Got Wind?
Hood/Mosher (tryengineering.com)
Energy, Energy Transformation, Technological Design
n/a for RMSC
6 th grade On-Site Field Trip (part of Energy lessons)
Grade Level: 6th grade
SC Stds: Energy, Technology
6-1.4 Use a technological design process to plan and produce a solution to a problem or a product
(including identifying a problem, designing a solution or a product, implementing the design, and evaluating the solution or the product).
6-5.2 Explain how energy can be transformed from one form to another (including the two types of mechanical energy, potential and kinetic, as well as chemical and electrical energy) in accordance with the law of conservation of energy.
Subject Matter: STEM/Physical Science
National Standards: NS.5-8.1, NS.58.2
Electricity is used every day to power our world
Learn how electricity is generated
Role of creativity and problem solving
Engineering Design
Increase technological literacy
Energy resources
:
How do wind turbines generate electricity?


Engage 6 th grade students in a hands-on project based learning lesson during field trip to Roper
Mountain Science Center.

Provide students with an engaging scenario which allows them to participate in the engineering process
The year is 2062; you live in a post apocalyptic world which was devastated in 2015. People survive on very little and limited power from the grid. The people who have control over the sources of energy are in control and very greedy. You and your renegade friends are searching for clues from past society to find a source of power. You stumbled upon a data map from 2011 which shows the number of wind turbines installed in the US. You and your friends began your journey to mid northern Texas to investigate this potential source of power. Upon your arrival, you find a number of towers some with broken blades and others without anything attached to it. On the ground are broken pieces of fiberglass, wood and metal. You are not the only crew who has found this site, your challenge is to create the most effective design and implement it first.
10 wooden dowels
Scissors
3 sheets card stock
3 sheets copy paper
Rubber bands
3 strips of aluminum (2”x8”)
8 Popsicle sticks
2 feet masking tape
1 piece of canvas 12” x 12”
Multi-meter and laptop to measure electrical output of turbine
NOTE: You do not need to use all materials however you cannot use more than the quantity listed.
Early windmills were made of wood with canvas sails. These deteriorated over time and required care – but they represented the materials readily available! More recently, older mechanical turbine blades were made out of heavy steel…but now many are made using fiberglass and other synthetic materials that offer strength at lower weights. And, lower weight building materials can result in larger blades to catch more wind in applications where size and space are less of an issue. Manufacturers also use epoxy-based composites which may offer manufacturing advantages over other materials because the process has less impact on the environment and can result in a smoother surface finish.
Carbon fibers have also been identified as a cost-effective method to further reduce weight and increase stiffness. Smaller blades can be made from light metals such as aluminum.

US Wind Map- Installed Capacity by State 2011 data
A wind turbine works the opposite of a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity. Wind turbines, like windmills, are usually mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. Wind turbines operate on a simple principle. The energy in the wind turns two or three propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity. Wind turbines are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. At 100 feet (30 meters) or more above ground, they can take advantage of faster and less turbulent wind. A blade acts much like an airplane wing. When the wind blows, a pocket of low-pressure air forms on the downwind side of the blade. The low-pressure air pocket then pulls the blade toward it, causing the rotor to turn. This is called lift. The force of the lift is actually much stronger than the wind's force against the front side of the blade, which is called drag. The combination of lift and drag causes the rotor to spin like a propeller, and the turning shaft spins a generator to make electricity. Wind turbines can be used to produce electricity for a single home or building, or they can be connected to an electricity grid (see illustration to the right) for more widespread electricity distribution.
When designing wind turbines, engineers must take various factors into consideration. These factors include the shape, length and number of blades, and the amount of electrical energy that needs to be generated.
(Possible extension- Height of tower, site/location of turbine)
Your task is to design blades to attach to the existing tower and hub of the wind turbine which will produce the most electricity for your crew and the larger population.

Complete brainstorming sheet and design drawings

Turbine must generate enough electricity (xxx kwh) to provide power to a house

Turbine must withstand three test trials

Be powered by the wind source (fan) provided

Must operate without direct contact by designers

Team Name: ________________________________________________
Group Members: ____________________________________________
Turbine Name: ______________________________________________
Assessment Checklist:

Team utilized the engineering design process to solve problem

Complete turbine with working drawings and brainstorming sheet

Completed turbine showing creative use of materials provided
Discuss as a group the challenges you faced?
What changes did you make to improve your results?
In a group comparison, which designs were the most effective and why?