9. Right now they shouldn't look very different (except for those you have cut into different shapes). Some wind generators allow the blade frame to rotate to optimize its position depending on the wind direction. The wind turbine model will do work on a small weight by hauling it up from the ground to the top of the turbine. To make the other half of the axle, bend the outer loop of the paper clip so that it looks like the paper clip in Figure 5. Repeat steps 1-8 for each pair of rotors you have. DIY Mini Drone Part 5: Analog Joystick Control, The Jumping Flame Trick Revealed! If you need to, take the straw from the bottom of the water bottle out and flatten its end some more to make it fit into the rotor straw.
Now, glue the top of the four walls to attach the roof on them. The wheel is able to rotate freely on an axis, harnessing the winds energy to move it by having sails, or shapes that can catch the wind. For any other use, please contact Science Buddies. Surely, you are going to impress the visitors with the cardboard wind turbine. "Make the Wind Work for You!".
Next, tie the second washer onto the string and see if the rotor can haul that. This will create the sails for your windmill. What is it about the shape of a rotor on a wind turbine that makes it spin easily in the wind? Cut the sides of the small cup into four equal parts. This activity uses a hobby motor in reverse to create an electric current. Also, make sure that the washer hangs from the nacelle and does not rest on the ground. Use a hole punch to make a hole in the center large enough for the straw to fit through. Wind energy is a good alternative to coal and oil. Carefully poke the dress pin through the center of the hub that connects the three turbine blades together. You should only have two marks. If you decide to create an account with us in the future, you will need to enable cookies before doing so. Make sure that both water bottles are dry. You will, of course, want to create some basic designs, such as flat rotors, both rotors curved in the same direction, each rotor curved in opposite directions, etc. By following the simple steps provided here, you can create a wind turbine for a school project all on your own. Wind power is collected using wind turbinestall pole structures with a machine at the top that looks like a very large fan. Now you will build the axle, which will be made of straws and will spin when the wind is caught in the rotor wings. Copyright 2002-2022 Science Buddies. Now, lets make the tower. Repeat steps 4-5 two more timesmake sure you keep adding weight until you max out the turbine! Is the washer too heavy? Apply glue around the bottom of the tower and attach it to the base that you have just prepared. Note these are two separate pieces.
Now, you need to make a house with cardboard that will have the LED light inside. Figure 6. Global warming is a common concern these days and that's why people are becoming more interested in environment-friendly innovations. With a variety of materials, create your own different blades which will spin and power your wind turbine. Glue all of them and stick them together. The pointy part of the motor needs to be mounted to this hole. Modern ones fall into two basic classifications. Vertical-Axis Turbines These are omni-directional turbines. 7. Your rotor assembly should now look like the ones in Figure 3. 8. Now, cut another piece of cardboard for the roof but dont glue it to the walls right now. This makes the tower very heavy on the bottom so that the fan doesn't blow it over later when you test the rotors. A hand holding a piece of paper and cutting out a shape. Make sure that the double-straw is long enough to go all the way through the nacelle, and that it won't easily come apart. Take good care that the blades have appropriate weight and smoothness of surface. Make sure the motor is positioned so that the stand does not obstruct the ability of the blades to turn freely.
When your turbine cannot haul any more washers, you should continue your trials with paper clips instead. Figure 7. Test this each time by adding more paper clips and making sure that it cannot haul them.
You can make an entire second set of the same designs you used with the 8 x 10 rotor wings, and make the second set exactly the same, but with a larger size. Basically, the wind does work on the turbine when it makes it spin. Hold it closed for a minute or so to make it bend this way and not open too quickly. You need to make the rotors look like wings. Tie one end of the string (about 1 foot long) to the paper clip and glue the other end to the pencil. The hub is a plastic, round piece. When you've figured out the best speed for the fan and you've got it set at the appropriate height to blow directly into the rotor, write down all the setting details in your lab notebook and use the same settings for each trial. Copyright 2019 by WindTurbineTechnicians.
