To demonstrate the concept of a wind power my group and I created an experiment that displayed to the class how wind turbines work and their efficiency. We used a LEGO model wind turbine, an industrial sized fan to represent wind power, and a battery to store  and convert the kenetic energy of the wind into electrical power.

 

Through this demonstration we discovered how much energy was lost in the process of converting the wind into electrical power.

 

These are the steps to our experiment:

1)     Assemble the Lego Mindstorm Wind Turbine

2)     Turn on the industrial fan to level 1

3)     Place the Lego turbine in front of the fan so the turbine catches the wind and moves the blades

4)     At a distance of 1 meter, allow the fan to run for a total of 5 minutes. Record total joules created and stored in the battery.

5)     Repeat at level 2 and level 3 fan speeds.

6)     Record the results on lab sheet.

 

After we designed the experiment we set it up for another group in class to try as well. There results came out as expected, only slightly different than ours. At  fan speed 1, the group charged the battery to 5 Joules, at  fan speed 2 the group charged the battery to 79 Joules, and at the highest fan speed the group charged the battery to 100 Joules. When the group used the battery to convert the wind power to electrical energy they experienced the same inefficiency as we did. At the lowest wind speed the wind turbine was powered for 6 seconds, and at the highest it only was powered for 15 seconds.

It is clear that how much electricity that is generated relies solely on the rate of wind speed that day. It is difficult to rely on such an inconsistent power source.

I am happy with how our group’s experiment turned out. The technical difficulty in preparation were minimal and in the end our results were consistent with every test run.

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We also took another groups experiment on the final day of class. This was an interesting concept as well. Using 2 cups, one filled with sand and the other water, and 3 thermometers we took the temperature of the sand water and air at thirty second intervals for 10 minutes.

This experiment demonstrated that sand heated up faster than water due to the moisture absorbency of the soil.

Our results came out as the group expected. Although they were VERY close, we know that if we kept it running for a few hours the results would be more clearly displayed with a larger gap between the two substances.

 

 

All in all both experiments went well and by the end of the class each group seemed confident and knowledgable in there discipline. It was a very good learning and team building experience.