User:Mitchell~enwikiversity/ENES100/project 1

My Instructor's user page which points to this.

My task was
My task this week was to :
 * Find turbine in thingiverse, name already printed parts.
 * Find ideal hose nozzle.
 * Eventually get makerbot certification and finish printing.

What I did
This weekend's work mostly set a grounds for the next few weeks, a starting point. Work done here provided understanding that allows us to see what has already been done, and what must happen to keep the project moving. Discovered that the turbine we are dealing with is actually a Jet-Engine. Here is a detailed description of what was done specifically with the 3D printed parts: Some printed parts had extremely rough edges where surfaces should have been smooth. We will call these rough areas "excess." Below is a tutorial for how we removed excess:
 * Took inventory of already printed parts (see picture right).
 * Experimented with how they should be fit together. Unfortunately, parts had developed some flaws (we decided to call this excess) during the printing process. Some non-printed parts are flawed as well. Axle tube was filed and needs to be re-sized.
 * Parts that have not yet been printed are:
 * Outer Cowling Bottom and Outer Cowling Top
 * 60x70x175 Prespex
 * Combustion Chamber Cover.
 * Some of these parts, especially the cover, do not need to be printed and can be made with formed heated plastic, PVC, or wood. We need an 8 to 9 inch axle as well.
 * Measurements and calculations express that axle to support turbines, blades, compressors, and cones must be aprox. 3/8" in diameter.

RESOURCES:

We would like to give credit to these sources for improving our knowledge base and helping to identify a starting point.
 * The 3D parts for the jet engine
 * Video on how air spins turbines within the jet engine

Proposed next steps

 * Most parts, 3D printed or otherwise, require filing and fixing before they can create an efficient low-friction turbine. Excess needs to be removed from these other parts.
 * Decide how to contain/cover the system. Cover parts can be 3D printed, but these pieces could be created in other fashions as well. Others have used heated, molded clear plastic of sorts to cover the turbine system. I propose either fashioning clear plastic mold or using PVC as an alternative to printing. This would be a good way to have smooth, possibly transparent parts that have little to no excess.
 * Determine ideal length of 3/8" rod/axle and cut using a hack-saw.
 * After all necessary modifications have been made, assemble 3D printed turbine parts.
 * Conceive diagram to show how compressed-air flow will be controlled and sent into jet-engine. Determine what valve size would be best for sending compressed air into system and getting turbine to spin.

My task was
My task this week was to :
 * Get makerbot certification and finish printing.
 * Remove remaining excess from parts.
 * Modify parts until they fit on axle.
 * Find a transparent cover for compression chamber.

What I did
This week involved finishing up technical work on the turbine. In other words, completing the 3D-printed assembly. Below is a summary of progress:
 * Identified most ideal axle, which is a 15/32" diameter plastic tube. Tube has not yet been cut to appropriate length.
 * Axle was slightly (1/16") too big in diameter for turbine parts to fit, so parts were drilled through with a 3/8" drill bit to allow them to fit over axle and spin with minimal friction.
 * Passed online certification test for 3D printer, getting the remaining parts one step closer to being printed.
 * Took online certification test for Heat Gun, which could be useful in future.

Covering for compression chamber needs to be cylindrical, transparent, and the same size as compression chamber.
 * Could be done with Plexiglas bent and molded to fit chamber. Here is a video on how to bend plexi using a heat gun, similar but not identical means could be used to bend plexi to cover the turbine.
 * Calculated that plastic covering should ideally be a rectangle 4.10564" wide by 5 3/4" long before shaped at all.
 * Here is a diagram of an untested method for molding plexiglass to fit the turbine:
 * During molding, curve should be 3.73064" long, leaving an excess of 3/16" on either side of curve. This will become the lip.
 * Make sure Plexiglas is centered over cylinder before bending.

Proposed next steps

 * Try proposed method for forming plexiglass covering.
 * Find/make cylinder of specified radius.
 * Purchase 1/8" thick plexiglass sheet.
 * Find ideal attachments for heat gun.
 * Explore other methods of forming covering, such as using a water or soda bottle.
 * Finish all work on modified parts
 * Print remaining two parts.
 * Add air compression system.

My task was

 * Begin presentation slide show on Turbine project
 * Glue turbine parts in place
 * Develop transparent covering for turbine

What I did
This week heavily stressed presentation of the project, as well as finalization of the turbine.

