Wind Power Science Fair Projects for Kids

This abstract begins here... wind turbine blade pitch electricity science fair projects.

PROCEDURES

1. Create the motor mount (generator mount).
A. Sketch out the shape of the mount onto scratch paper.
B. Transfer the outline of the tower on to the Balsa wood.
C. Using the saw cut the outline of the tower.
D. Next sand off excess wood pieces.
2. Creating the turbine blades.
A. Measure 10cm. on the balsawood and mark with the pencil.
B. Making sure that the marks are exact, cut the blades to length from the balsawood with the saw.
C. Sand to the exact length.
D. Repeat steps “A” through “C” eight more times to make the other turbine blades.
4. Preparing the motors.
A. Wrap electrical tape around the drive shaft of the CerMag AR1FA130 motor.
B. Set the drive collar onto the electrical tape.
C. Use the hexagonal head wrench to tighten the duracollar onto the electrical tape.
D. Screw a setscrew into the dura collar, to make sure to not move it.
5. Prepare the wooden wheel to attach the blades.
A. Set the protractor at 20º.
B. Place the horizontal line of the protractor parallel with the side of the wheel that has the smaller hole, which will be facing the motor.
C. Starting the leading right edge of the blade measure 20º toward vertical.
D. Use a pencil to mark this angle on the wheel.
E. Set the compass at 20º using the protractor, check the line drawn on the wheel to be sure it is 20º.
F. Repeat steps “A” through “E” two more times to create the other two 20º lines
6. Prepare the 40º wheel.
A. Repeat steps “A” through “F” in step set “5”, but replace the 20º with 40º.
7. Prepare the 60º wheel.
A. Repeat steps “A” through “F” in step set “5”, but replace the 20º with 60º.
8. Cut the lines for the 20º blades.
A. Set the 20º wheel in the vice and tighten it to make sure it doesn’t move.
B. Using the saw cut the lines 7mm. down.
9. Cut the lines for the 40º blades.
A. Repeat steps “A” through “B” in step set “8”, but replace 20º with 40º.
10. Cut the lines for the 60º blades.
A. Repeat steps “A” through “B” in step set “8”, but replace 20º with 60º.
11. Glue the blades into the 20º cuts.
A. Set the wheel in the vice to make one of the cuts in the wheel perpendicular.
B. Glue the blade into cut with the inst-cure glue.
C. Repeat steps “A” through “B” twice more to glue in the other two blades.
12. Glue the blades into the 40º cuts.
A. Repeat steps “A” through “C” in step set “11” to glue the blades into the 40º wheel.
13. Glue the blades into the 60º cuts.
A. Repeat steps “A” trough “C” in step set “11” to glue the blades into the 60º wheel.
14. Attach the motor to the 20º wooden wheel.
A. Wrap electrical tape around the dura collar until it fits snugly into the smaller hole in the wooden wheel.
B. Cut off any excess tape from the wheel and dura collar.
15. Testing.
A. Screw in the motor onto the edge of the mount.
B. Set the mount on a tabletop or high workbench.
C. Set the nozzle of shop-vac into the vice. Tighten until it can’t move.
D. Make sure that the center of the nozzle is level to the axle (wheel) of the 20º turbine, and off set 7cm to the left.
E. Attach the volti-meter to the engine make sure that the meter is set to Direct Current Volts.
F. Turn on the shop-vac.
G. Make sure that wind is blowing directly onto to the side of the turbine, the amount of electricity that the turbine produced will appear on the volti-meter.
H. After testing look at the volti-meter to see results.
I. Record results.
J. Repeat steps “A” through “I” for the 40º and 60º angles.

RESULTS

The original purpose of this experiment was to see which degree of blade pitch produced the most electricity.

The results of the experiment were that the 20º angle produced an average of 9 millivolts of electricity. The 40ºangle produced an average of 7 millivolts of electricity. Also the 60º angle produced an average of 5 millivolts of electricity.

CONCLUSION

My first hypothesis was that the 60° angle of pitch would produce the most electricity.

The results indicate that my first hypothesis should be rejected because the 60° angle of pitch produced the least amount of electricity

My second hypothesis was that the 20° angle of pitch would produce the least amount of electricity.

The results also indicated that my second hypothesis should be rejected because the 20° angle of pitch produced the greatest amount of electricity.

Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder what would happen if I were to use a 0° pitch. I do not think that it would produce any electricity. Because the 60º angle produced the least amount of electricity and then the 40º and then the 20º angle. As the degrees got smaller the amounts of electricity grew, so I wonder if a 0º angle would produce more electricity than the 20º angle. I also wonder what would happen if I were to try the experiment over again using greater amounts of wind.

If I were to conduct this project again I would build a larger wind turbine. I would also use more than one turbine. I would use more than three different amounts of degrees of pitch. I would also use metal to construct my turbines. I would conduct my experiment with real wind and outside. 3rd party credit