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SEB121 Engineering Practice, T1 2013

The Wind Turbine Design Project

What is important to consider?
This project option is being offered as an alternative to the EWB Challenge design project for 1st year engineering students. With deliberate intention it is very different design project than the EWB Challenge. For example this project requires teams to not only design a product but to also build a scale model of the performance-critical assembly and to test the scale model in order to evaluate the expected performance of design if implemented at full scale. This project is being offered with a looser structure and thus offering project teams greater flexibility in how undertake it than the EWB Challenge project for the following reasons: The EWB Challenge project as conducted here at Deakin needs to comply with the rules and requirements of the national EWB Challenge competition. This is the first time we have offered this project option and so it is literally undergoing a product development process itself. It makes sense for this project, i.e., we are keen to see what your teams produce and how you undertake this project.

To successfully achieve the objectives of this project your team needs to be prepared to undertake the required research effort involved with this project option. And there is quite a bit to research and develop competency here including (but not limited to): Relevant fluid dynamics and aerodynamic theory Rapid prototyping using CAD software and 3D printing Design for X principles and methods (e.g., Design for manufacturing) Estimating performance of actual systems from tests using scale models

In order to successfully undertake and complete this project your team will need to show consistently high competencies in self-management, teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, and information literacy.

What are the objectives of this project?

The major objectives of this assignment are: 1. Project teams undertake a design-build-test process for an assigned problem that includes significant constraints and uncertainties to overcome and achieve this by methodically applying a documented engineering design process. Using the Whole System Design process teams will apply phases 1, 2, 3, and at least part of phase 4 of the four phase design process. 2. Project teams conduct research into the necessary engineering theories and methods required to design, build, and test a working scale model prototype in order to evaluate the full scale performance of the proposed design. 3. Project teams collaboratively prepare and produce a comprehensive written report documenting their project design for a scale model wind turbine.

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What is the design goal?

Lets use a hypothetical proposal to build and operate a 2 MW (maximum rated output) wind turbine at Deakin Universitys Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus. The wind turbine is to consist of a single unit (one blade assembly, one monopole tower at the top of which the blade assembly and generator nacelle are mounted). There are multiple commercial off the shelf solutions for procuring this type of commercial wind turbine but at Deakin the aim is to design, produce, and install a custom designed wind turbine. This wind turbine is to be operated as a wind energy facility on the campus generating a rated maximum of 2 MW (depending on weather conditions) of electricity to be used to help power the campus.

Your team has been assigned a project to perform the following major objectives as part developing this proposal: 1. Identify the best location on the Waurn Ponds Campus to install the wind turbine, i.e., within the campus grounds where will the monopole tower be erected? This is a hypothetical proposal only for the purposes of this design project however it is still reasonable that your team should justify the choice of location selected within the campus grounds for the wind turbine. 2. Design the rotor for the wind turbine, i.e., the blade and hub assembly that mounts to the main rotor shaft of the nacelle-mounted generator unit. 3. Build and test a scale model of the rotor using rapid prototyping techniques, i.e., using a 3D printer and wind tunnel apparatus. 4. Determine the major external dimensions of the entire wind turbine assembly which primarily are the dimensions specifying the above ground height of the monopole, the shape and external dimensions of the nacelle, the hub shape and dimensions, the number of blades, and the shape and dimensions of the blades. 5. Attempt to determine and evaluate the performance of the actual full scale wind turbine based on data obtained from tests on the scale model of the designed rotor and from all and any relevant and appropriate information and data (actual and/or derived and/or estimated) for the proposed location of the wind turbine at the Deakin campus. 6. Identify and evaluate the appropriate social, environmental, and economic factors involved with this proposed wind turbine facility.

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What are the major constraints?

Your design must comply with the following major constraints with which the proposed wind turbine must be fully compliant: 1. The wind turbine should be designed so that it can reasonably achieve the nominal rated output of 2 MW during suitable climate conditions. (This means your team needs to determine and justify what suitable climate conditions are for the proposed location and what is reasonable for expectations in achieving a 2 MW generated output including what is reasonable to assume for mechanical to electrical energy conversion efficiency for these types of systems). 2. The rotor diameter (RD) must be between 50 metres and 100 metres (as measured across the diameter of the blades arc of rotation). 3. The effective height of the monopole (HEFF) cannot exceed 1X (100%) the rotor diameter (as measured from the average ground height at the base of the monopole to the rotor shafts main axis of rotation). 4. The maximum height of the wind turbine cannot exceed 150 m (as measured from the average ground level at the base of the monopole to the highest maximum point of the assembly, e.g., the tip of a blade in the uppermost vertical position). 5. Only one wind turbine assembly is to be installed, i.e., your design must consist on a single monopole, single monopole-mounted nacelle, and a single nacelle-mounted rotor.