2. You should be familiar with the terms below, as well as the names of the parts of the wind turbine. Which design hauled the greatest amount of paper clips and washers? Finally, the rotor assemblies need to be bent for testing. Take the third and remaining PVC pipe and insert it into the upward-facing T-joint hole.
A large piece of cardboard for cutting pieces of different dimensions, Best Home Wind Turbine: Efficient for Residential Use 2020, Micro Wind Turbine: Things You Should Know About, Windmill vs. Wind Turbine: Things You Didnt Know Before, Vertical Axis Wind Turbine: All You Wanted to Know. Try to come up with some other ideas as well, such as rotors cut into a rounded, serrated, or triangular style. Why do you think so. Does the turbine haul more weight if it has more than two rotor wings? Which windmill works the best and why? Slide your blade frame onto the shaft of the motor (see below). Your motor will output DC current, but it may be in the reverse of the direction your LED needs. Make sure to cut the paper according to the diameter of the circle. Try using different sizes of rotor wings in your designs. Get creative! Slightly bend each blade along the dotted lines. You already have half of the axle builtthe bottom of the "T" of each rotor assembly. The hobby motor should have two small prongs sticking out of the back that serve as the terminals where you would normally attach a power source. Make 4 pieces of cardboard to make the walls of the house. Glue all of them to the rotor and leave it to dry.
To do that, cut 4 circle cardboard pieces of about 3cm each. Forrestal Building1000 Independence Avenue, SWWashington, DC 20585. Use a pen or a round stick and wrap the paper around it. Pretend it is the wind, and make sure that the wind blows directly into the rotor. It will unfold, but it will be bent into a curve. If it does, you can place the entire turbine on top of a book in order to make it taller. Bookmark this to easily find it later. Our team of volunteer scientists can help. Turn the fan on, the wind will make the blades rotate.
Hold the rotor wing on the straw and let it dry for a few minutes. If the axle does not turn well, then you may need to take the straws out and have an adult widen the drilled holes in both ends of the nacelle. The water from the faucet will land on the blades and cause the "wheel" to rotate, lifting the string and paper clip.
Then take the straws out and bake the clay (with an adult's help). There are a few things to double-check: Make sure that you can easily spin the axle (the two straws connected inside the nacelle). Insert the extended end of the paper clip and then tape it to the straw so that it is well-attached and won't move easily.
This straw is attached using tape and a paper clip. Because the axis is connected to the string and the dangling paper clip, it will convert the energy from your breath, harnessed by the wheel, into useful work by twisting up the string and lifting the paperclip.
Does it haul less weight? Do this by twirling the rotor gently with your finger. Once you master how to make a turbine using cardboard, further you will be able to make more turbines using even harder materials such as PVC pipes and fittings.
Looking for a fun project to do with the family? Science Buddies Staff. RV Wind Turbine: Can It Really Power Your Vehicle. Your goal for each test is to determine how much weight each rotor design can haul all the way up the tower. Connect the negative and positive wires to the motor using a hot gun.
Use the alligator clips to connect the wires to the multimeter and set it to 20 volts. You are done with the wind turbine. Larger wind turbines, when put together in wind farms supply bulk power to the electrical grid. If the turbine is not tall enough, set it on top of a few short books until the fan can blow straight into it. Familiarize yourself with the names of each part of the turbine because those terms will be used in this procedure. The wind causes the rotors to move, transferring some of its kinetic energy to them. This is the straw that is pointing down on all of the rotors in Figure 3, and it will serve as part of the axle, which hauls the weight up when the wind is blowing.
Wind power is one of Americas best options for low-cost, carbon-free renewable energy. The spinning of the rotor causes the shaft to spin, which I turn causes the spinning of the assembly of magnets, and that generates voltage in the coil of wire (that is the conductor). Make sure that the arms of the "T" are taped to the double-straw, and that the bottom of the "T" points down, in the exact same direction as the taped ends of the rotor wings. We enable strictly necessary cookies to give you the best possible experience on Education.com. When you do this, the first straw will open back up inside the second straw and be stuck inside. See Figure 4, below. They have been used to lift things up and down, especially water from the ground, to power machines thatcrush grain and process food, and more recently to power motors to generate electricity. Now you will attach another straw to the rotor assembly. If the turbine still does not work, try to reposition the fan to make sure it's blowing directly on the rotor.
