Building a Hydroplaning Boat Model with the HELIX Makerspace
Arun Bahra, Benjamin Alderson, Christian Tonucci, Ethan Collier, and Sebastian Fox, a group of fourth-year MEng Mechanical Engineering students, have been utilising HELIX’s prototyping workshops and Makerspace to build a scale model of the Thrust WSH water speed attempt boat and a flow tank.
Their goal is to enable secondary school students to book online slots to observe how variables such as water speed, centre of mass, and wing angle impact the boat’s movement on water.
Having worked in HELIX and utilised facilities, the group decided to use the 3D printers to create a scale model of the boat for the test rig for the Thrust WSH. The meeting rooms became the group’s hub, serving as spaces for ideation and planning the boat and tank designs. The team also hopes to further develop the model using the laser cutter and other Makerspace equipment, such as the hot wire cutter.
Location: HELIX Makerspace, 3D Filament Printing Workshop and Meeting Rooms
Aims: To design and build an experimental rig along with a small-scale model of the Thrust WSH to provide an educational experience for students to understand the behaviour of the boat in different conditions.
Impact: To promote interest in hydrodynamics and engineering in secondary school students, and to give Thrust WSH a platform for students to observe how changes in the environment affects how the boat moves on water.
Why did you choose HELIX for your project?
‘Creating an accurate boat model quickly and cheaply was difficult. The HELIX 3D filament printers solved this issue. I also find the resources such as the Makerspace useful for prototyping and the curved monitors, and the coffee, great for getting productive work done!’
Which ‘top tips’ would you offer someone about to embark on a similar journey?
‘Make sure you know which resources will be available to you at the beginning of your journey. Additionally, consider that brainstorming time is extremely important, but make sure you’re not just procrastinating. Sometimes ideas just need to be flung at the wall to see if they'll stick.’
Do you have any advice to share from your HELIX experience?
‘Get trained on things even if you don’t use them. It's a good learning experience and its free! I also recommend asking other people what they're working on.’
Learn more about the Thrust WHS company in partnership with this project.