WinDIY – HAWT Wind Turbine

While 3D printing allows for interesting experiments, such designs form only a preliminary part of the whole product process.

For example, reliability, flexing of blades, etc require scale models with similar materials. Blade dynamics, forces on blades, bearing design and sizing, etc, cannot be scaled up across materials.

However, an awesome project and an excellent educational tool.

In the future, 3D printing labs across the world, will hopefully provide a fertile ground for a new generation of multi-disciplinary engineers and I wish the lines between mechanical, electrical and other areas of engineering blur enough to make a new generation of technology.

I am very interested in Solar but only have a cursory understanding of wind power. I would love to see some tests and numbers, like how much power can this get you, can it withstand serious wind, some more introduction for clueless people like me so we can appreciate it fully.

Like if I wanted to replicate this, what would it cost me, as the most rough estimate?

Also do you recon some parts, like blades, could be better served with traditionally manufactured parts, like carved out of a single piece of wood and basically hand-carved? Or does this not make much sence?