The LED light will turn on when there will be enough wind to power it. To switch between accounts click on the account below. Can you design an easy way to test different wind blades? Learn all about hurricanes in this earth science Q&A. If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers: You can find this page online at: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Aero_p040/aerodynamics-hydrodynamics/wind-turbine-design. After drilling the holes, set the nacelle in the towersee Figure 2.
By attaching blades to the motor, wind can be used to provide mechanical energy to the motor so that it works like a generator and supplies electricity.
Now, take the rotor with four blades and make a small hole in the middle.
The nacelle is mounted horizontally on the tower. Glue one end of each of the other two craft sticks on either side of the larger cup to make a stand that holds the motor above the cup like chopsticks. Carefully run this straw end through one of the rotor wings and make sure that it touches the glue. 10. Try making a rotor assembly with three or four rotor wings instead of just two. The bottom of the T-shape will be inserted into the double-straw axle, and the top of the T-shape will be taped to the rotor. Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to global warming, and that raises Earths temperatures and brings about droughts, floods, and hurricanes. After attaching two wires to the motor, insert the motor into the joint at the towers top. A wind turbine, on the other hand, takes wind energy and converts it into electricity which is transmitted over power lines, stored in batteries, or for powering electrical equipment. This is done by pinching the end of one of the straws and then pushing the pinched end into an end of the other straw. If you want to learn more about works of wind turbine then read: How Does a Wind Turbine Work? Measure 10 cm in from each end of the double-straw and make a mark there with your permanent marker.
The ones used to generate anywhere between 100 kilowatts of energy or as much as several megawatts are large structures. Work is an application of energy, which makes something move. It should look like the example in Figure 6, below. When printing this document, you may NOT modify it in any way. (Embarcadero at Green Street) Take the washer and double-knot it to the other end of the string. If you wish to have larger rotor wings, see the Variations section below these instructions. When the rotor spins, it turns the paper clip and winds up the string, which hauls the washer to the top of the tower. You've finished the back half of the axlethis will be used in every test, while the rotor assemblies will be changed to test each design. See Figure 7 to see a hauled washerthe string should wrap around the paper clip and bring the washer up to the axle. Next, cut a length of string about equal to the height of the tower and tie it to the paper clip using a double knot, as shown in Figure 5. Make sure that all of the taped parts of this rotor assembly are strongdon't put too much tape, but be sure to use enough that the parts are secure.
Keep trying until you get it right. Each assembly will be inserted into the nacelle through the hole in the bottle cap, and will connect to another straw, which is inserted into the nacelle through the hole in the other side. When the first rotor wing is dry, repeat step 5 for the other end of the double-straw. Attribution: Exploratorium Teacher Institute, Pier 15 Which will be better at producing work? The way to reduce the carbon footprint is to use fuel sources that do not involve burning fossil fuels.
The point is to see which blade material has the best electrical output. Rotor Blades - They are like the structures sails. Test out your wind generator with a fan or on a windy day.
Draw an X diagonally, from corner to corner, on each one. Copyright 2022 Education.com, Inc, a division of IXL Learning All Rights Reserved. 3 PVC pipes one should be about 30 cm long while the others must be at least 15 cm long, Hub (the component of the wind turbine that connects the blades to the main shaft), Material that can be used for blades for instance aluminum foil, popsicle sticks, balsa wood, and construction paper.
On the inside of the generator, the shaft connects to the permanent magnets which surround the coil of wire. For example, you can use alligator clip leads or hookup wire to make it easier to change the LED if you are testing different load devices. Take the LED light and connect the wires properly. Cut along each line, butstop about half an inch from the center hole. Take the cardboard and cut 4 small pieces from it. So, you need to make one end of these pieces round shape so that they perfectly fit the circle shaped rotor.
Also, this way the bottle is both the tower and the foundation because it holds the rest of the turbine up, and it stays firmly on the ground.
