Thursday, March 11, 2010
Above the treetops on West Campus, a new low-speed wind turbine will soon be spinning and generating power for the battery of the EcoHawks’ VW Beetle, eventually eliminating the need for gas in this experimental car.
Dakota Dodson, Jared McPherson, Alex Karwas, Dustin Weimer and Chris Vaughn, pour and spread resin onto the dry fabric. The project aims to power the EcoHawks’ VW Beetle with wind-generated energy.
The project was started last semester by the Aerospace Engineering Technologies Lite, a mock company formed by seniors in an aerospace materials and processes course. The group spent its time working on the manufacturing side, and now the students will redesign and build a turbine of their own.
“It was a way to get some manufacturing experience,” said Christopher Vaughn, a senior from Andale. “We got started on it and were like, ‘Hey this is kind of cool, and it would be kind of cool if we finished it.’”
The project received $5,000 from the Student Environmental Advisory Board last Friday.
“Projects like this, I believe, will move us forward as a sustainable campus,” said Chris Martin, a senator in Student Senate from the School of Engineering.
The seniors said that they would like to see the 60-foot-tall turbine supplying power to the VW Beetle by the end of May, but that they couldn’t give a solid deadline because of all the variables. Waiting for parts, learning about wind technology and finding time to work on the project could hinder the group from completing the project by the time they graduate.
Other assistance from the Aerospace Engineering Department and the KU Transportation Research Institute will help reach the estimated total cost of $17,300. The Kansas Space Grant Consortium and the Aerospace Engineering Department financed the research done last semester. These organizations contributed with the intent of giving young engineers practical, hands-on experience, said Richard Hale, associate professor in aerospace engineering.
Hale estimated that each of the 27 students will spend about 50 hours on the project. Finding time to work on a project that isn’t for credit wouldn’t deter them, Vaughn said.
“It will be worth all the hours, and we will have something to show for it,” Vaughn said. “This could be the start of a big thing for future generations.”
Right now the team is looking at changing the shape of the carbon fiber blades. The model that the team crafted had two blades in a curved structure, but Vaughn said the new designs would probably look more like the traditional long, slender blades. The diameter of the redesigned turbine will span 9 feet.
“We did run into a lot of issues with making the first blades because of the funky curves, but I think we can apply what we learned to the new wind turbine,” Vaughn said.
The group said the turbine will stand somewhere near the warehouse on West Campus used by the EcoHawks once it’s built. The group plans to buy a weather station to help pinpoint the best location.
The EcoHawks, a team of University engineering students that collaborates with the aerospace engineering group, are already working with solar energy, so this car would combine two different types of alternative energy. Bryan Strecker, a senior from Topeka, said he thought the combination of solar and wind would be difficult to integrate but said he looked forward to seeing the outcome.
“I would really like to see the other majors get involved,” Strecker said. “That is what we are trying to do is spread the knowledge about sustainable technology.”
— Edited by Allyson Shaw
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