Our team was assigned the task to aid the Swedish Wind Energy Association (SWEA) in reducing Sweden's greenhouse gases to zero by 2045. The blades will be manufactured in large quantities and used in wind farms to generate large amounts of power for multiple cities.
Over a period of 5 weeks, our team researched, developed, and completed our goal of creating a sustainable turbine blade that is recyclable, while also prioritizing a low manufacturing cost and efficient wind generation. The material selected for the turbine was low alloy steel, as it is much more weather resistant than wood and bamboo. In addition to working collaboratively as a group, I was the project administrator responsible for submitting all project milestones and other project-related files.
<aside> ☑️ Teamwork and Collaboration
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<aside> ☑️ Time Management
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<aside> ☑️ Communication
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<aside> ☑️ ANSYS-GRANTA EduPack
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<aside> ☑️ Autodesk Inventor
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Material Selection in GRANTA EduPack
By using GRANTA and a weighted decision matrix, we determined the optimal material for the wind turbine blade to be low-alloy steel. This was decided as steel is much more weather resistant than wood and bamboo. It is also much easier to repair, as it could be welded.
A deflection simulation was done in Autodesk Inventor, which displays the maximum deflection of the low-alloy steel turbine blade. In order to minimize costs, our goal was to have a number close to the maximum allowable defection of 10mm. In our simulation with a low-alloy steel thickness of 25mm, it resulted in a 9.66mm deflection.
Deflection Simulation in Autodesk Inventor
This was the first of four engineering design projects in 1P13. I am glad that I was fortunate enough to work with an extraordinary group of people at the get-go, as we had zero conflicts during the work period, splitting the work, etc. Though this project was rather limited in what we could do as it was all step-by-step instructions, it established crucial collaboration and teamwork skills that I will continue to build upon in future design projects. I am excited for what projects come next, as they will require a more creative approach to the solutions.