Abstract:

With the evolution of technology, the educational system can leverage technical advances to facilitate knowledge transmission and immerse students in the new tools and ways of learning. Among them, the integration of additive manufacturing (AM), known as 3D printing, into STEM studies presents valuable opportunities to bridge the gap between theoretical and practical, hands-on applications to consolidate knowledge. Traditional teaching methods often focus on prefabricated models or passive simulations, which can limit the ability of graduate students to engage in real experimental tests and comprehend the tangible effects of design parameters.

Supported by this idea, this study presents a pedagogical framework based on the efficacy of using 3D printing as a central teaching tool to enhance student understanding of fundamental relationships between AM parameters, component quality, and the structural performance of the components, illustrated in a small-scale wind turbine. With computational and hardware tools, it can be analyzed the design, fabrication, and experimental use of customized components within a rigorous, research-oriented laboratory setting.

Using computer-aided design (CAD) software, students create a series of blades, tower, nacelle components, systematically varying key geometrical and aerodynamic parameters such as pitch angle, chord length, airfoil profile, connections between components, size of the subsystems, and more. These designs are then manufactured using a desktop 3D printer under controlled but varied process conditions that differ in key manufacturing settings such as layer height, raster orientation, and internal infill density and pattern. This process provides a rapid and cost-effective method for producing complex, high-precision components.

Therefore, students can conduct controlled experiments by mounting their 3D-printed blades and other components onto a small-scale, standardized wind turbine connected to a data acquisition system. This setup allows for an ample range of analysis through the quantitative measurement of performance metrics, including electrical power output, rotational speed, vibrations, and fatigue. Some examples of printed components are provided to show the importance of this analysis.

Keywords:

Hands-on teaching, problem-based learning, interdisciplinarity, wind turbine, additive manufacturing.