Wind Turbine Project

Date: May 2010                  

Grade: 8^th Grade

Authors: Dan Miley, Mark Goldner, Sue Zobel, Ryan Keser, Lynn Ricker

Overview

In this unit, students are presented with the problem of designing wind turbine blades that will produce the optimal amount of electricity. 

We have created a short program and long program for you to choose from. The short program should take approximately 2-3 three weeks to complete where as the long program can run 3-5 weeks. Included in the outlines below are suggestions for other science curricula tie-ins. You can use these as a guide in planning a systems approach to this unit. All supplementary material can be found in the resources section following the programs. 

DESIRED RESULTS

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Grade Level Overarching Theme:

“Engineering Our Future” through wind power.

Unit/Lesson Topic:

Basic Motion and Energy Concepts, Engineering Design Process

Wind Turbine Concept Map

Project 2061 Benchmark/MA Framework (UBD Established Goals)

Technology/Engineering, Grades 6-8 Learning Standards

Materials, Tools, and Machines

1.1, 1.2, 1.3

Engineering Design

2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6

Physical Science

• Motions of Objects 11
• Forms of Energy 13

Earth and Space Science

• Heat Transfer in Earth's Systems 4

Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings:

Students will understand that…

Because wind is moving matter, it contains energy that can be harnessed.

Maximizing efficiency is a critical concept in generating electrical power

Many variables determine the output of a wind turbine.

Although energy is conserved, it can change form and this form change can be harnessed for use.

The engineering design process is a useful tool for solving a variety of engineering problems.

Essential Questions:

What’s the most efficient way to design wind turbines in order to maximize the production of electrical energy?

How feasible is wind power as a source of electricity?

What is the role of wind energy in meeting our energy demands?

Students will know …. (Learning Expectations)

Basic Motion Concepts  - Speed, Velocity, Acceleration, Forces, Newton’s Laws, Aerodynamics, Lift, Drag, Inertia, Friction

How electricity is generated and power is measured.

Work and Energy concepts: 

• What “work” means in scientific terms.
• Conservation of Energy
• Energy Transfer
• Efficiency

Role of wind power in sustainable technologies/energy sources.

Engineering Design Process

Students will be able to:

• complete the engineering design cycle when given specific criteria, materials and constraints 

• use the design process to evaluate the effect of variables such as blade mass, angle, size, curvature, material, number of blades, area, shape, etc. in solving their problem ie.  producing electricity. 

• identify evidence of lift and drag forces interacting in the system

• identify action-reaction forces.

• explain how a wind turbine converts the wind’s mechanical energy into electrical energy.

• explain the effect of mass (inertia) on the ability of an object to be accelerated.

• measure current and voltage and calculate power

• demonstrate the connection between electrical power and mechanical power.

• evaluate the use of wind power as one possible source of energy for meeting energy demands in a more sustainable way.

Nature of Science/ Inquiry Skills

“Fair Test” – testing of one variable at a time

Measurement

Using models to test ideas

Using models to represent thinking and understanding

Observing vs. Inferring

Explaining one’s results in terms of established scientific ideas and evidence from an experiment.

Collecting and using data to document progress and support claims

Learning from the experience and results of others

MISCONCEPTIONS

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Common student misconceptions that need to be addressed based on research data…

Air has no mass

Electricity comes “from the wall” and is free

Bigger is better (bigger blades/more blades, steeper angles, more glue)

Your first idea is the best

One test will tell you what you need to know

Wind power is the only or best solution to our energy demand

What questions or tasks can teachers use to find out what the students’ ideas are?

What is wind?

How do engineers design things?

Where does wind come from?

How do we get electricity from wind?

ASSESSMENTS (Formative and Summative Evidence of Student Learning)

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Design Brief and Drawings

Claims/Evidence/Reasoning

Design Review (class discussion – status review)

Data Collection Sheets

Project Summary

Other Evidence

Science journal, models, data collected, photographs, video

LEARNING PLAN

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Learning Activities:

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE FOLLOWING:

WIND ENERGY 

Energy From the Wind Teacher’s Guide and Energy From the Wind Student Guide 

(http://www.need.org/Guides-Subject.php)

Energy Audit Curriculum Resources 

Teacher Guide and Student/Family Guide

2-Week Plan for Wind Turbine Project

Week 1:

Day 1-2

• Review of Energy and energy conversion
• Energy usage and how wind power can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels (Class Exploration)
• How can wind be used to generate electricity? (Class Exploration)
• How will we measure the electrical output of our turbines? (Class Exploration)

Day 3-5

• How can wind be used to generate electricity? - 
• Introduce Wind Turbine Blade Competition (refer to “Energy From the Wind “ link
•  Begin utilizing Engineering Design Cycle to research, design and build turbines.

Week 2:

• Continue utilizing Engineering Design Cycle to test, evaluate and improve turbine designs
• Leave time for Design Review/Assessment

4-Week plan for Wind Turbine Project

Week 1:

• Initial Exploration – building a simple wind turbine that turns and lifts weight (2-3 class periods)
• Sharing of ideas and list the many variables that can be explored
• Introduce /review of what wind is and how it forms (1-2 classes)

Week 2:

Days 1-2

• Review of energy and energy conversion
• Energy usage and how wind power can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels (Class Exploration)
• What is electricity? How is electricity generated and measured?
• How can wind be used to generate electricity? (Class Exploration)
• How will we measure the electrical output of our turbines? (Class Exploration)

Days 3-5

• Introduce Wind Turbine Blade Competition (refer to “Energy From the Wind “ link and Engineering Design Cycle
• Begin utilizing Engineering Design Cycle to design and build turbines.

