PENNSTATE

Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering

Team G Cordless Fan Detailed Design Report

11/19/2011

Dalton Tallia Eric Hanley Michael Garretson

Executive Summary
The objective of this project is to design a product that will satisfy a range of customer needs in the portable fan market. The fan market has been extremely successful in the past and with variations to previous products a new group of customers can be addressed. Our team has identified several customer needs through group brainstorming and even many more with the help of surveys and product observation. After applying concept generation and concept selection methods from our textbook, Reference 1, Product Design and Development, we have narrowed down multiple ideas to one potential design that will satisfy both the ACME Tool Company and the consumer. Our product, the Wind King, will allow for easy use and portability while still providing a strong flow that is desirable by every user. The conceptual idea behind this fan stems from a traditional axially rotating fan combined with additional features that meet customer needs. The Wind King has two supporting legs, a removable battery pack for easy charging, and a removable outer cage for easy cleaning. It is expected to be a great success on the market as it meets numerous customer needs identified through research and surveys. After prioritizing which needs should be addressed it was possible to design the fan towards them in order to produce the best product. In addition, through research and the use of various technologies this fan will be very efficient and maximize the power outputted by the required 18V battery. It was through the use of numerous ideas that this final concept was created and it is believed to be the best combination of each concept. After an original cardboard prototype followed by the alpha prototype the fan has finally come to life. In the following weeks a final Beta prototype will be produced that will represent the compilation of our ideas and be ready to hit the market. Our group is very excited to go forward with this design and watch it successfully hit the market.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction 1.1 Problem Statement..5 1.2 Background Information ....5 1.3 Project Planning .....5 2. Customer Needs and Specifications 2.1 Identification of Customer Needs....6 2.2 Design Specifications...8

3. Concept Development 3.1 External Search.9 3.2 Problem Decomposition9 3.3 Design Concepts...9 3.4 Concept Combination.10 4. System Level Design 4.1 Overall Description.11 4.2 Theoretical Analysis...11 4.3 Preliminary Economic Analysis.12 5. Detailed Design 5.1 Modifications to Proposal Sections...12 5.2 Theoretical Analysis..13 5.3 Component and Material Selection14 5.4 Fabrication Processes for Mass Production Unit..14 5.5 Industrial Design...14 5.6 Detailed Drawings.15 5.7 Economic Analysis15 5.7.1 Unit Production Cost15 5.7.2 Business Case Justification...........16 5.8 Safety.16 5.9 Test Procedure16 6. Actual Construction Process of Beta Prototype 7. Test Results and Discussion..

8. Conclusion.17 9. References..18 10. Appendices 10.1 Appendix A- Design Constraints.....19 10.2 Appendix B- Project Management......20 10.3 Appendix C- Team Contract.......21 10.4 Appendix D- Survey Questions...22 10.5 Appendix E- Design Concepts and Final Design....23 10.6 Appendix F- Final Design Concept.....25 10.7 Appendix G- Cardboard Model and Alpha Prototype.....28 10.8 Appendix H: Safety Concerns From UL 507..30 10.9 Appendix I- Test Procedures...31

1. Introduction
1.1 Problem Statement Every day millions of people around the world use fans in a variety of ways. The uses are seemingly endless as people use them at work, at home, outdoors, and more. Therefore, the development of a successful fan has the potential to be extremely profitable as it is a product that can be used by everyone. Looking at the current market there are many similarities amongst common household fans. In order to differentiate from existing products many changes can and will be made. ACME Tool Company already has a successful product family of 18V power tools that includes drills, saws, and sanders. Due to this past success it is desirable to expand and add a new product to the line. The marketing department believes that a cordless fan could be quite successful and, therefore, innovative designs will be developed to meet the market demand for fans. There are several desirable attributes that will be included in a successful design; low cost, quiet operation, long battery life, attractive appearance, safety, compactness, portability, reliability and high flow. Although these attributes must be addressed, there are several constraints that take priority. The list of these constraints can be seen in Appendix A. Our group, 3G, consisting of Dalton Tallia, Eric Hanley, and Michael Garretson, will be competing with other firms from around the world in order to design and construct a demonstrative prototype with the hopes of winning a lucrative long-term contract with ACME Tool Company. With an understanding of the problem at hand, along with knowledge of the existing ACME line, and analysis of customer needs, we will be able to successfully create a product that will fulfill the needs of all parties. 1.2 Background Information In an effort to design the most efficient fan there are several different ways to approach the task at hand. With research concerning different fan components that include blade size, angles, speed, torque, and more, the optimization of the cordless portable fan can occur. 1.3 Project Planning In order to develop a successful product many design processes are needed to have an organized approach that utilizes as many ideas as possible. Our group, Team 3G, has been following an organized design process that has been put forth in class as well as in the textbook, Reference 1, Product Design and Development. We will continue to follow along with the processes presented to us and have already outlined future objectives in a Gantt chart in order to stay on track and have an even amount of work throughout the 5

projects lifetime. The Gantt chart constructed for our groups progress can be noted in the back in Appendix B. The responsibilities of each group member are flexible, but we have identified that Michael Garretson will be more involved with the CAD drawings and research of ideas, while Dalton Tallia and Eric Hanley focus more on the memos and reports. We will mainly be doing work together though to ensure that all of our ideas and inputs can be accounted for. Our Team contract which outlines each individuals responsibilities to the team along with a list of policy can be seen in Appendix C.

