Author: William Carruthers

My notes on modeling

Projects

In my many hours of making models I have a few tips and tricks that I have learnt. My first being start easy and then get a bit more complicated. If you do this then you will learn how to do a specific model and this makes the complicated model easier as you will have a little bit more experience in models. If you do decide to make models make sure you have the right tools and parts before you start as this will allow you to continuously build your model without having to try to find a specific part. One more tip would be to label all the parts as I have learned so you don’t have to try to find a part that ins’t right. some models do come with these labels and I usually consider buying these other more complicated models as they are simpler and don’t require much work.

I have created my unfinished product that I have learned lots from. I have attempted to merge a wind turbine into a windmill structure. the base is made from clay. The supports are made from straws that are reinforced with steel wire and in some places skewers. the blades are made from cardboard that is connected to a central hub by skewers. in the second image you can see I have tried to incorporate into my design. the central hub is connected to the drive shaft which is connected to a electric motor which will generate electricity when turned. this was a complete failure as the turbine was to heavy for the loose connection of the drive shaft. this means that the bottom blades hit the base structure if they are two close to it. the turbine itself is two heavy and the wind cannot turn it. this is not one of my best models and as Edison said while inventing the light bulb “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” I have never done this much versions of this model but like Edison I have not failed I’ve found one way that doesn’t work. I took away many experiments and successes from this model that I might use on my other models.

Innovated term 3/4

Innovation & Enterprise, Projects

InnovatED

Innovation & Enterprise, Projects

In InnovatED for 2019, term 3, I have chosen to do the emissions goal. I am going to create a vertical wind turbine with a clay base a steel wire reinforce straw supports. I am using a DC motor which is geared to a large cardboard fan (maybe a different material later) which will hopefully generate enough electricity to power a LED in a small cardboard house. the finished product is hopefully no bigger than 1 meter tall and 1 meter wide. The structure will probably survive high winds.

 

I had created the frame work and it turns out that the wire was more flimsy then I thought. I might add more wire to strengthen the structure but the main thing that will be damaged is the wind turbine on the top. I might also strengthen the structure with a cardboard tube. I will create the wind turbine blades with thin but strong cardboard and gear it to the motor which has a wire running down it to the clay base I have prepared. The turbine in theory on a windy day might generate enough electricity to power a LED. I used creativity to create the structure and attempt to strengthen it. I used problem solving to also try to strengthen it.