Wind Turbine Lab (Part A)
ENGR 1181
Wind Turbines
§  Wind power is a renewable and cheap source of energy similar to solar
power. In fact it is mainly caused by solar energy.
§  Wind power industry using wind turbines is clean with a fast growth in
technology and demand.
Today's Learning Objectives
§  After today's class, students will be able to:
•  Describe the relationship between wind
velocity and air pressure based on Bernoulli’s
Equation for an incompressible flow
•  Calculate the energy available in the wind
and compare it to the power generated by a
wind turbine
Bernoulli’s Principle
§  Bernoulli’s principle states that for an ideal fluid
(like air), an increase in velocity occurs with a
decrease in pressure of that fluid.
§  Bernoulli’s equation for incompressible fluid flow is
described as:
¡  ​𝑣↓1↑2 /2 +​𝑝↓1 /𝜌 +𝑔​𝑧↓1 =​𝑣↓2↑2 /2 +​𝑝↓2 /𝜌 +𝑔​
𝑧↓2 §  In order to harness wind energy efficiently, air foil
design must maximize lift and minimize drag.
Pitot Tube
18V Power Supply
Wind Tunnel
Data Acquisition Board
Wind Turbine Lab Setup
Tips for a Successful Lab
§  The radius is 0 cm is when the pitot tube is at the
center of wind tunnel (use the notches on the tube
as a guide).
§  Remove the propeller if it is mounted on the
generator at the beginning of the lab.
§  Only the first speed in the Arduino display panel is
used in this lab.
Important Takeaways
§  Wind turbines can convert mechanical energy
(from the wind) into usable electricity
§  Bernoulli’s principle and equation describe the
relationship between velocity and pressure in
fluid flow
§  There are several parameters that influence
the amount of power generated by a wind
turbine.
Topic
Document Type
Marble Delivery System
None
Quality and Productivity
Executive Summary
Circuits
Executive Summary
Solar Meter
--
Solar Cell
Memo (Combined)
Beam Bending
Memo
Wind Turbine (7A)
--
Wind Turbine (7B)
Report (Combined)
Problem Solving Project (8A)
Problem Solving Project (8B)
Problem Solving Project (8C)
Project Notebook
(Combined)
Preview of Next Lab
§  Lab 7B – Wind Turbine
•  Design and test your own wind turbine blades
•  Collect data, calculate efficiencies, and
evaluate results