OverviewThe purpose of our group’s project is to use the

principles we’ve learned in EF 152 to design a windmill that will ultimately generate enough electricity to light a light bulb.

Although the main point of the project is to generate electricity, we had to create a design that is simple, effective, and creative as well.

Some of the other objectives of the project were to learn more about the basics of electricity, solve various open-ended engineering problems, and also to work effectively with our fellow group members

Design ProcessFirst design: Dutch-style windmillDiscarded this idea because the base was a

challenge to create

Second design: PinwheelCould not find the materials needed such as a

certain type of blade and a narrow base strong enough to hold the generator

Description of What We BuiltHollow rectangular base- Four wooden

boards glued to make a rectangle

Generator- Copper wire wrapped around a cardboard box

Blades- Poster board angled by the paintbrushes

AnalysisKinetic Energy= 1/2mv²(½ )(.17719kg)(1.7m/s)² = .256J

Wind Turbine Rotor P=(1/2)(1.225kg/m³)(.01742m²)(1.7m/s)³=.0524

watts

Wind Turbine Power0.524watts=(1/2)(1.225kg/m³)(.01742m²)(1.7m/

s)³(Ng)(.80)= 10%

Bill of materialsMaterials Cost

Coil of insulated copper wire $16.71

Magnets $15.40

Poster Board $1.09

Paint Brushes $1.09

Wood Boards FREE

Wire Coat Hanger FREE

Paint $1.17

TOTAL $35.56

ConclusionOur windmill project works!! We learned how

to communicate and work effectively using time management skills. Some of the problems we encountered were finding the best material for our blades, stripping the coil wire in order to produce enough volts, and adjusting our wooden center that holds the petals.

ReferencesEF 152 Website

Ultra Simple Generatorhttp://amasci.com/coilgen/generator_2html.

Science Fair Wind Generators Projectshttp://www.otherpower.com/toymill.html