Thanks guys for all the contributions thus far.
Normally I'd be all over responses but I am going to try and be less chatty as long as this thread is not in the dairy section.
Anyway I have an update regarding the construction of turbine blades.
Basically there are many roads that lead to Rome.
I have tried several prints settings and basically one can print really sturdy blades.
All my tests are done using the NACA 0015 airfoil shape and a printer nozzle diameter of 0.4mm
On the left we can see a 0.3 layer height with a wall count of 4 including 3 internal stiffeners (on the monitor one can see how the stiffeners have holes, i'll explain more later)
This print is still a bit bendy but is absolutely strong enough for mild testing in controlled conditions and it really wants to come back to it's original shape.
Once one is satisfied with the performance then one can fill the hollow structure with pour-able foam (that is why the stiffeners have holes) to make it testable in high turbulent conditions.
If tests then are also to ones liking one can make the blades battle ready by putting glass fiber sheets with resin on top of them.
The up side of this method is that I can my carbon fiber PLA, increase wall count to make it so strong that one does not need to worry about foam and or fiber glass.
But that would only add to the already way too long print times (13 hours for a single 33cm high by 20cm chord length piece)
I do have larger nozzle sizes though but I am not done yet experimenting as on the right we can see a 0.4 layer height 3 wall count, without internal stiffeners test.
The layer height makes it more easy to get resin in the groves to harden it. Now this configuration is not strong enough but adding resin does greatly increase the strength.
I am now printing a 4 wall count 0.4 layer height test without stiffeners to see where this resin path will lead me.
Print times can be reduced massively like this and adding resin is a matter of minutes.
The good thing about 3d printing is that although depending on the print settings it can take hours if not days. But during that time one is free to do other things.
I've also figured out a way to attach the pieces together in a strong manner and as to be able to change the angle of attack on the fly. More about that later when I have actual prints of those components.
Now before I spend days if not more making all the components. Is the NACA 0015 the ideal airfoil to start out with or should I really be using some other airfoil?
Please excuse me for being blund but all the research I find is very technical and sometimes even wooly. I for one can't makes heads or tails from any of it
EDIT: Also, printing molds of any shape is baked into the Cura slicer software. It's a simple toggle and then one has a mold to print one can fill with foam and coat with fiber glass.
I am certain that making blades will become as easy and little time consuming as baking pies in the future using 3d print technology.