Recycle paper and old magazines with this art project that creates a great tool for artists: a color wheel! To make the rotor function properly, you need to bend the rotor wings in opposite directions. Warning - you are about to disable cookies. Take the rotor assembly out of the nacelle and insert a new one, carefully making sure that you insert the axle-straw into the rotor-straw. You can either make the roof with a flat cardboard piece or make the roof as a triangle shape with 2 pieces of cardboard.
This will help the blades spin better!
It combats climate change, supports more than 73,000 U.S. jobs and grew to nearly 66 gigawatts of total installed wind capacity in 2014. The blade design has the greatest impact on the efficiency of the wind generator; this is just one way to do it. Carefully using the needle-nose pliers (with adult help), unbend one of the paper clips and then re-bend it into a "T" shape. Let's put the wind to work! 1. That means that for them to operate they do not require any adjustment to make them point into the wind.
Take the straw to which you just taped the paper clip, and pinch the other end of it, like you did in step 4 of Building the Rotor Assembly. Glue all 4 pieces and attach them to each other to make walls for the house. Elmer's is a registered trademark of Elmer's Products, Inc. Aerodynamics & Hydrodynamics Project Ideas.
This step might be tricky because you're trying to connect them inside the nacelle. Leave it for 15 minutes to dry. Now that you have made the wind turbine, test each blade you have made by once more turning on a fan or hair dryer. This glue will keep the rotor wing on the straw. This simple wind generator is a model for wind turbines used to generate electricity around the world. Cut the index cards so that you have four blades that are the length of the spool. See Also:Best Home Wind Turbine: Efficient for Residential Use. You will measure the output of each rotor design by how much weight it can haulthe rotor that hauls the most weight is the most efficient design. Kathryn Fosha, Aeronautical/Mechanical Engineer, Northrop Grumman. We use cookies and those of third party providers to deliver the best possible web experience and to compile statistics. You can have a small piece of clay at the center to keep them all together. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Insert a straw through the center of each windmill, this will serve as the axis. Make sure that the second rotor wing's taped endpoints are facing the same direction as the taped end of the first rotor wing. Model the process of coming up with questions that are prompted by the problem statement. A generator is a device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. Remove the base to create four curved pieces that will be the blades of the wind generator. 6. For example, in Figure 3, all three wings are bent in the same way but the designs are differentone has normally sized rotor wings, one has larger rotor wings, and one has cut rotor wings. The intention is for this PVC pipe to stand upright. Can you generate enough power to light an LED? As a result, the rotor transfers the mechanical, rotational energy to the shaft and on the other end is the electrical generator.
Why is a demonstration of work (hauling a weight) the same thing as generating electricity? The goal of this science fair project is to demonstrate different ways to generate static electricity and record its effects. These marks show where the rotor wings will go on the double-straw. In this engineering science fair project, you will develop and investigate wind turbine rotor designs to evaluate which produces the most energy at a certain wind speed. Glue the house to the plywood as well. Cut off the top of a 2 liter soda bottle at the point when it starts to narrow. In this fun science project you'll create a 3-D model of the moon using paper mache. If so, tie the third washer, and so on, if you need more washers. The parts of a wind turbine are essentially the same as those found in a simple electrical motor.
The Wind Program is part of the Wind & Water Power Technologies Office and works to enable the expansion of clean, affordable, and reliable domestic wind power to promote national security, economic vitality, and environmental quality. This is done by wrapping one rotor wing clockwise and the other rotor wing counterclockwise around the straw.
Hoyt Battey of the Wind and Water Power Technologies Office provides a simple step-by-step project on building a wind turbine that can be completed in less than 20 minutes. Make sure that the washer isn't so heavy that it pulls too much on the paper clip, or pulls the axle apart within the nacelle. Our tax ID #: 94-1696494 2022 Exploratorium | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Your California Privacy Rights |, Bernard and Barbro Osher Gallery 1: Human Phenomena, Gordon and Betty Moore Gallery 4: Living Systems, Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery 6: Observing Landscapes, Bus Routes for Field Trips and Other Groups, Bechtel Central Gallery & Outdoor Gallery, Resources for Supporting Science Teachers, Inquiry-based Science and English Language Development, Conference: Exploring Science and English Language Development, Recursos gratuitos para aprender ciencias, Resources and Collaborating Organizations, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, Drill bit that matches the size of the motor shaft (we use AWG#50), Optional: other motors and LEDs, hookup wire, alligator clip leads. Learn how wind turbines work, check out our Wind for Schools Project, or read the Revolution Now Report. Let dry completely. As you wrap each rotor wing around the straw, hold it there for a minute, then release it. Windmills are machines that convert energy from the wind into useful work by rotating.
