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A project log for 3D printed blower

Failed attempt to make a cheaper blower.

lion-mclionheadlion mclionhead 01/13/2024 at 19:500 Comments

This thing hit the wall when the NY half marathon hit & the Hunter continued to squeek ever more.  Eventually it squeeked full time at minimum power, more or less depending on how the nozzle was angled.  Nozzle angle affects the resonant frequency.

The mane problems with the 3D printed blower are the .5mm leading edge thickness & the motor overheating.  The blades could be printed sideways with support to get a .2mm leading edge but it would be expensive.  They would have to be glued into guides & that would degrade efficiency again.

Intuitively, an RC motor which lifted a quad copter should be able to do the job but how low the RPM can go at a certain power is limited by the size of the windings & resistance.  Helas, a compressor like a blower is a different load than a quad copter.  There's also the problem of hobby motors having limited life bearings.

Large hobby motors are so expensive, it's going to be cheaper to scavenge a motor from another Hunter.  They're now $60 & up compared to $40 in 2001, but the currency also lost 99% of its value.  The lion kingdom has 10 more years at most in a tiny unventilated apartment & that will be all for the blower, so the decision was made to just scavenge parts from another Hunter.  

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