Overview The 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 Process First design: Dutch-style windmill Discarded this idea because the base was a challenge to create Second design: Pinwheel Could 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 Built Hollow 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

Analysis Kinetic 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 Power 0.524watts=(1/2)(1.225kg/m³)(.01742m²)(1.7m/s)³(Ng)(.8 0)= 10%

Bill of materials MaterialsCost Coil of insulated copper wire$16.71 Magnets$15.40 Poster Board$1.09 Paint Brushes$1.09 Wood BoardsFREE Wire Coat HangerFREE Paint$1.17 TOTAL$35.56

Conclusion Our 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.

References EF 152 Website Ultra Simple Generator Science Fair Wind Generators Projects