Week 18 Applications and Implications, Project Development

Bill of Materials

Above is my bill of materials. I made sure every component is available on Amazon or available at a Fab Lab.

Project Plan

Prior to June (Research and Planning)

June 1 - June 5 (Finish Mist Injection System)

June 7 (Complete Cad Drawing)

June 8-10 (3D print and lasercutting)

June 11-15 (Assembly)

June 15+ (Testing, Fixing, and Documenting)

What will it do?

This wind tunnel will allow the user to view aerodynamics in real life, without the need of a large wind tunnel.

Who has done it beforehand?

Many people have created small wind tunnels, however most of them have been open loop. Open loop wind tunnels intake air from the outside, then exhaust it. I am creating a closed loop wind tunnel, which not many people have created. I am making my design similar to the Advanced Thermal Solutions, Inc. closed loop wind tunnel. However, my versions will be slightly smaller and more efficient.

What sources will I use?

I have done some research for how to design an efficient wind tunnel. I have looked through many of Nasa's sources on subsonic wind tunnels. Specifically, how to design effective turning vanes in a wind tunnel. To source my parts, I will buy through Amazon or use parts already in the Fab Lab.

What will I design

I will design the entire wind tunnel in Autodesk Fusion. For the electronics, I will design custom PCBs in KiCad.

What materials and components will be used?

For the wind tunnel itself, I will 3d print with PLA. I will mill the PCBs from pcb stock. For mist generation, I will use one of those small 5V mist makers from amazon. For the fan, I will use a blower, for flow visualization, I will use neopixels.

Where will they come from?

All of the components and parts not already in the Fab Lab will be sourced from Amazon.

What parts and systems will be made?

I will need to make a mist injection system for flow visualization. I will also need to design a closed and efficient wind path.

What processes will be used?

I will use 3D printing, PCB milling, and Laser cutting.

What questions need to be answered?

I don't have many questions for the design of the wind tunnel, however im still wondering what will happen to the mist already in the wind tunnel.

How will it be evaluated?

An effective wind tunnel will achieve high wind speed, laminar flow, clear mist flow, and then ease of use.

Reflection

These questions helped me think deeper about how I will create my project.