6. Dont worry about the guts of the nacelle. It is not within the scope of this design project. Simply assume that it exists and will cope with whatever your rotor provides it as torque on the main rotor shaft. Also assume that the maximum output of the wind turbine will be limited to 2 MW by the mechanical and/or electrical systems in the nacelle regardless of peak wind speed. 7. It is acceptable to specify existing commercially available monopole towers and nacelle assemblies. Your team does not need to design these (but your team does need to determine their needs and specify them). 8. Rapid prototyping of the rotor scale model is to be performed using SolidWorks CAD software in combination with the schools MakerBot 3D printers. The following prototyping constraints are: a. The default filament material used for the MakerBot printers is polylactic acid (PLA) a biodegradable plastic. b. The maximum length of any item produced in the MakerBot printers is restricted to 200 mm (e.g., maximum length of an individual blade). c. Each team can use the MakerBot printers to produce three sets of prototype scale models for their rotor design, e.g., initial prototype, intermediate prototype, and final model (to use for wind tunnel testing).

d. The accuracy and finish quality of the MakerBot printers using PLA will require your team to perform further manual fabrication on the hub and blades. There are two main approaches to this when manufacturing material removal and material deposition. Your team needs to consider this and choose which manufacturing approach to use in order to produce your scale model for testing so that is has the required dimensions, finish, and balance.

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What needs to be produced?

Your team must produce the following deliverables: 1. The draft project report (Assignment 3, Part 1) to provide your Needs Definition for the design and any other information developed up to the beginning of Week 6 (Monday 22 April). 2. The first presentation (Assignment 3, Part 2) to describe what has been achieved by the team up to the beginning of Week 6 (Monday 22 April). 3. The final report (Assignment 4, Part 1) due at the beginning of Week 11 (Monday 27 May). 4. The final presentation (Assignment 4, Part 2) to describe what has been achieved. 5. The final scale model of your teams rotor assembly (as a minimum). Ideally your team delivers a scale model of the entire wind turbine assembly (monopole, nacelle, and rotor) for display during your final presentation. An advanced option would be to produce a scale model of the wind energy facility as proposed, i.e., produce a reasonable scale model representing the environs and structure(s) involved with this proposed wind energy facility at the campus.

What about the theoretical stuff needed?

Part of the challenge of this project option is for your team to identify, find, and utilise any and all necessary information and knowledge to accomplish this project successfully. So there is not going to be too much spoon feeding on this one. Expect guidance and advice but your team needs to do the work here. That also means that we expect teams to be asking questions as we progress through the trimester. For the design and performance evaluation of the rotor assembly you need to at least incorporate the following: 1. The Betz Limit method from fluid dynamics theory to determine how much energy is available to be transformed by the turbine from kinetic (wind) to electrical energy. 2. Number of blades in the rotor assembly your team needs to determine this. 3. Tip-speed ratio for blade design your team needs to determine this. 4. Aerofoil profile for blade design your team needs to determine this. 5. What materials and fabrication methods are to be used for the full scale version of the wind turbine? a. For the hub? b. For the blades? c. For the nacelle?

d. For the monopole tower? 6. To determine the estimated performance of the full scale system as designed your team should at least determine (through testing of the rotor scale model) the power coefficient ~ blade tip speed ratio performance characteristic. 7. Oh and youll need to determine the appropriate climate conditions for the proposed location of this wind energy facility at the Geelong Waurn Ponds campus. And dont forget that whatever data you use (and/or develop) for this needs to be reasonable, considered, and fully justified.

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Any useful resources?

To help get your team get started here are some useful resources: The inspiration for this project option comes from a similar (but not the same) design project undertaken by first year engineering students at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. A copy of a conference paper by Widden et al (2011) describing this design project is provide on CloudDeakin and is highly recommended reading by any team considering this project option in SEB121 Engineering Practice Remember that this project requires you to not only design but to also build and test a working scale model prototype of the rotor assembly. This project requires your team to implement at least the first three phases (and at least part of the fourth phase) of the Whole System Design Process. In product development processes a separate design phase may be specified such as a Testing and Refinement phase for prototype testing. For this project it is useful to also consult a product development process such as the five phase product development process (Planning, Concept Development, System Level Design, Detail Design, Testing and Refinement, and Production Ramp-Up) specified by Karl T. Ulrich and Steven D. Eppinger. For this project it is recommended that you read relevant parts of their textbook in addition to the Whole System Design book. The Ulrich and Eppinger textbook (available in the library) is: o Ulrich, Karl T. and Eppinger, Steven D. Product design and development. 5th Edition. McGraw-Hill. New York. 2012.

Australian Bureau of Meteorology website for climate data. Victoria Department of Planning and Community Development website Wind Energy Facilities

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