2. Customer Needs and Specifications:

2.1 Identification of Customer Needs After careful research in the consumer market, several key design aspects were identified that would be desirable. This will allow for the portable fan to successfully be added to our line of cordless power tools. These needs were identified through surveys, interviews, observations, and analysis of current fans on the market. Several fan features were identified for the survey and customers were then polled on their importance. Latent needs were also sought out by observing fans being used and also by analyzing feedback gained from the survey. The survey consisted of 10 questions that were answered by 100 participants and provided an excellent understanding of how the customer views current fans and features, while also giving input concerning possible areas of improvement. A list of these questions can be seen in Appendix D. With this data, we believe we can build the perfect product that will sell on the current market. The customer data closely mirrored the pair-wise comparison chart our group came up with on our own. This pair-wise comparison chart can be seen below in Table 1.

Table 1: Pairwise Comparison Chart Cost Size Durability Cost Size Durability Appearance Moveable Flow Battery Life Recyclable Assembly Variable Flow Flow Power Add-Ons -1 -1 -1 -1 0 -1 -1 0 1 -1 0 -1 0 0 -1 -1 1 1 -1 -1 1 1 -1 -1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 -1 -1 0 1 0 -1 -1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 -1 -1 1 1 0 Appearance 1 1 1 Moveable Flow 1 0 -1 -1 Battery Life 0 0 -1 -1 0 Recyclable 1 1 1 0 1 1 Assembly Variable Flow 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 -1 -1 -1 0 -1 -1 -1 Flow Power -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 0 Add-Ons Sum 1 1 0 -1 0 0 -1 -1 1 1 6 1 -2 -8 2 2 -8 -8 7 9 -1

Organized in Table 2 below is a list of the top five customer needs that our group identified through the pairwise comparison. It can be seen that flow power was the highest rated customer need as it beat out all others. Variable flow was also deemed an important customer need, and is a feature that we could add to our design. Cost and battery life also made the top 5. Cost inversely correlates to the features that we will be adding to the fan and therefore, the more features we incorporate the more it will cost. In order to satisfy the customer we must weigh the opportunity costs between features and additional price. Battery life, although a top 5 customer need, cannot be changed as we are constrained to the battery given.
Table 2: Pairwise Order of Rank Flow Power Variable Flow Cost Moveable Flow Battery Life

9 7 6 2 2

Concerning the actual customer needs identified through our surveys, the mass of people differed slightly from the ranking set forth by group 3G. The overall order of the customer identified needs can be seen in Table 3 on the next page. The average rating is based on polling customers and asking for the importance of each need with 10 being the most important. Safety was considered extremely important and we figured that there should be no way that somebody could get hurt while using our product. This led us to leave it out of the ranking altogether. Also, noise and portability were initially overlooked, but identified by customers, which is why it did not show up in Table 3. Flow was once again ranked first; however, there were slight variations after that. The second most important need to our customer is the cost of our product. They would prefer price over quality, to a certain extent, in a portable fan. With a portable battery powered fan the consumer decided that battery life is almost as important as the first two needs listed above. It was also seen that the costumer wants a fan that will be able to withstand accidental damage as it may not always be used indoors due to its portable nature. Therefore, durability is quite desirable and ranked fourth among customer needs. Most customers also desired some sort of power adjustment on the fan as well. Some want more settings than others, but research indicated that three settings was a happy medium. About half the consumers polled said they wanted oscillation of some sort while the other half did not care for it. From the online survey it was determined that most customers actually preferred the low drone of the fan as simple background noise and a simple modification may allow for both. Data indicates that the consumer does not really care about the overall appearance and color of the fan. Therefore, we will be sticking with the current ACME color scheme to match the other products on the line. The consumer also does not appear to care for recyclability, so it will not be a determining factor in the original design. As state before, there was not much research done into the field of safety. 7

This is because we feel that it is an absolute necessity, especially in a device with rotating blades. For research into the safety field we simply looked at other fans on the market and picked apart their safety features to come up with some of our own. It is pretty standard throughout the market to have the rotating assembly caged off.
Table 3: Customer Identified Needs Customer Need Average Rating out of 10 Power adjustment 8.46 Cost 8.23 Battery Life 7.46 Durability 6.79 Variable Flow 6.38 Flow Movement 6.38 Add-ons 5.44 Size 5.4 Appearance 4.23 Recyclability 3.53 Safety n/a Noise n/a Portability n/a

In addition to the initial customer needs, we discovered several other features that customers desired that could give our product an edge. These include a remote control, a misting feature, a scent feature, and a removable cage so that dust can easily be removed. All of these seem like great ideas, but with cost being a priority on the list of customer needs they cannot all be implemented into our design. For the beta prototype only a removable cage will be used as this can satisfy a customer need without spiking the cost. The additional add-ons can possibly be sold on the side if consumers wish to maximize the capabilities of their Wind King. With all of that being said, we have developed four concept designs that accommodate a different number of these customer needs. 2.2 Design Specifications The fan design will follow some very basic specifications. It will be powered by an 18V NiCd battery pack (the same one that the drills in this line of products use). The battery pack will be easily removable as it is going to slide in to the rear underneath the motor. With this battery the Wind King will be able to run while standing or while hanging. The two legs will be sturdy and the center of mass will lie overtime of them to prevent rocking or tipping. Also, a hook will be added to the top in case a customer wants to hang the fan. In order for this fan to be portable it must be easy to carry and rather light. With the motor assembly hanging from the center of the fan it can easily be carried. The fan will have no safety defects at all and will be 100% safe for customer use. In addition, one of the parts must be fabricated using rapid prototyping methods. Our original metrics and values table can be seen on the next page in Table 4. This represents project goals for each customer need. 8

Table 4: Metrics and Values For Portable Fan Our Customer Needs Cheap Small Doesn't Break Keep cool Appearance Easy To Move Battery Life Recyclability Flow Movement Add-ons Protection from blades Metric Price Cubic Feet Durability Output Aesthetics Portability Duration Recyclability Flow Movement Add-ons Safety

