University of Toronto’s Wind Turbine Student Design Team (UTWind)

International International Small Wind Turbine Contest and New Wind Turbine Design - Last year, UTWind took 1st place at the International Small Wind Turbine Contest in the Netherlands, where we sent 8 delegates to compete against 9 international universities using our student-designed turbine. Students gained hands-on experience in turbine design, wind tunnel testing, and presenting to industry experts, all while building their professional networks. Building on past wins with a horizontal-axis turbine, UTWind took on a new engineering challenge this year by designing and building a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT). The fall semester focused on research conducted by our Mechanical & Manufacturing, Aerodynamics, Power Systems, Control Systems, and Sustainability sub-teams, while winter and spring were dedicated to prototyping and testing. This recent win and technical pivot sparked a 100+ member sign-up surge and led to the creation of 5 new lead roles, increasing mentorship and project ownership. The VAWT will compete this June and is planned for on-campus installation with U of T’s Sustainability Office.

PET Bottle-to-Filament Recycling for Turbine Manufacturing - UTWind’s PET recycling project converts discarded plastic bottles into 3D printing filament used for functional turbine components. This year, we upgraded our in-house recreator to both strip bottles and extrude filament more efficiently, allowing us to scale up collection efforts. We expanded from sourcing waste PET bottles from the Hard Hat Café to multiple bottle drop-off locations across U of T’s St. George campus. So far, we have recycled 48 bottles this year. This filament has enabled us to print upgraded turbine parts, including hinges in addition to last year’s nose cone. Weekly recycling sessions are open to all students and provide hands-on experience with CAD, materials, and sustainable manufacturing. Through this project, we aim to promote sustainable practices as we demonstrated that recycled materials can be a viable alternative to conventional, high–carbon-footprint materials.

CAD for 3D printing workshop - In September, UTWind hosted its first Solid Modelling with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) workshop, open to all University of Toronto students, to kick off the design cycle. No prior experience was required, making it accessible to beginners. The session took place in Myhal’s computer lab and the UTWind workspace, where participants used the necessary computers, precision tools, and 3D printer. Led by one of UTWind’s Mechanical and Manufacturing sub-team leads, the workshop guided 15 participants through measuring turbine components using digital calipers, creating hand-drawn engineering sketches, and modelling parts in SolidWorks, an industry-standard CAD software. Several attendees got to see a 3D print of their design, completing the full design-to-prototype process. The activities mirrored the weekly tasks of UTWind’s mechanical team, helping new members build essential skills and giving returning members a chance to refresh core design practices. Non-UTWind members can still apply the transferable skills gained to courses and internships. Participants expressed a strong sense of accomplishment from turning raw measurements into real, physical models, many for the first time. Based on this strong engagement, UTWind plans to make the CAD workshop an annual event.