San Francisco, CA 94111 Begin gently folding the tower along the smaller, dotted lines.
This science fair project explains the process of how the lungs expand and contract with the help of the diaphragm. These four pieces will be glued on the circle cardboard piece. Why does a wind turbine need to have a good aerodynamic design? This will serve as the frame for your blades (see below). Glue a blade to each of the craft stick ends, as shown (click to enlarge image).
The first piece for placing the motor on, and the second one to wrap the motor from its top. Can you design a generator that works with a 3-5V motor? The dimension for all four pieces is 8cm X 2.5cm. How to Make a Wind Turbine for a School Project? Do you produce the same conclusion with the larger rotor wings? In this science fair project, you will investigate the efficiency of the rotors of a turbine by making a small turbine model and several rotors, varying their shapes and curvatures. Combine the two pieces by inserting the free ends of the pipes. In this cool project, create a lighted, scale model of the different layers of the Sun, including the core, radiation and convection zones, and photosphere.
Windmills are good examples of wheel-and-axle machines. Repeat steps 4-6 to find the maximum amount of washers and paper clips this second rotor design can haul, and then test the maximum amount two more times to make sure, finally, calculating the average.
The hauling assembly of the wind turbine. You need to wrap the motor with 2 pieces of cardboard. And finally, place a table fan while maintaining a safe distance from the turbine.
We are going to make the rotor first. Plan your visit. See Figure 3even though the rotor wings are folded, they are all still pointing in the same direction. Vaccines recommended. This Snack provides a basic template for constructing a wind generator, but there are many opportunities to engineer a better design. Figure 4. Science Buddies Staff. This will help you find out if the speed of the wind has any effect on electrical energy output. Check them out at www.curiodyssey.org. 415.528.4444, Get at-home activities and learning tools delivered straight to your inbox, The Exploratorium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Do this for all of your cut pieces of paper, and make sure to organize the rotors in pairs. Horizontal-Axis Turbines They are the most common type of wind turbine and are what many people typically think about when wind turbines are mentioned.
Figure 2. The wind turbine features two or three propeller-like blade which are turned by the wind around a rotor which is connected to the main shaft, which in turns causes a generator to spin and create electricity. At the last fold, insert the three flaps into the three slots that were created in Step 4. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot. By using a high voltage motor, the wind generator should readily light a red LED with a room fan. Depending on the torque of your motor and the intensity of your LED, it may be difficult to see the light turn on. Cut four holes near the base of the bottle about a quarter of an inch wide. With this wind turbine, you can start to understand more about kinetic energy and its transformation into electricity. What you have made is of course just a model for the sake of learning. Attach it to the straight, metal piece thats on the outside of the motor. To make one, gently bend the paper so that you can tape the two 10-cm edges together without creasing the paper. | #VeritasiumContest. Use wind to power a motor and generate enough electricity to light an LED.
When the tower is properly glued to the upper part of the turbine, then take initiatives for the base. As the rotor spins, the shaft spins too. Repeat these tests with all of your rotor designs. 1. Your rotors should all be made from identically sized pieces of paper. Always wear safety goggles when working with power tools. The shape created when folding the corners of the paper into the center creates a sail, which will catch your breath when you blowon it. Once the glue is dry, drill a small hole the size of the motor shaft in the center of the craft sticks. 3.
The wind turbine is by far one of the most effective steps toward making green energy source. For each rotor design, you will need three trials of the maximum amount to prove that it is really the maximum at the given wind speed.
how to build a wind turbine for school project