Value
Under $40 12"x12"x12" Survive a four foot fall TBD (CFM) Subjective Subjective Predetermined by battery and motor % Parts made out of recyclable material Degrees rotated % People that want them Cage size / blade material dB

Customer Ranking of Importance 2 8 4 1 9 **n/a 3 10 5 5 7 **n/a **n/a

Different Power Settings Power adjustment Number of power settings

Quiet / Background noise Noise

**n/a denotes that this customer need was not included in the initial survey, but has been identified through features that were requested by the consumers in the survey

3. Concept Development
3.1 External Search The external search started simply by looking at other fans on the market. Looking at those designs helped us come up with several different looks of our own. This is where our preliminary concept designs came from. After that, a more analytical step was taken and we found equations in Reference 2, Basic Guidelines For Plastic Conversion of Metal Axial Flow Fans, that allowed us to rank each design against one another. This allowed us to ultimately pick one that satisfied the most customer needs. 3.2 Problem Decomposition Our product can be broken down into several subsystems. These include the blades, the housing, the electric wiring, and any additional features. The blades are being designed in accordance with equations that will allow maximum airflow. The housing of the fan works as a protection not only from the blades but from the electric circuits on the inside. The cage will not allow for anyone to be able to stick their fingers in while the fan is running and the casing will keep the fan from short circuiting if it gets a little wet. The electronics are simple enough and a switch of some sort will be added to allow for the fan to be turned on and off. The battery will be attached to the motor and the motor will be attached to the fan blade. 3.3 Design Concepts We have developed four concept designs that accommodate a different number of features previously listed with various trade-offs. Several of the designs incorporate a 9

simple circular fan with variations in control placement, base, and handle. Another design featured a squirrel cage fan with air being focused on a smaller area. One of the concept design drawings is shown here in Figure 1. This design closely resembles our current design that is being pushed forward to the beta prototype. Some additional early design drawings can be seen in Appendix E.

Figure 1: Initial drawing that closely resembles beta prototype

A picture of our final design done in Solidworks can be seen below in Figure 2. As stated above a resemblance to our initial design can be seen. All views of our final design can be seen in Appendix F.

Figure 2: Solidworks drawing of final concept

3.4 Concept Combination As our concepts were analyzed a list was made of both the positive and negative attributes of each. The best characteristics of each fan were then combined into our Solidworks model. These features consisted of a circular housing for the blades, angled blades, a speed control with three different speeds, and removable battery pack for easy recharging. There will be two legs to support the fan and a removable outer cage for easy cleaning. Once again, for a better idea of our final concept, Appendix F can be referenced

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along with Figure 2 shown above. These pictures will give a better understanding of our final concept and the various features that will be added.

4. System Level Design

4.1 Overall Description The prototype of our fan can be seen in the attached Solidworks drawings in Appendix F. Also, the cardboard model and alpha prototype can be seen in Appendix G. The fan has two small legs to stand on, a circular body with angled blades, a speed control, a removable battery and caging, and a handle on top for portability. The blades will be made from a cast of a piece designed using rapid prototyping. The cage will be screwed on and easily removable in order to satisfy the need to clean the cage. 4.2 Theoretical Analysis Sample data was obtained by testing our drill and our motor on a dynamometer. The maximum rpm of our motor without the gear box attached came out to be 18,742 rpm. Looking at Figure 3 which came from Reference 3, calculations can be performed that show that the maximum efficiency occurs at 15,930 rpm and maximum power output occurs at 9,371 rpm. The current was also measured to be 1.18 amps and our battery is only rated at 1.3 amp hours. Therefore, it would only last around 55 minutes under these conditions. Our numbers show that a different battery could be very helpful in future products. Using this acquired data and the equations found in Reference 3, Motors and Batteries we were able determine appropriate blade angles and sizes for our fan that would produce the best results. The design can be seen the Solidworks model in appendix.

Figure 3: Motor Data (Lecture 14, Slide 9)

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4.3 Preliminary economic analysis At a unit price of twenty dollars this portable fan will generate revenue of approximately eight million dollars over four years. The cost to fully design and create one of these fans will be in the range of eight to ten dollars. That puts the companys profit for these fans to be at the lowest four million dollars. As the numbers show, investing in this fan would be an economically intelligent idea. By satisfying the customer needs that our group identified, this fan will surely sell on the market. Other concepts may be appealing in different ways, but will not possess the overall selling power of the Wind King. Using the same initial motor and shaft assembly as well as the sane battery pack will simplify some of the manufacturing processes. A successful cast of the blades will allow for cheap mass production of this component. The assembly is not difficult as the pieces somewhat slide together. All of these aspects allow for a cheap overall design and high profits.

5. Detailed Design Report

5.1 Modifications Since our initial concept generation several modifications have been made to the Wing King. Some of the additional features that our customer needs identified were great ideas, however, while trying to keep the costs low, one of our highest needs, it was necessary to cut some add-ons out. A remote control would be a great feature, but would be more practical on a more expensive and higher quality fan. We plan on keeping ours cheaper and portable, so this is an unnecessary feature at this point. Also, misting and scenting features have been eliminated at this point as well. If this product is successful as we expect these features may be added as add-ons that can be purchased or be part of future designs. For the meantime though it makes sense to leave them out to keep costs low. The removable cage on the other hand does not add additional costs, but satisfies a need so it will remain. The frame of the fan was initially set up to be two approximately eight inch metal bars connected at an angle. During the construction of our alpha prototype it was easier to bend these sections around an eight inch diameter. This modified the stand design as now instead of a sharp angle the stand is bent in almost a circle. We believe that it has a nice smooth look to the design and the beta prototype will have a similar design. Additionally, the original design called for the cage connecting the blade assembly to the motor to be angled back. In our alpha prototype the blade assembly connected very closely to the motor assembly so we simply put a flat cage on the back. Depending on how we adjust the legs, we may have to eliminate the angled back approach to ensure that our fan fits in the required 15x15x15 space. The front cage was also changed. Originally we wished to use an advanced machining method to create a nice looking cage; however, due to time constraints it was easiest to cut an existing material to place on the front cage. This was changed for the alpha, but we hope to go back to our original design for the beta. Our beta will also be more aesthetically appealing with the motor assembly painted black. The legs may also be changed to a more appealing color and end caps will be placed on the bottom of the legs. Throughout 12

