Wind Generator

By Whitney Lewis

Wind Generator-also known as wind turbine, is a growing source of energy, high tech windmills can produce increasing amounts of energy in places where winds are strong and consistent.

Even though windmills can cause less damage to the environment, they are not a universal solution.

• In order for a Wind Generator to produce energy, an average wind velocity of 13 mi/hr must be consistent over a course of a year.

Wind turbines are included as one of the major renewable energy sources, but there are some problems associated with this devise.

• Has high initial building cost• Noise and visibility becomes an issue of the

environment• Energy Storage-when no wind is available where

can energy be retrieved.• www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyehD1j0kUU

Wind power is able to generate energy by the result of the temperature difference on the earth’s surface caused by the Sun, it was one of the first natural energies to be produced by man.

• The interest in wind turbines was sparked by the Government sponsoring Wind Turbine development which boosted the production of 7,000 Wind Turbines in California between 1981 and 1984.

• This advancement caused a reduction in cost and made it competitive with other electrical applications.

Applying Physics to Wind Generators

• Converts Kinetic Energy to Mechanical Energy.• Most energy produced is depended on how fast the blades can

move• The First Law of Thermodynamics-the total energy of a system

stays constant as it is transferred from one form to another.• Calculating the power of the wind

Tests Taken with Different BladesTest #1 Test #2

Test #3 Test #4

Results

Test(s)

# 1

# 2 # 3 # 4

# of

spins

within 30

seconds

97 70 89 101

• Using a blow dryer as a substitute for wind on low speed•All blades are 2 by 1 inch

Conclusion

• The shape of the blade plays a big part in how much energy is produced.

• All four blades were affective• The best results came from Test #4, which had 101

spins within 30 seconds• The most energy generated into electricity is based on

how fast and consistent the blades can move

Bibliography

• Schlager, Neil. Science and Its Times. Farmington Hills, MI: The Gale Group,     2000.

• The New Book of Popular Science. Vol. 6. N.p.: Scholastic Library Publishing,     INC., 2006.

• McGrath, Kimberley. The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. Stacey Blachford. 2nd ed. Vol. 6. N.p.: Gale Group, 2001.

• McGrath, Kimberley A. "Wind Turbines." World of Physics. Vol. 2. N.p.: Gale Group, n.d.

• http://www.energy.iastate.edu/renewable/wind.com• http://www.oakridger.com/images/091900/turbines.com • www.machinerylubrication.com