Wind Powered Vehicle

Took the lead of a team of engineering students to design and construct a small-scale, original wind-powered vehicle per engineering faculty constraints.

Type
Academic
Timeframe
Oct 2019
 - 
Dec 2019
Status
Complete

Overview

For a design project during my first semester at Clarkson University, our team of five students was tasked with creating a wind-powered vehicle for an end-of-semester competition.

Goals

  • Construct a wind-powered vehicle which would be tested using a fan
  • Successfully make it a 10 feet in a straight path
  • Carry at least two "passengers" (LEGO Minifigures)
Fully-constructed 3D-printed vehicle with wax-paper sail.
Fully-constructed 3D-printed vehicle with wax-paper sail.

How Was It Made?

The vehicle's CAD model, designed in Autodesk Fusion 360.
The vehicle's CAD model, designed in Autodesk Fusion 360.
  • Scheduled meetings, directed tasks, and ensured progress as Team Lead
  • Created 3D and 2D CAD drawings using Autodesk Fusion 360
  • Utilized 3D printing to rapidly iterate on the design and fit provided wheels and axles
  • Constructed a final competition model using power and hand tools

Results

The vehicle also featured working doors. Version 1 of the vehicle can be seen in the background.
The vehicle also featured working doors. Version 1 of the vehicle can be seen in the background.
  • Built a competition model that competed against other teams over several categories
  • "People's Top Choice" for aesthetics (Professor Jan DeWaters)
  • Exceeded all provided constraints, including a total range of 20+ feet in a straight path
Technical Report