Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > Use of FDM in an undergraduate student project
View graph of relations

Use of FDM in an undergraduate student project: design, build and test a model wind turbine

Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSNChapter (peer-reviewed)

Published
Publication date09/2010
Host publication3rd International Conference on Additive Technologies (iCAT 2010); DAAAM Specialized Conference
PublisherDAAAM International
Number of pages2
ISBN (print)978-3-901509-75-9
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Most undergraduate practicals at Lancaster University, UK, take the form of short projects. These give students the opportunity to make design decisions, to observe directly the consequences of these decisions, and to compare the performance of the item with the original design specification. Students are motivated more strongly by these projects than they are by standard labs where they only have to take measurements. Using ALM techniques provides an opportunity to extend the scope of these projects. This paper describes one such project: to design, build and test a model wind turbine. Use of fused-deposition modelling (FDM) has much improved the accuracy and performance of the turbine blades that students can produce, and has increased the educational value of the project.