Project Presentation:

 * During the condensing of information for presentation, found this great video on how jet engines work.
 * In a jet engine, air is compressed and streamlined by compressors.
 * The combustion chamber heats the air with a gas explosion, causing it to expand and speed up. This generates the thrust necessary to propel a jet.
 * Air rotates turbines which rotate shaft which pulls more air.
 * Created Power Point slideshow on how jet engines work, where they are used, and why we are building one. Later to be transferred to Google slides. Could be used in ENES seminar.
 * A turbine is an engine that runs off of a flowing medium (i.e. air, water, gas)
 * Can be used to generate thrust, mechanical energy, or electrical energy

Jet engine construction:
Gluing compressors and turbines:
 * Hot-glued combustion chamber to low pressure housing and rear housing.
 * Cut 1/4 inch length off of axle tube.
 * Firmly glued High Pressure Turbine to Axle Tube. This became a reference for the location of all other parts.
 * Edges of high-pressure turbine dragged against combustion chamber walls, filed blades to allow turbine to fit.
 * Firmly glued all 4 high-pressure compressors to axle tube.


 * Cuts in this prototype done with heavy-duty pocket knife. Will need to use scissors for more accurate, final cuts.

Proposed next steps

 * 1) Cut shaft to appropriate length
 * 2) Add front fan blades and nose cone to cut shaft
 * 3) Add upper and lower Outer Cowlings
 * 4) Measure and cut covering properly and precisely with scissors
 * 5) Insert air jets into air nozzles
 * 6) Fire up engine and trouble shoot
 * 7) Transfer info from Power Point slideshow to Google slides
 * 8) Condense information and finalize official HCC turbine Wikiversity page

My task was

 * Not much work can be done on jet engine until compressed air comes in. Until then:
 * Make some contributions to Turbine team page
 * Create a rough-draft slideshow for seminar presentation
 * Build a knowledge base on turbines, their usage, how they work, and any additional information

What I did

 * Nearly completed 3D printed turbine
 * Added lower and upper Outer Cowlings, attaching them with threaded nails
 * Cut plastic cover to size
 * Assembled all parts
 * Still need to secure plastic cover to combustion chamber
 * Still need to add compressed air valves and run tests
 * Created the slideshow presentation on TURBINES for the Engineering Seminar.
 * Used many pictures and included 3D-printed jet-engine turbine video.
 * Typed basic script and notes for presentation.
 * Included summary of turbines in general, with pictures/diagrams of hydroelectric and wind turbines. Mentioned steam turbines as well.
 * Focused on Jet Engine turbine, showing video, including diagrams from external sources, and including a diagram of HCC 3D-printed diagram.
 * Mentioned other more advanced turbines including micro-jets, bird-safe wind turbines, helix turbines, and helicopter engine.
 * Showed applications in real world and relevance to engineering projects throughout presentation.
 * Found a few websites with relevant information relating to turbines:
 * Elementary explanation on helicopters: http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/helicopter3.htm
 * A blog on the dangers wind turbines pose to birds: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100196794/wind-industry-big-lies-no-3-wind-turbines-are-eco-friendly/
 * Attempted to tie off all loose ends in the project page
 * Uploaded 42 pictures
 * Typed a report on how jet engines work
 * Summarized all other kinds of turbines as far as possible so no it is no longer necessary to explore other roads
 * Briefly explained how turbine was assembled
 * Found posters for 2 other projects and uploaded them
 * Corrected some grammar/spelling from what had been typed by previous teams and current team members. Left some poor wording alone.
 * Tried to make it such that the only way to work on any more turbines at HCC would be to build a real one to power equipment
 * Unfortunately, had no material worth posting under "OPERATE." The bit already typed there seems irrelevant.

Proposed next steps
Hopefully no more steps are necessary, other than the minimum required to present at the seminar. If steps were to be taken, they could look like this:
 * Reduce friction in 3D-printed turbine
 * Fire compressed air through engine
 * Secure clear cover once it has been observed how cover reacts to compressed air
 * Through trial-and-error, maximize efficiency
 * Build a series of low-space high-efficiency electric wind turbines to mount to the roof of the engineering building
 * Using the laser cutter, 3D printers, and other heavy-duty equipment, machine a jet engine to power a broken-down car