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Wind Powered Electric Generator. By: Jordan Kreitzman Jack Dres Tasha Hart Raphael Onwuzuruigbo Chantel Matikke. Device Design. G enerator = complicated. A lternating current design. Four coils are oriented in a circle so that all of the wire is going in a clockwise fashion.
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Wind Powered Electric Generator By: Jordan Kreitzman Jack Dres Tasha Hart Raphael Onwuzuruigbo ChantelMatikke
Device Design • Generator = complicated. • Alternating current design. • Four coils are oriented in a circle so that all of the wire is going in a clockwise fashion. • Connected to the axle of the windmill is the magnet disk which consists of four strong magnets oriented like the coils. • These magnets spin very close to the coils to produce the current.
Mechanical to Electrical • Process: Convert the kinetic energy of air particles to rotational kinetic energy of the blades, which spin magnets to produce a current with electrons that convert electrical energy into light. • Windmill feeds off the energy and the bulb is lit.
How it Works • The generator works due to the basic idea of changing magnetic flux. • As a magnet comes toward a coil, its magnetic field goes through the coil. The coil produces a current in a certain direction to produce a magnetic field that counteracts the field going through it. • As soon as the magnet starts leaving the coil, the coil produces a current in the opposite direction to try and keep the magnetic field strong inside the coil. • This produces alternating current.
Efficiency Calculations Equations Calculations • Consider a cylinder of air that hits the fan in a time of one second • V=volume; v=velocity; P=power; m=mass; I=current; KE=kinetic energy • V=πr²h (since air is traveling at 7m/s, height=7m) • m=ρV; ρ(air)=1.2 kg/m³ • KE=.5mv² • Electrical Aspect: P=IV; • V= π(.2667m) ²(7m)=1.564 m³ • m=(1.2 kg/m³)(1.564m³)=1.877 kg • KE=.5(1.877kg)(7 m/s)²=45.99 J (P=45.99 W (Kinetic energy of air hitting blades per second.)) • P=(1.5A)(2V)=3.0W • Efficiency: 3.0W/45.99W =about 6.5% (efficiency of starting kinetic energy of air to light and heat energy)
Design/Construction Issues • Wire was not insulated at first, which caused problems with the generator. • Coils were not thick enough, which also caused the generator to fail. After we fixed those problems, it worked perfectly. • Blades were tricky as well: • Initially, we couldn’t turn them fast enough. • Then, we decided to decrease our blade angle, blade length, and blade width. • Finally, everything worked great!
Conclusion • Estimated costs of materials: ~$36 2 PVC pipes-$0.50 Plywood-$5.00 Blades-$1.00 Magnet Wire-$14.00 8 Magnets-$10.00 Cardboard-$0.00 Nuts and Bolts-$2.00 Styrofoam-$0.50 Electrical Tape-$3.00 • Windmills have poor efficiency • Blade angle is significant • PVC pipe is good for low friction • Overall, the project was time consuming yet beneficial. • Link to video: It Really Works