GeneratorX!
Charles Mitchell
Doug Manofsky
Josh Goben
Trey Field
Vertical-Axis Aerogenerator
• GeneratorX is designed to have
the maximum amount of surface
area available to capture wind.
• Constructed out of poster board,
wooden skewers, and quite a bit
of duct/aluminum tape.
• Connected to a vertical
aluminum rod which is
supported by two bearings.
• A cardboard gear is connected
at the bottom of the shaft which
turns the generator.
Physics
• The energy is first in the form of wind speed.
The more wind that is captured, the more
energy that can be harnessed.
• The heavier the turbine, the more momentum it
will have after moving. This gives a more
stable current from the generator.
• The larger the gear ratio, the faster the
generator can spin which will increase the
amount of power generated.
Design Issues
• We first tried using bearings only at the
bottom, but the system was too unstable.
• We tried several different methods of gearing
before reaching the final product.
• We went through a few variations of the design
of the blades.
Conclusion
• A wind turbine constructed with a budget
of $40 is inefficient.
• On a larger scale, and with better
materials, a wind turbine may generate
electricity somewhat efficiently.
• The basic design of a wind turbine is
actually quite simple.