Wind Power and Wind Powered Turbines

Renewable Energy Resources

Wind power

Objectives:• To design and construct a wind turbine to see who can

create the most power (volts actually).• Demonstrate understanding of the required parts of a

wind turbine.• Utilize mechanical and conceptual skills through

construction and operation of a model wind turbine.

Wind power

Wind power

• First sailing boats dating back to 300 BC. • In the 19th century, wind mills were

constructed all along the Norwegian coast to grind grain.

• The international oil crisis at the beginning of the 1970s helped spur the development of modern wind generators for the production of electricity.

• Wind energy remains one of the most eco-friendly energy sources for large-scale energy production.

http://www.poweryourknowledge.com

Does wind have energy?• If so, what type of energy?• What does wind need to be doing to utilize its energy?

Wind power

Reminder:Potential Kinetic

• Gravitational Potential – energy due to the position of an object.

• Chemical Potential – energy present within the chemical bonds of a substance.

• Elastic potential – energy of a stretched or compressed object.

• Nuclear potential – energy of particles inside an atomic nucleus.

• Radiant solar energy – the motion of EMR

• Sound energy – the motion of sound waves

• Electrical energy – the motion of flowing electrons

• Thermal energy – the motion of particles

Wind Power in Norway

Smola Wind Farm, More og Romsdal, Norway.

Wind power

Statkraft.com

Wind power

Facts:• Wind turbines produce electricity by

converting the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical power.

• Wind power is renewable and has zero emissions.

• Wind power is the world’s fastest growing source of energy, and is most widely used in the US, Germany, China, Spain and India.

Statkraft.com

Wind power

How big are they?

Statkraft.comEach turbine weighs just over 260 tonnes in total

Wind power

• The rotor blades on a wind turbine transfer the power of the wind via a drive shaft and gear box to a generator in the nacelle.

http://www.poweryourknowledge.com

Wind power

• What is a volt?– When a charge is at high voltage, it means it has

lots of potential energy.

1.5 V 9 V 12 V

Wind power

• What is an ampere (amp)?– Current is electricity in motion. It measures the

amount of electrons that can flow through a material like a conductor. Electrical current is measured in amperes or "amps".

Wind power

• What is a watt?– The watt is a unit of power. – The power (P) it takes to send current (I) through a

wire is given by:P = V I

Wind power

• What is a watt?– The watt is a unit of power. – The power (P) it takes to send current (I) through a

wire is given by:P = V I

The Smola Wind Farm comprises 68 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 150 MW.

150 MW = 150,000,000 W

Statkraft.com

The Smola Wind Farm comprises 68 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 150 MW.

The annual production is about 450 GWh, corresponding to the average electricity consumption of 22 500 Norwegian households.

Statkraft.com

450 GWh = 450,000,000,000 Wh

The Smola Wind Farm comprises 68 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 150 MW.

The annual production is about 450 GWh, corresponding to the average electricity consumption of 22 500 Norwegian households.

The wind turbines in each row stand 240-350 meters apart.

Cables have been laid in the roads from the turbines to a centrally located transformer.

Statkraft.com

Future Wind Power

Offshore Wind Farm, under construction off the coast of Norfolk in England.

Wind power

Statkraft.com

Wind Turbine

http://teachergeek.com

Wind Turbine

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Wind Turbine• We will compare designs by measuring volts.

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Wind power

Challenge:• Design the best wind turbine to maximize

amount of volts produced?

Wind power

Challenge:

Step 1: Design – Things to consider:a. Fin size (small to larger)b. Fin shapec. Organization of finsd. Fin material

Wind power

Challenge:

Step 2: Build

Wind power

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Tower Nacelle

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