Author: Nitesh Poudel
Poudel, Nitesh, 2023 Design Automation of the Manufacturing Process for VAWT Blade & its Mould by parametrization. , Flinders University, College of Science and Engineering
Terms of Use: This electronic version is (or will be) made publicly available by Flinders University in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. You may use this material for uses permitted under the Copyright Act 1968. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material and/or you believe that any material has been made available without permission of the copyright owner please contact copyright@flinders.edu.au with the details.
The report is based on the design automation process for manufacturing of vertical axis wind turbine blade by the means of parametrization technique associated with VAWT-X Energy collaborating with Flinders University. It aims in developing parametric design of aerofoil, blade and mould with a vision of obtaining change in mould as per the change in design of blade considering the manufacturing approach for VAWT Blade section. Different literature articles were studied, including different parametrization technique, ideas of lap-joints assembly, manufacturing approach and the mould design. The parametrization technique implemented in this project is based on Cubic Bezier Curve in case of aerofoil. New design of sectionized VAWT blade with the features of hollow cavity supported by Z- section and
step lap-joint for assembly is created in accordance to manufacturing approach of using 3 layer of carbon fibre under the Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion method. Then, the design of mould is created and parametrically linked with the design of blade section carried out in inventor. The design modified blade facilitates reduction in weight of the blade profile, and enhanced overlapping in joints by the concept of step lap joint. It is resulted that that parametric design of the aerofoil profile is validated with the standard design of the NACA 0018 profile with the concept of overlapping. And the link between the blade and mould can be achieved and it is represented by the pictorial changes in the dimensions of the blade and mould. The manufacturing of blade using 3 carbon fibre layers under Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion Method is verified through the development of the mould digitally. In future, the digital manufacturing approach that the paper represents can be tested by manufacturing of the blade and implementing it in an experimental setup.
Keywords: VAWT-X Energy, Parametrization, Cubic Bezier Curve, Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion.
Subject: Engineering thesis
Thesis type: Masters
Completed: 2023
School: College of Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Dr. Amir Zanj