this project our initial idea has been closely followed, however, as we have progressed small changes have been made as mentioned above. These changes will help with the ease of production and make a more practical assembly. 5.2 Theoretical Analysis All equations are taken from References 2 and 4. An rpm of 800 was chosen as that is the speed at which the motor rotates with the gearbox. An air velocity of 6 m/s was also chosen as that is a desirable speed for cooling as seen in the alpha prototype tests. Static Pressure = (V/4005)2 = (19.7 /4005)2 = 2.414E-5 (negligible) Fan Total Pressure PT = PT - PTi 101.3kpa *1 wg /.2498 kpa = 405.52 wg 106.3 kpa * 1 wg/.2498 kpa= 425.54 wg PT = 425.54 405.52 = 20 wg Fan Static Pressure Ps = PT-Pv Ps = 20 2.414E-5 = 20 wg Hub Diameter D = 19000/(rpm*sqrt(Ps)) D = 19000/(800*sqrt(20)) = 5.3 inches Hub/Tip Ratio r = rH/rt r = 2.65/6 = .442 Number of Blades nb = 6r/(1-r) nb = 6*.442/(1-.442) = 4.75 Pitch xp = 2r/nb xp = 2*.442/4.75 = .585 inches Noise Fb = nb*rpm/60 Fb = 4.75*800/60 = 63.33 Tip Clearance = D/100 Tip Clearance = 13/100 = .13 inche 13

5.3 Component and Material Selection The motor assembly and wiring will be consistent with the existing drill materials. This will require a ramp up of production of these parts, but will not require additional design. Each of the additional parts of the fan will be created with a plastic material. For now we are considering using a polycarbonate as they are easily worked and molded while still being rather strong. Several standard screws and bolts will be used to secure the cage into place and can be purchased by an outside vendor in bulk. Finally, a nice exterior color will be given to the different parts. This can be done quickly with spray painting machines of some sort and the paint material will also be purchased from an outside vendor. 5.4 Fabrication Process As stated before, the motor, shaft assembly and shell will be very similar to the existing one created for the actual drill. An injection molding process will be used to make the shell of the motor housing. This should only require a new mold. Additionally, legs will be bent in an automated process. The fan blades will also be made of plastic using injection molding along with the cage. We believe that this will allow for quick fabrication that uses plastic, a cheaper product. Durability is important and the dimensions of each part will be sturdy enough to ensure this. We believe with these processes our fan design will be extremely easy to manufacture. 5.5 Industrial Design Our fan meets the everyday requirements for an average person while also being easy on the eyes. An ergonomic design for our fan was essential. The size of the fan was maxed out quite simply so a maximum area could be cooled. The Wind King also is able to tilt up and down so it can be set or hung anywhere in a room and point in any direction. Although not a direct priority, the final dimensions were chosen with the attempt of keeping the fan aesthetically pleasing as well as practical. The Wind King also has the same color scheme (red and black) as the other tools in the line.

5.6 Detailed Drawings A picture of our current design exploded view is shown below. Additional figures can be seen in Appendix F. Our design mainly consists of a front and rear cage that protects the user from the blade. This is attached to the motor assembly which is then attached to frame from its top component.

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Figure 4: Wind King Exploded View

5.7 Economic Analysis 5.7.1 Unit Production Cost Based on the cost of materials, tooling, parts, overhead, labor, and marketing for the production of 100,000 fans a year the bill of materials (BOM) was determined. Using the BOM the unit cost of one production unit can be found. This value can then be used to determine what price to sell the product at and finally the net present value (NPV). Based on Reference 5, we found that a square foot by 16 mm think sheet of polycarbonate was $3.29. Using four eight inch tubes at a one inch diameter we got a total of 25.12 in^3 of plastic needed. This accounts for the stand. Next we got that we wanted approximately 85% of the cage open for air flow. With a diameter of 13 this comes out to about 10 in^3 for both sides combined. Finally we accounted for about 3 in^3 additional plastic for the casing of the motor. Combined this accounts for 38.12 in^3 or .022ft^3. The $3.29 for .00328ft^3 we found will be an extreme overestimate of the actual cost of buying this material as it is cut into a precise size. By just buying the material in bulk and injection molding we predict that the cost would be cut in half. Using our necessary amount of polycarbonate of .022ft^3 and $3.29 per .0328 ft^3 the total cost comes out to about $22. Halving this value comes to $11. In addition to the $11 dollars of material, plus the cost of the motor and wiring along with manual labor we predict the final price to be around $15. If given the contract to sell this fan we believe that we can search for even better deals and reduce this cost to around $10. With a target selling value of approximately $25 this can be an extremely profitable 15

investment. Not included are estimates for machinery and operational costs, however, with that contrast between material and labor price and selling price this will still be profitable.

