Renewable Energy for a Large Population
Wind Turbine Challenge
~Project 1~
Overview
Our team was given a scenario where we have been contracted by a large hydro company. We were responsible for designing durable wind turbines that can generate large amounts of electric power for the people in Kingston, Ontario.
What I have learned
Wind Turbines - Source: Google Images
Below are some takeaways I have learned throughout this project...
Personal Takeaways
In conclusion, this project was worthwhile as I learned many skills and met new people, tackled challenges, and made it through together. Seeing the progress and the turbine's end result is enthralling because we designed it.
In addition, learning the design process of an engineer was interesting, challenging me to think of innovative ways to solve problems. I made a few mistakes, but I learned from them, which is a crucial step to becoming an engineer.
Skills Developed
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Granta EduPack
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Inventor
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Collaboration
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Team management
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Takeaways From Others
After interviewing another group whose scenario was about designing a simple wind turbine that can be easily assembled by village locals in Guatemala, some creative ideas I have learned include:​
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Used locally sourced bamboo to minimize cost
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Bamboo grows in Guatemala, which was a huge bonus
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The thickness of their blade was thick to ensure that displacement was within range
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Their objective was similar to ours
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Low maintenance​
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Durable
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Cost efficient
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Design Process
Below is the design process of our wind turbine design...
Objective Trees
Wind Turbine
Blade Design
These objective trees outline all our objectives and constraints, helping us with our design process. It also helps us stay on track and remind us of the goals we want to achieve and the restrictions we must avoid.
Material Selection
I was responsible for finding a material with the best yield strength. In other words, I had to find a material that can resist deforming permanently the best. However, I mistakenly chose Nickel alloys, one of the weaker metals. As a result, our team missed an opportunity to choose an even stronger and better material for the wind turbine blade. BUT, that is okay because I learned nickel alloys can improve toughness, preventing any fractures on the blade.
Skills Applied
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Granta EduPack
Cad Model Design
We used Inventor to 3-D model the blade of our wind turbine and simulated how our material, nickel alloys, would perform.
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One of the restrictions given to us was to ensure that the max displacement of the blade was between than 8.5mm and 10mm. Ultimately, our displacement was 9.283mm.
Skills Applied
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Inventor
Gantt Chart
Made by: Jhanvi Shah
This Gantt shows all of our due dates, ensuring that we get all our work done within the time period.
Miscellaneous
If you are interested in seeing our team's finalized design report or milestones we have overcame, click the button...
Project 2 - Get a Grip
Click the button below to see project 2