Problem Statement:

Renewable energy, especially wind energy can be an unpleasant sight in residential and commercial areas. Engineering a more efficient wind turbine, whose power transmission uses a toothed pulley, is the goal for this assignment. Maintaining an affordable, sleek, and efficient design are the specific constraints of the design. Components must be fully fleshed out and contain dimensional details.

Assumptions:

• The consumer wants a well manufactured product
• The consumer wants a low cost product
• The consumer wants an efficient product that can power their home
• The product must be suitable for commercial and residential use
• The ease of use and maintenance requirements for the product must be reasonable

Decision Matrix:

Link: Decision MatrixLinks to an external site.

Solutions: 

Bill of Materials: 

• Part number: 1
• Part name: Wind Turbine Blades
• Description: The blades of the wind turbine that produce a torque from incoming wind. 
• Quantity: 1
• Material: Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), fiberglass, 5052 aluminum

• Part number: 2
• Part name: Wind Turbine Output Shaft
• Description: The shaft connected to the blades of the turbine at the top of the assembly. This shaft has a threaded end which goes into the turbine blades, and an end with teeth which translate the motion.
• Quantity: 1
• Material: 5052 Aluminum with forged teeth.

• Part number: 3
• Part name: Wind Turbine Main Tube Top Hatch
• Description: The access hatch for the top of the wind turbine. This allows access to the top of the belt and the output shaft. 
• Quantity: 1
• Material: 5052 Aluminum

• Part number: 4
• Part name: Wind Turbine Main Tube
• Description: The main support for the entire wind turbine. This is the component which gives the height to the entire assembly, and houses the belt which translates the motion. 
• Quantity: 1
• Material: 5052 Aluminum 

• Part number: 5
• Part name: Wind Turbine Generator Shaft
• Description: The shaft which is housed at the base of the wind turbine, and translates the motion from the belt to the generator. 
• Quantity: 1
• Material: 5052 Aluminum

• Part number: 6
• Part name: Wind Turbine Belt
• Description: The toothed belt which translates the motion produced from the blades, and is connected between the output shaft and the generator shaft. Located within the main tube. 
• Quantity: 1
• Material: Kevlar reinforced rubber belt

Gantt Chart:

Lessons Learned:

There have been various lessons learned throughout this project, specifically in the design process and designing to solve a specific problem. I learned the value in developing a broad problem statement and refining it alongside the design process. I was also able to learn new techniques within CAD programs to make this and future designs easier to model and edit. One of the important things I also learned is the true steps of the design process and how each one shapes the final product. It is often easy for us to think of a design and product without actually having a problem statement. The problem statement allows for the final product to be highly focused and more fitting for a specific need. Documenting the entire design process is also a skill I learned during the project. Again, it is easy to get caught up in designing without documenting or having the proper decisions made. Going through the steps one at a time and recording the changes and ideas you have for reference later and during the process is something that engineers must do. 

Poster:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NFlEBG5zm1p7oyWoqnFTc4AW4skmXeITL7RRb0kmlTo/edit?usp=sharing