5.7.2 Business Case Justification

Using a the simple calculation:

If we sell the product for $25 and assume a discount rate of r= 10% our NPV is determined to be $7.73. Having an NPV larger than zero tells us that this investment will add value to the company and therefore should be accepted so production may begin. 5.8 Safety Ultimately our group must design the Wind King to be as safe as possible. This will be measured by testing it for safety in compliance with UL 507. Many sections of UL 507 are dedicated to electrical components of the fan. With the use of the existing drill motor, shaft and electrical assembly it must already comply with regulations regarding the safety of the assembly. Concerning the rotating assembly there are several safety components that must be accounted for and can be seen in Appendix H. Appendix H is a portion of UL 507, which is Reference 6. Our final design will have a diameter greater than eight inches and will be rotating at higher than 2000 RPMs. Therefore, it must have a safety cage. This cage must prevent a probe of one inch diameter from reaching the blade as this will keep a finger safe. Also, according to section 6.1.1 of UL 507 the fan must be able to survive under the abuses that it make regularly experience. With the strong stand and assembly our fan will be durable enough to satisfy this safety concern along with the customer need. According to section 6.1.3, if the fan has any parts attractable to children it must have a marking warning against its use around them. A rotating part may be attractive, and therefore, a marking on the box will be applied, and a sticker will be applied before it is sold. According to section 8.1.2, all rotating parts such as the blade, shaft, and pulleys must be enclosed. As stated before our front and back cages will satisfy this and the motor assembly box will be completely closed off. These are just some of the safety concerns that are mentioned in UL 507. Other applicable concerns can be seen in Appendix H. 5.9 Test Procedure Our group had average expectations for our alpha prototype going into its first testing period. With the task of being able to move air for our alpha testing we designed towards successfully having a rotating blade as we thought this would guarantee to move air. We succeeded in this aspect; however, our fan did not register on the vane anemometer. From this testing we learned a lot to take into our beta prototype. With our motor and shaft assembly along with the fans stand nearly complete we can focus on achieving better test results. This can be done through the creation of a bigger and better 16

blade along with taking out some of the gearing in order to have it spin at a higher rotation per minute. Better results will be shown in the beta testing. A full list of the test procedures can be seen in Appendix I. To ensure safety, goggles will be worn throughout all testing. The fan must be sitting horizontally while tested, which will not be a problem as the Wind King is naturally oriented this way. As stated above in the safety section 5.8, our fan will be tested for compliance with UL 507. At this time the details released to use consist of using a cast aluminum finger. The next test will be for noise. An industrial sound level meter at 18 inches from the body of the fan will find the maximum sound level. This tests a topic that had conflicting results in our customer needs as some individuals wanted the fan to produce some noise to block out other sounds while others prefer quiet fans. After that the fan will be placed on a platform to test force. Based on how far the platform held by four cords blows back a reaction force can be found. As with the alpha testing an air flow test will be conducted using a vane anemometer at 18 inches from the body. Finally, an effectiveness test will be conducted. This requires the fan to run for five minutes with another air flow test at the end. Effectiveness will be found by comparing the initial flow with the flow after five minutes. All of these tests will be conducted following the completion of our beta prototype and we hope to display the true power of the Wind King. Successful results will ensure that the fan will be a top seller as many of them will prove that our customer needs have been satisfied.

6. Actual Construction Process of Beta Prototype

Almost no parts from the alpha prototype were used in the beta. The only part to remain the same was the housing for the motor. The motor housing was made from the original housing for the drill motor. It was improved on in design through the use of Bondo. However in the beta the gearbox on the motor was removed to generate a higher rpm. The frame in the beta was welded together from steel rods to create a more stylish design than the curved frame used in the alpha. End caps for the legs were made by drilling holes into small wooden blocks and then were put in place using J.B. Weld. The motor housing is hung in the same way as before. There is a longer shaft used in the beta to give a larger area for suction. The shaft was made from a rod using the lathe at the learning factory. A step was put in on the shaft so a bearing could be put in place for stability. One end of the shaft was then drilled out so the motor could be press fit into it. The other end of the shaft was then threaded so the blade could be put into place between two nuts inside the cage. The blade was made from a sheet of steel using the water jet at the learning factory after it was drawn up on Solidworks. The blades were then bent to a more optimal pitch for greater air flow. The front of the cage was made from a mesh bought at Lowes. It was simply cut out to the appropriate size then screwed into the shroud. The back was constructed from pieces of plywood cut out and put in place using J.B. Weld. The shroud was made by bending a long piece of aluminum into a circle with tabs on it to allow the cage on front and back to be screwed into place. A switch along with a potentiometer was wired into the beta to allow for easy on/off and control over speed. Finally at the end the beta was spray painted to resemble the other tools in its line of products. The final Beta design is shown below in figure 5. More views of the Beta prototype can be seen in appendix. 17

Figure 5 "The Wind King" Beta

7. Test Results and Discussion

The Wind King was put to test on Wednesday December 7th. The fan was put through a safety test, an air speed test, a noise test, a force test, an endurance test, and finally another air speed test at the end of the endurance test. The Wind King was made with UL 507 in mind thus it passed the safety test of not allowing a childs finger inside the cage with ease. On a disappointing note the air speed test did not go as planned. A vinometer was used to calculate the wind speed. The Wind King only put out a minimal 1.4 m/s air flow during the test. This is much less than what was observed prior to the test. A drained battery caused a much smaller flow than what The Wind King was capable of. The noise output during this testing time was measured at dB. The force was measured using a setup shown in figure 6 below which was constructed with this specific scenario in mind. With a small air flow velocity came a small force result of only .1 N for The Wind King. After these first few tests came the endurance test where the fan was ran for 5 straight minutes. The Wind King also passed this test with ease. The final test was yet another air speed test at after the endurance test. During this run The Wind King posted a velocity of 1.2 m/s. This is an efficiency of 86% after 5 minutes. Overall The Wind King performed less than what was expected of it during the tests. Some factors that are attributed to this less than par performance are the drained battery, a flat edge along one blade that threw off the balance, and a faulty attachment from the motor casing to the stand.

