Windradmodell_P Seminar
1.0.0
CAD files of the parts I created and the code running on the Arduino Nano. Also the source files for the board that I made for this project
As part of the P-Seminar Physics at the ITG 2020-22 on the topic of climate change
We wanted to build a wind turbine model and carry out various measurements on it. As an additional function, it was supposed to follow the wind direction, which was made possible by a stepper motor (NEMA 17-03 with 20Nm and 0.2A) in the base of the wind turbine and a two-point controller. An A4988 driver is used for control. The microcontroller is an Arduino Nano, which has a rotary encoder (KY-040) and toggle switch as an interface. The control speed for the two-point controller can also be adjusted. Information can be read on a 16x2 LCD screen that communicates with the microcontroller via I2c (with I2c bus). A generic DC power supply serves as the power supply.
At the top of the wind turbine nacelle is a small generator whose output power drops across a load resistor (>2 ohms). The voltage that drops across the resistor can be read directly analogue with the internal 10-bit ADC because it never exceeds 5V (the logic voltage of the Nano). The total electrical power can be derived from these values. (usually under 200mW)
Another way to determine the performance is using the detected rotor blades. There is an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor on the mast, which simultaneously counts the rotor blades in 5-second intervals and then displays the result on the LCD. This allows the performance measured in two ways to be compared.
I designed all of the 3D models listed here in Autodesk Fusion 360 or SOLIDWORKS and printed them on a Prusa Mk2. I created the design of the board in Autodesk EAGLE and then manufactured it at home using the PCB-GCODE ulp plugin. The Arduino Nano was programmed using the Arduino IDE. We manufactured the aluminum parts, the propeller hubs for different numbers of rotor blades, and the base for the stepper motor in cooperation with Autoliv.
