AEROFOILS, ENGINEERING, WIND turbines, ENGINEERING students, and TURBINES
Abstract
A practical project undertaken by many first-year Engineering students at Lancaster University is to design, build and test a model wind turbine. Until recently it was difficult to produce convincing aerofoil shapes at small scale, but the recent acquisition of a fused-deposition modeller (FDM) has provided an opportunity to improve the accuracy of the model aerofoils that students can produce. This paper discusses the design method and tools used by the students, and the production of test blades. Particular note is made of the effects of the FDM construction on the blades, including the orientation of build and resulting surface finish, structural issues, and cost. Samples of graphics from student reports are presented, including some results for the efficiency of the turbines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