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Figure 6 Force Testing Device

8. Conclusion and Recommendations

8. Conclusion and Recommendations: Include sections on Overall summary of your product, including key features and unique selling points, The economic viability of this venture, How your design could be improved, What you learned from this project, and Suggestions to improve the project experience In conclusion, our group 3G believes that the Wind King should be allowed to proceed. We have developed a product that suits several customer needs and will have great success on the market. The testing results did not show the true power and potential of our final product, but aside from that it has very few flaws. Through our calculations and observations our fan has the potential to be extremely powerful. Unfortunately, due to battery problems this was not shown as it ran out of battery before we could fully display its true output. Unfortunately, the blade on our fan was slightly unbalanced as during the water jet process an outside part of the blade was cut off due to improper placement of the material in the machine. This can easily be changed in the future and will reduce a slight wobbling that occurred in the beta prototype. Additionally, the two bolts that pulled out of the top of our assembly caused minor problems as the complete structure was necessary for it to operate as we planned. This will not be a problem in the future as this was only a beta prototype, and if given the approval to go forward with this project we will ensure that proper manufacturing will eliminate this problem. The blade shroud could have also been slightly larger to make sure that the blades themselves had enough clearance to prevent any possible obstruction from the front and back cages. This was a slight problem only due to the bolts pulling out from the top, but we believe that it should be addressed for safety purposes. These topics mainly address the flaws of our fans performance, but can easily be addressed now that they have been identified. On the contrary our beta prototype satisfied many customer needs and had many upsides to it. Our number one customer need was overall flow. Basically this means our customers wanted a strong output. Testing did not prove this as we had hoped, but with minor adjustments this will be satisfied. As can be seen with our beta prototype the fan blades and cage were nearly as large as possible. This was a change from the alpha prototype as we identified that the larger the blades, the more flow. Additionally, we tried to cut down on the clearance between the blades and the cage as much as possible as this also helped 19

upgrade the overall flow. A bearing was placed between the motor and the blade to reduce vibration so that we could cut down on the clearance space. Additionally, the gear box was removed to speed up the blade and increase flow. All of these features show our efforts to satisfy our most important customer need and they will be successful with a powerful battery and minor adjustments to our design. Additional needs were also satisfied. A coating of filler material was placed around the original shell to reduce the sound output from the motor as many customers wanted a quiet fan. The front cage is easily removable as the five screws can be pulled out. This was a customer suggestion as many past fans would get dirty and cleaning was tough. The battery pack was placed in the rear of the fan and could be easily removed helping with the overall ease of use. The battery itself could not be changed so this customer need was tough to satisfy. We gave up some battery life in order to achieve maximum flow, but in final products variable speeds will allow for a higher overall efficiency by running the fan at lower speeds. Our fan was made out of rather durable parts for the beta prototype and we believe its design will hold up quite well when in use. By using injection molding we will be able to cut down on some of the fans weight while still keeping our sturdy design. With adjustable bolts on the top of the frame the fans flow direction can be changed as well. As was seen during the testing processes, our fan was very safe. No fingers can reach the blades and no wiring was exposed to the user. This was an extremely important customer need to us as a blade spinning at extremely high speeds should not have any chance of injuring the user. As stated above our fan had numerous key selling points that addressed multiple customer needs. Unfortunately, the fan did not operate as perfectly as we had hoped, but these issues will be fixed as they have already been identified. Mainly the blade needs to be cut properly, the cage could be larger, the battery could be charged better, and the bolts holding it together must be properly secured. All of these will allow for a full output like we experienced from the blade before we fully assembled the fan with the cage on. With the necessary changes to our fan we believe that it will be extremely profitable and sell like hot cakes. Having an NPV of ________________________ shows that our fan is a wise investment for this company. This project opened us all up to numerous learning experiences. First, two of us had nearly no machining background at all. Luckily, one of us did have some past experience to guide us through the construction of our prototypes. Our time in the learning factory has exposed us to the different ways that each part of our fan could be made. Now being able to identify exactly how to make different parts will be key to future projects. For example, creating the front shroud was done by first precisely measuring out a piece of material. Next the band saw was used to cut out several slots that would later be bent using a blow torch so that they could be bent without breaking. That metal was rolled to get its circular appearance. Just that one part opened us up to several processes that we had not experienced before. Being exposed to those processes, along with many more gives us the confidence to go forward with future projects. We will no longer be hesitant about approaching a machine as we used nearly all of them throughout this project. Our group spent a lot more time than necessary as our design required precise parts for its final assembly. Due to this we had to

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machine some parts more than once to get the perfect fit allowing us to become rather resourceful with the machining process. Aside from the maching part, our group was able to take a lot from the project management process itself. Throughout the project we had tried to stay ahead of schedule which was key for our groups success. Every stage was tackled with this project from the initial identification of needs to the final beta prototype construction. The Gant Chart was very helpful in keeping us on schedule. The due dates for the cardboard model and alpha prototype helped us to continually progress throughout the semester. From the alpha prototype we gained important knowledge that helped us to modify our design to its current beta form. The alpha prototype had a similar structure and a spinning blade, but did not successfully move much air. This flaw was addressed in many ways as stated before. The project progression was a great learning experience, as was the team management skills that we all developed. Learning how to plan meetings around busy schedules was important as that is a necessary skill that we will be able to use forever. Additionally, we all had different strengths that we had to utilize. Having to compromise on ideas was a good learning experience that we saw throughout every stage of the project. All of these topics will greatly aide each member in the future. This class has taught us all countless lessons that we will be able to carry over to the working world. The overall project experience was pretty good and minimal complaints can be made. With our lack of machining knowledge our construction of alpha and beta prototypes proved to be difficult. The training seminar at the learning factory in the beginning of the semester did not prepare us nearly enough. This would have been much better if it had been placed closer to the actual construction dates of our prototypes. This session was very vague as the machines were mostly setup when we were given a chance to use them. For future projects it would be helpful to have this moved back and also possibly have weekly machine sessions. For example, none of us had experience on the lathe, and it was difficult to create a shaft because of this. It took nearly half a day to learn how to use the lathe as TAs were busy with other students or not there. Also, it is intimidating when you are completely clueless. If there was a weekly lathe session for just 15 minutes it could have really helped us out. If that is not possible, maybe instructions for each machine could be provided or be hanging by the side. At times we did not know which materials could be used on each machine or which machine to use for a specific task. We feel as if this is a general concern for most students as a lot of groups were asking each other many questions.

