds for our project. However when we went to test we found out that 1) we are still getting no data read back to us, and 2) the propeller/fan wobbles a lot when the wind is blowing on it. We then each were assigned our task, and since I was the one who has been assigned to designing a new base for the project, I volunteered to stabilize the propeller.

What I thought would work is simply putting a piece of wood straight up and down under the propeller. On wednesday I did exactly that. I cut a Piece of wood so that it would indeed do this. Once under the propellor is very stable! Now we can get completely accurate results. The base is very sturdy, and the propellor does not wobble.

Here is the side view before I put the piece to support under the propellor.

This is ultimately what the final design looks like.

Week 4 Narrative
''Describe in detail what you did for your team during the week (and weekend). Compare your task (from CDIO discuss page) with what you actually did.'' This week when we met in our groups, we were asked why is 60 degree the angle we chose. Ultimately us as a group did not have an answer as to why this was. After the we assigned eachother our tasks and my task personally was figure out what a good angle for a shroud would be.

After further investigation, 60 degrees was not a good angle. I found in order to produce maximum kW and output the best angle for which the shroud would extend at is at 25 degrees. At 25 degrees the shroud is able to put in enough air to increase the kW. Once you start going over or under that it is either too little and although increases the kW it does not maximize it. When it is greater than25 degrees, too much air is coming through but not going out the bag as quick thus leaving it, essentially, clogged.



You can see that the graph peeks at 25 degrees