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rotary motion As far as the rotary motion powered by a fluid, I have designed a really nifty watermill. Old-fashioned in purpose and use, but made with modern manufacturing techniques and a more artistic than functional bent. At left is a thumbnail of the CAD - a larger image is available by clicking on it. 
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design aspects The printed base is designed to hold a small amount of water which can be cycled through the system with a small pump (~$20 at hardware store) run by a drill. The axle, stays up by friction against the sides of the nc milled/lathed stand, which is shaped like a tuning fork. My aim in using this shape was to get the rotation to create vibration in the tines, thus making noise as the water ran through the system. It also allowed me the chance to see the differences between using nc machining and manual instruction to make similar shapes (this one is taller and fatter than the fork made in class). The blades are placed close together, curved and at an angle, as they are in real mills. This makes them more efficient by preventing the loss of water straight through the wheel. The flume that drops the water is about 7° off from vertical. In real mills, efficiency is optimized at 10° from vertical. |
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hurrah! Here are some pictures of the finished mill. I'm still amazed by how well the printer handles wacky designs like helices and the blades on the wheel. Due to lack of a drill pump which would recycle the water, colored water was poured through the system. The wheel works, but it doesn't resonate - I might have been too hopeful =) |