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7. References
1. Ulrich, K., and S. Eppinger. Product Design and Development. Fifth ed. Irwin McGraw-Hill. Print.

2. "Basic Guidelines For Plastic Conversion Of Metal Axial Flow Fans." BASF Coporation, 2003. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http://www2.basf.us//PLASTICSWEB/displayanyfile?id=0901a5e180004891>. 3. Sommer, H.J. Motors and Batteries. Powerpoint Presentation. ME340 Penn State College PA 12 October 2011 4. "The Basics of Axial Flow Fans." Hudson Products Corporation. 2000. Web. 15 Oct. 2011. <http://www.hudsonproducts.com/products/tuflite/flowfans.pdf>. 5. "16 Mm Clear Polycarbonate Triplewall." Greenhouses & Supply, A Greenhouse for Everyone! EnviroCept: Greenhouses and Supply. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://www.greenhousesetc.net/glazing/polysheet_16mm_clear.htm>. 6. "UL 507: Electric Fans." Ruiying-Motor. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ruiyingmotor.com/userfiles/UL%20507%20Eletric%20Fans(2).pdf>

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8. Appendices
8.1 Appendix A: Design Constraints Design Constraints: 1. Cordless operation, removable 18V NiCd battery pack 2. The assembled fan must fit within a 12 cube during operation 3. Must be able to operate on a table or counter, or hanging from a ceiling or tent pole 4. Must meet the needs of typical consumers, and you must convincingly show that it does so. 5. Must be safe in all possible situations, including finger safe for small children, no possible electrical hazard even if totally immersed in water, etc. 6. For your economic analysis, you are to assume a product volume of 100K units per year, for 4 years. 7. Your team will be provided a sample 18V cordless drill from the product family. Your design must use the same NiCd battery pack, the same battery pack connector and the same DC electric motor. You may use as much or as little of the rest of the drill as your team decides. 8. You must construct a demonstration (beta) prototype. Your demonstration prototype must contain the original motor, original battery connector and original battery pack from your sample drill. You are not permitted to make any functional modifications to the battery pack or motor. No other sources of power may be employed. You may only use the original charger provided with your sample drill to charge the battery pack. 9. You may not use components cannibalized from an existing product for the final demonstration (beta) prototype. 10. The final prototype must contain at least one component that has been fabricated using rapid prototyping, water jet, CNC or casting methods. 11. The final prototype will be tested in head-to-head competition against other prototypes. However, note that the primary goal of this project is to design an economically viable consumer product, not just to win a competition. 12. Budget: Your team will be limited to a $30 reimbursement for all materials and components. These must be purchased by your instructor on your behalf from the following vendors only: a. McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com) b. Jameco (http://www.jameco.com). Items such as nuts and bolts, washers, common fasteners, etc. will be available from the MNE Instrument Room in 23 Reber, and the Learning Factory.

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8.2 Appendix B: Project Management Michael Garretson- Solid Works Designer and Fan Research Dalton Tallia-Report Compiler Eric Hanley- Record Keeper

Figure 7: Gantt Chart

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8.3 Appendix C: Team Contract Team Contract ME 340 Members: Michael Garretson Eric Hanley Dalton Tallia

mtg5072@psu.edu ech253@psu.edu djt5061@psu.edu

717-752-0375 484-653-7046 267-614-4756

Mission Statement: To work efficiently as a team, completing the project to a high level of performance by expected due date. Meetings: Majority of meetings will take place on Tuesday and Thursday. Meetings can be dropped or added, as long as discussed prior to meeting time. No more than 5 minutes late at maximum If unable to attend, discuss with teammates as far in advanced as possible. Communication: Group texting E-mail Talking in class Performance: Personal duties are expected to be completed before the meeting. Ask team members for help if necessary. No credit if no work or communication was initiated. Majority rules, listen to others. Personal: Be respectful of others opinions and ideas Do not be afraid to add ideas Keep your work to a high level of performance Michael Solidworks Design of big pic Rapid 3-d programming Eric Record things Easy going Optimistic Hands on Dalton Logical Calm Realistic

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8.4 Appendix D: Survey Questions In addition to ranking the customer needs that we identified, we asked for input that could help identify latent needs or other features that could give us an edge over the competition. What type of qualities would be most important in a fan you may purchase? Are there any features you would change in fans you have used in the past? Would you consider a way to control fan noise a useful option? Where would you use a small portable fan the most? Is there anything you use a fan for besides to keep cool? Are there any colors that you would prefer in a portable fan? Would you prefer quality or cost in a portable fan? Would you like extra features on a portable fan such as a remote control, scenting feature, misting features, etc)? Would you pay more for these features? Are there any extra comments you would like to add with respect to a portable fan design?

