The Low‐Cost Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Project: An exercise in learning across disciplines

This is a student-led paper describing a multi-year hands-on project. The low-cost Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) is a research and development testbed, aimed to refine analyses, design features and construction techniques that will go into devices suitable for use by a family. The testbed integrates knowledge from various disciplines and is used to build experience and capabilities. This paper describes how the student team, mostly undergraduates, participating in this project have been learning what they need to make progress, and to make the innovations necessary for success. The paper traces the evolution of the multi-year student project, and summarizes recent experience of the team that is taking the design to field test readiness. Issues such as safety training, development and usage of skills in using hands-on and analytical tools, and the process of team organization and progress monitoring, are all discussed. Prior work on these topics is extracted and summarized as appropriate. The educational aspects of the project are then discussed, in the context of the resources and practices that we have been developing, to facilitate innovation in multidisciplinary endeavors.