Wind Power FUNdamentals

James Smith

Activity: Convection Where is the Wind? Types of Turbines Activity: KISS the Wind: Blade Design Kit Wind Energy Educational Resources Activity: How Windy are You?

Agenda

Find a Partner you are able to work with Collect all necessary equipment / Per Group:

◦ 5 Styrofoam cups◦ 4 x cardboard spacers◦ Food coloring◦ Eye dropper◦ Hot Water pot

Watch the set up part of the instructions video together

Activity: Convection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgyRsMsQsfE

What does this have to do with wind energy?

At what point will the wind stop blowing? Why is the wind better in some places and

not others? What conditions would create an optimum

place for wind?

Convection (Explain)

High in Altitude Over open areas with

no windbreaks Good sites for wind

plants are the tops of smooth, rounded hills, open plains or shorelines, and mountain gaps that produce wind funneling.

Where is the Wind?

Vertical Shaft Horizontal Shaft

Types of Turbines

What might be some advantages and disadvantages of each?

Find a partner Get a Wind Blade Design

Kit Divide in half (pin wheels/

kabobs) Go to work

Activity: KISS THE WIND: Wind Turbine Blade Design

Record the power production on the board. Which characteristics yielded more power? What are the parts of a wind turbine? Why or why not would our best blade design be

used in industry?

Wind Blade Design (Explain)

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wind/wind_how.html

Videos PowerPoint Presentations Curriculum Wind Kits

Wind Educational Resources

Wind Energy Curricula and Teaching Materialshttp://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/schools_teaching_materials.asp

Use a Kestrel meter to measure your personal wind power

Find your Beaufort Rating Describe the effects of your wind power How could you use what you know about

the Beaufort scale to estimate the potential for wind power in an area?

Activity: How Windy are You?

Don’t forget to complete the FUNdamentals questionnaire before you leave.

Thanks For Coming