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8.5 Appendix E: Initial Design Concepts

Figure 8: First Concept Design Created in Class

Figure 9: Caged Fan with Expandable Legs and Rotating Components

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Figure 10: Centrifugal Fan with Rotating Components

Figure 11: Caged Fan with Battery Directly behind Blades and Distributed Weight

Figure 12: Cage Design Analysis

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8.6 Appendix F: Final Design Concept

Figure 13: Concept Design Generated in Solid Works

Figure 14: Final Concept Design Generated in SolidWorks

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Figure 15: Final Concept Design Side View

Figure 16: Final Concept Design Additional Side View

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Figure 14: Final Concept Design Rear View

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8.7 Appendix G: Cardboard Model and Alpha Prototype

Figure 15: Cardboard Model

Figure 16: Cardboard Model Front View

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Figure 17: Alpha Prototype

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8.8 Appendix H: Safety Concerns From UL 507

CONSTRUCTION 6 Frame and Enclosures 6.1 General 6.1.1 An appliance shall be formed and assembled so that it has the strength and rigidity necessary to resist the abuses to which it is subjected, without causing a risk of fire, electrical shock, or injury to persons due to total or partial collapse with a resulting reduction of spacings, loosening or displacement of parts, or other serious defects. 6.1.3 A fan having features intended to be attractive to children or to have play value or an appearance of play value shall: a) Be provided with a marking that warns against use as a toy as described in 63.9; and b) Not have any portion of the fan intended to be removed and utilized as an item with play value. 8 Accessibility of Moving Parts 8.1 General 8.1.1 With reference to 8.1.2, the design and intended use of a stationary fan, or a fan intended to be permanently connected electrically, is to be considered when evaluating an enclosure or guard. 8.1.2 The rotor of a motor, a pulley, a belt, a gear, a fan, or other moving parts shall be enclosed or guarded to reduce the risk of injury to persons. 8.2 Portable fans, freestanding fans, and window fans 8.2.1 Other than as described in 8.2.2, a moving part that causes a risk of injury to persons shall be guarded or enclosed. 8.2.2 A moving part such as a rotating grille, rotating air deflector driven by an airstream, or an impeller is not required to be guarded when the moving part complies with all of the following applicable requirements: a) When motor driven, the impeller: 1) Does not weigh more than 45 g (0.1 pound); 2) Is not more than 203.20 mm (8 inches) in diameter; and c) The moving part: 1) Does not rotate faster than 2000 revolutions per minute 10 Mechanical Assembly 10.1 An appliance shall be assembled so as not to increase the risk of injury to persons. Brush caps shall be tightly threaded or otherwise constructed to prevent loosening. 10.2 A switch, a lampholder, an attachment-plug receptacle, a motor-attachment plug, or similar component shall be mounted securely, and shall be prevented from turning or shifting. See 10.3. Exception No. 1: A switch is not required to be prevented from turning when the following conditions are

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8.9 Appendix I: Test Procedures Design Project - Cordless Fan 3.1 Performance Measurement 3.1.1 Personal Safety Safety goggles must be worn during all testing. 3.1.2 Fan orientation Each fan will be tested while sitting on a flat horizontal surface with no additional deflectors or baffles. 3.1.3 Safety Each fan will be tested for safety in compliance with UL 507. 3.1.4 Noise Maximum sound level for each fan will be measured using an industrial sound level meter at eighteen (18) inches from the body of the fan. 3.1.5 Force generation Each fan will be placed on a flat platform suspended by four cords that allow the platform and fan to swing freely. Maximum horizontal force generated by movement of air from the fan will be measured by the reaction force on the platform required to keep the cords vertical. 3.1.6 Air flow Maximum air flow velocity (VM) for each fan will be measured with a vane anemometer at eighteen (18) inches from the body of the fan. 3.1.7 Effectiveness Immediately following testing for maximum air flow velocity, the fan must operate continuously for five (5) minutes. After that time the air flow measurement will be repeated (V 5). Effectiveness will be reported as the percentage of air flow velocity after five minutes divided by maximum air flow velocity (100*V5/VM).

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9.0 Appendix J: BOM BatteryMotor Drill Casing modified Four Drill Casing Screws Bearing Modified Shaft 10 Cage Screws Back Cage Front Cage Shroud Blade Stand Two Plastic End Caps 9.1 Appendix K: Fan Performance Data
ME 340.3 - Fall 2011

Sound UL Team 507 18 inch Air

Air speed Effec

Rank Force

Rank

Rank

Rank TOTAL Effec /4

RANK

Sound Speed

Force lateral speed 5 min AS2/AS1 1=best 1=best 1=best 1=best 1=best 1=best [N] [dBa] 74 92 76 88 92 [mps] 6.5 4.8 9.2 1.4 6.2 [mps] 6.5 3.4 8.6 1.4 0.5 [0-1] 1.00 0.71 0.93 1.00 0.08 [1-10] [1-10] [1-10] [1-10] [1-10] [1-10] 6.5 8 3 6.5 1 2 9.4 3.5 8 9.5 3 6 1 9.5 4 1.5 4 3 1.5 9 3.25 6.85 2.625 6.375 5.875 2 9 1 7 6

A B C D E

NO OK OK NO NO

0.2 0.1 1.1 0.2 2.3

F G H I J

OK OK OK OK NO

0.9 x 1.2 x 0.7

84 71 78 76 86

5.0 1.4 2.5 2.2 9.0

1.1 0.4 1.6 x 2.6

0.22 0.29 0.64 0.00 0.29

4 9.5 2 9.5 5

6 1 5 3.5 7

5 9.5 7 8 2

8 6.5 5 10 6.5

5.75 6.625 4.75 7.75 5.125

5 8 3 10 4

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