Week 3:

• Students will test, evaluate and improve turbine designs
• What are the physics concepts behind a wind turbine – introduce basic physics ideas: mass, inertia, speed, forces, lift vs. drag + more “mini-lessons” as project progresses
• Continue utilizing Engineering Design Cycle to test, evaluate and improve turbine designs
• Leave time for Design Review

Week 4:

• Finish testing and evaluation of turbine designs
• Final discussions, presentations and/or reports

Extension:

• Students are asked to investigate the challenges in choosing an appropriate site for a wind farm. (Refer to the Wind Farm Siting Challenge Guidelines in the Energy From the Wind: Teacher’s Guide)

Teaching Tips

To show students air velocity and direction, tie a piece of string to a stick and hold it in front of the fan.

Be sure that students do not over-tighten the hubs.

Be sure to use low-temp glue guns only

When attaching and removing the hubs, demonstrate for students first pulling the hub away from the base with slow, steady pressure to avoid bending the axle.

Set up a sanding station to minimize the fine particulates.  See an example here.

Remind students to trace templates onto turbine material starting from the outer edge.

KidWind test stand tips:  Resistor board to provide a standard load   Modifications to hub mount

Visualizations:

What phenomena (activities, videos, etc.) can be used to help students understand abstract concepts?

Power point of visual history of wind turbines; Graphics of energy use and consumption US vs World; cross section illustrations of wind turbines (nacel, generator, gears, hub); Graphs/data of power in the wind; visualizations of wind movement, top wind sites in the US/World

http://www.kidwind.org/lessons/PPoint.html

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1903/es1903page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization

Representations: What representations (e.g., drawings, diagrams, graphs, images, analogies and metaphors, models, simulations, and role playing) are needed to make abstract ideas understandable to all students.

Interactive Explanations for various concepts:

http://www.talentfactory.dk/en/kids/choose/rotor/index.htm

Effect of changing the angle of attack on airflow, lift, and drag

Turbine aerodynamic lift diagram

Illustrations of full size wind turbines.  Whole turbine  Nacelle and blades  Nacelle internal parts  Turbine output power vs. wind speed

2D drawings of blade designs; 2D drawings of turbine set-up, orthographic projections, mental models

Connections to Other Ideas:

What ideas do students need as a foundation?

What other ideas does this connect to

Physics:

Basic Motion – Speed, Acceleration, Mass, Inertia

Forces – Balanced/Unbalanced Forces, Action-Reaction Forces

Aerodynamics – Lift and Drag, Bernoulli’s Principle, Angle of attack

Energy – Work, Kinetic and Potential Energy, Types of Energy

Conservation and Transformation of Energy – Idea that Energy is “conserved”, Transfer and Transformation of energy

Electricity – Electric Current, Voltage, Power, Electric Circuits, How Electricity is Produced through generators

Alternative Energy – Examples of Renewable Energy sources and their advantages/limitations

Weather & Climate:

Wind – Pressure, Density, How Wind is formed, How Wind is Measured

Climate – Climate Regions, Human-caused Climate Change

Ecology:

Sustainability – Exploring how using renewable sources of energy can mitigate problems of pollution and climate change 

Biomes

Engineering:

Engineering Design Process

Drawings

Manufacturing Technology

Construction Trade

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

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Science Tools Used:

Multimeters, tachometers, digital protractors, anemometer, metric ruler

Science Materials Needed:

KID WIND Turbine kits

3-speed 20” Box Fans

Materials to build with (card board, foam core, Blue Core ¼” thick Dow protection board 3 Insulation, available at most Lowes’s Stores)

Wood dowels (1/4”)

Tape, cutting mats, utility knives, mini-mitre box and saws, glue guns, glue, sand paper
 

Recommended Books:

Prentice Hall Science Explorer Series:

• Environmental Science (Ch. 3, sec. 1; Ch. 6)
• Weather and Climate (Ch. 2, sec. 3)
• Force and Motion (Ch.2-5)
• Electricity (pp 84-91 & 92-98)

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer 

Local Field Trips/Community Activities:

Visit a facility that uses wind energy and learn about the cost/savings/constraints of making the change.

INTEGRATION WITH OTHER CURRICULUM AREAS

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Social Studies Connections:

Environmental impact of Wind Farms

Social impacts of using alternative energy sources

History of energy consumption in the US/World

ELA Connections:

Science guided reading books

Independent readers

Science core books

Science notebooks

  Math Connections:

Watts= amps*volts

P=1/2 * r * A * V³

A=p r²

V=2p r²/T

Tip Speed ratio = Tip Speed/Wind Speed

TSR=4p /r

Joules= Nm, Work = Fd

Gear ratios

Visual Arts Connections:

Drafting, designing templates, communicating though pictures, building models, 2D drawing to 3D prototypes

Technology:

Computers, multimeters, tachometer

TEACHER CONTENT BACKGROUND RESOURCES/PD

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Teachers should have some background knowledge on energy, energy consumption in the US, renewable and non-renewable energy sources, causes of wind, wind farms, engineering design process, electrical circuits, calculating electrical power, measuring wind speed, calculating power in the wind.

SUGGESTED PARENT COMMUNICATION, RESOURCES/HOME EXTENSIONS

Have students take an informal measure of the amount of energy they use at home on any given day (list all the electrical appliances they use and the approx number of minutes/hours they are used for).

Ask them to find out how many watts of electricity they use in a given month (electrical bill).

Have them investigate ways they can reduce their electrical use and create a plan to cut the household electricity bill. Have them collect data by monitoring the changes to the electricity bill for 3-4 months.