Activity courtesy of TeachEngineering.org, contributed by the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder.

Summary

In this activity, students in grades 9-11 learn how engineers harness the energy of the wind by following the engineering design process to create and test two prototype wind turbines. They also learn about where to place a wind turbine for maximum effectiveness, and weigh the advantages and disadvantages compared with other energy sources.

Grade level: 9 – 11

Time: 200 minutes (conduct this as an in-depth design activity over 3 to 4 class periods)

Cost: $3 per group

Engineering Connection

Engineers are responsible for developing, designing, testing, and improving ways in which electricity is generated for our homes and businesses. One way to generate power is to harness the energy of the wind using a wind turbine. Civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers work together to design and test wind turbines, including determining the most ideal locations for wind farms and the most efficient turbine designs for specific conditions.

Related curriculum

• Energy-Efficient Housing
• Off the Grid

Learning Objectives

Standards

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association

• K. A prototype is a working model used to test a design concept by making actual observations and necessary adjustments. (Grades 9 – 12)
• M. Energy resources can be renewable or nonrenewable. (Grades 9 – 12)

Next Generation Science Standards [High School]

• Energy (Physical Sciences): Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.
• Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.
  
• Engineering Design: Design a solution to a complex, real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
• Evaluate a solution to a complex, real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for  a range of constraints, including costs, safety, reliability and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
• Ecosytems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Materials

• A 2-4 inch (5-10 cm) long block of cylindrical wood, at least 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) in diameter, for the horizontal-axis turbine
• A 6-8 inch (15-20 cm) long block of cylindrical wood, at least 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) in diameter, for the vertical-axis turbine
• Wind Turbine Worksheet (pdf; 8 pages)

For the entire class to share:

• 1-2 multimeters or voltmeters
• 2 double-ended alligator clip wire test leads
• 1-2 DC motors (available at RadioShack – suggested part numbers: 273-223, 273-047, or 273-106 – or hobby stores; make sure the shaft does not have a gear on it.)
• drill
• drill bit equal to the diameter shaft of the hobby motor
• two blocks of 2 x 4 wood, each about 5 inches (12.7 cm) long
• two 2.5-inch (6.35 cm) nails or screws
• hammer or screwdriver
• one 3-5-inch (7.6-12.7 cm) piece of PVC pipe with an interior diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the blocks of cylindrical wood used for turbine construction
• various materials from which to construct turbine blades, such as foam core board, index cards, plastic bottles, cardboard, particle board, thick poster board, foam board, thin dowel rods, bamboo skewers, etc.
• scissors
• glue
• strong tape, such as duct tape or packing tape
• a house or box fan with three (3) speed settings

Procedure 

See TeachEngineering.org for engineering background/motivation. Click HERE for Wind Turbine Worksheet answers.

Background

[Note: A 49-minute video from KidWind provides comprehensive overview of wind power, from historical irrigation systems to modern wind farms.]

Photo: Assemble the class turbine testing device. Nail or screw together the two wooden blocks. Tape the PVC pipe and motor on top of the wooden block base. Connect the motor to a multimeter. Copyright © 2009 Jacob Crosby, ITL Program, University of Colorado Boulder.

Procedure

In advance

• A few days before the activity, have students gather and bring from home a variety of plastic bottles, cardboard and other materials from which turbine blades can be made.
• Gather materials and make copies of the Wind Turbine Worksheet, one per group.
• Drill a hole on one end of each cylindrical block of wood equal in diameter to the diameter of the shaft of the hobby motor. Place the hole as close to the exact center of the wood as possible.
• Assemble the turbine testing device(s) using the wooden blocks, nails or screws, PVC pipe, DC motor, duct tape and alligator clip wires, as shown above.
• In this activity, each group creates a turbine on their own cylindrical block of wood and then takes turns placing their turbines on the class turbine testing device(s) to measure voltage.

With the Students

1. Divide the class into groups of two or three students each.
2. Distribute the worksheets and blocks of wood.
3. In a class discussion, generate the problem that the students are trying to solve by designing wind turbines; this should include how to generate electricity for a house using a renewable energy source.
4. In groups, have students brainstorm designs for a vertical-axis turbine and a horizontal-axis turbine Possible questions to ask: How many blades? How to space them? From what material should we make the blades? What shape for the blades? Have students record all their brainstorm ideas on their worksheets.
5. From a review of their brainstorming exercise results, have each group choose one vertical and one horizontal design to build for their wind turbine models. Direct them to draw their designs on their worksheets and explain why they chose those designs.
6. Next, have each group build their turbines. Use the shorter cylindrical wood blocks for the horizontal-axis wind turbine. Use the longer cylindrical wood blocks for the vertical-axis turbine. Attach the turbine blades onto the side of the wood opposite the side with the hole drilled into it.

Front and side view of activity set up with a hobby motor and multimeter connected to one team’s block of wood and prototype wind turbine. Copyright © 2009 Jacob Crosby, ITL Program, University of Colorado Boulder.

7. Once a group has finished building their designs, have them test them. To do this, have them stick the end of the model turbine through the PVC pipe on the testing device and onto the shaft of the motor. You may want to tape the front end of the testing device to the surface it is sitting on in order to prevent movement during testing. Once the turbine is connected, have one student operate the fan at each speed setting.

8. Have each group take turns testing their turbine designs at three different fan speeds, recording the output data on their worksheets.

9. Repeat the testing procedure for the other turbines, again recording the data on their worksheets.

A student team’s prototype wind turbine design being tested and measured. Copyright © 2009 Jacob Crosby, ITL Program, University of Colorado Boulder.

10. Have students complete the calculations and analysis on their worksheets. [Click HERE for answers to to Wind Turbine Worksheet.]

11. Conclude with a class discussion to review and compare the groups’ findings. What improvements would they make? Where would they locate turbines near their energy-efficient houses?

12. Have student teams present their designs to the rest of the class. They should include descriptions of how well the wind turbines worked, which type of turbine worked best, and what improvements they might make to their designs.

Troubleshooting tips.

Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans

Tags: Alternative Energy, Civil Engineering, Class Activities, efficiency, Environmental Engineering, Environmental science, Grades 9-12, Green Technology, kinetic energy, Lesson Plan, Mechanical engineering, renewable energy, STEM education, Sustainability, turbine, wind power