“Wind” It Up Josh Baxter, John Castleman, John Hungerford, Zach Pendergrass, and Matt Shearon

Device Design 5 copper coils connected together and attached to the inner wall of PVC Pipe. Fan powered by wind attached to magnets running through center of pipe. External base made out of wood. PICTURE

Going Green Windmills are used to create a cleaner way to create electricity that is environmentally friendly. In order to keep with this theme we created our project out of 100 percent recycled materials. Everything from the copper wire to the fan were taken out of previously discarded machines or scrap materials.

What Makes a Windmill Work? Kinetic energy is created when wind forces the fan to move. This kinetic energy then uses the magnets spinning within the coils to convert this kinetic energy into electricity.

Efficiency Calculations Theoretical:.5 ρ AV^3( ρ -density of air, A-cross sectional area,v- wind speed) (.5)(1.184)(.00323)(9.4)^3=1.586 Watts Actual: P=IV(I-Current, V-Voltage) P=.047 watts Efficiency: η =(A/T)*100 ( η -Efficiency, A-Actual Power, T-Theoretical) =2.8% efficency

Design and Construction Issues Our main problem with our original device design was its inefficiency. It was producing close to 10 volts of AC current, but when connected to the light bulb it would light it temporarily and then immediately lose voltage and turn off the light. The newer design had several issues including creating the exact number of turns for each coil. Another problem was getting the magnets close enough to the wire. The most difficult challenge was connecting the wires without creating too much resistance within them.

In conclusion, while seemingly simple, a generator can become a complex device when made without the help of machines. Precision and perseverance play a large role in creating a successful windmill. It is amazing that the power of wind has been utilized for so long. Conclusion