Idea: build a small catamara (1,2 m) to be used on maritime engeneering training and biowater research. It should be 70% sustainable from A to Z. It should use 3D printing with new materials, and be more environmentally friendly from the very begining of the conceptualization until the moment that is out of service: what shoul it be used for? It should run by GPS way points and have an avidance system. It should user friendly and built with cheap components available on the market.
CAD design
Printed parts at MAUSER 3D printing services:MAUSER
Using gloves and special masks.
Glueing the parts at the António Narçal workshop. Workshop overview!
We are using the bodyboard as a testing for all of the processes.
Resin the hulls. Because of the weather its was a very slow process. We never reach the minimum temperature of 21 degrees and 60% of humidity.
As youu can see, there is a chemical reaction between the resin and the paint. The good news is that, if you repaint, it will vanishes! great!!!
And what an ammount of garbadge.
Primary painting. All the errors appear!
Fill the holes and repaint after sanding, sanding and sanding. Repaint again. This process is not going well because it continues to react showing spots of orange (see pictures). We think to change the process in order to have more 3D printed only and putting the UV paint only. It avoids a lot of work and mess.
In April we finnaly concluded the painting.
We did the UV paint with this brand.
The process is not environmentally friendly as we suspected: so, we plan to produce this catamara in a different way by taking the 3D printing strategy further, meaning that, we do not wanted to add to much to the 3D printing process, just the UV painting, and we want to assume the 3D printing "anommalous" desing by not be embarassed because of this consequent strange design. We will not
Spaghetti time. Designing the wiring and accomodating the hardware to control the AQUA.
We are also looking the way to adjust, with flexible material, the front and rear bars that go inside the boat. They are connected by two screws in each side.
Future: looking forward to test it in a pool.
Cleaning was a task at this point and measuring the type of garbage and the weight in percentage of the catamaran is a reference to take the sustainability into account. The complete weigth of the catamaran is 20,5 Kg with an error of 0,2 Kg. So the waste produce in the fabrication of the catamaran is 22,1 Kg, 107,8 % of the mass of the catamara. Since we don't know how to process this catamara in is end of life, we coclude that, at that time, there will be 42,6 kg of waste, which include eletronic parts and plastic less environmentaly friendly. So, in the end of his life there will 207,3% of waste, compared to the mass of the catamaran.
| Type | Weigth (kg) | % |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | 1,2 | 6 |
| Cardboard | 5,6 | 2,7 |
| Plastic | 5,8 | 2,8 |
| Painting cans | 1,8 (18 cans) | 0,1 |
| Metal | 3,4 | 0,2 |
| undifferentiated waste | 4,3 | 0,2 |
In July we stop here:
This month is devoted to plannning and assembled the top, cameras, antennas and water test.
This month is devoted to plannning and assembling. Redesign the power circuit.
Test the microcontroller circuit and the power circuit as well. Radio transmitter settings. Ground and Water tests. Spagheti time! Designing and accommodating all the wiring and hardware components to controle the AQUA. We will use ARDUPILOT in is boat (rover) version: tested and working properly!
Remodeling 3D and printing electronic box. Printing and modeling the battery holder. Built 4S4P batery with the help of LCD Porto Maker Space.
Buoyancy testing.
We found a structural break in the hull. Preparing to fix it.
(photo here!?!?!?)
We are going to try to fix it. We reprint the access hatch in the top of both hulls with less holes then before, since we decided to have only one openning for the telemetry antenna. This aquatic plataform will serve as a base to have anything that the school need. We reprint the eletronic box and made the batery 4S4P.
- Make the second 4S4P batery;
- include calcs for the 4S4P batery in this journal;
- Attach security light and four cleats to the boat;
- Testing testing testing... Testing the boat by radio controler and GPS waypoints;
- Review BOM costs;
- Review text;
- Discuss and prepare comunication and marketing project presentation
- NEXT project phase: decide how to make the avoidance, by camera using the human eyes or autonolously by pattern detecting: perhaps both;