This “building block” lesson introduces the principle of a vertical-axis wind turbine, perhaps with the ultimate goal of constructing a full-scale model. In addition to demonstrating a small-scale prototype, it provides another example of how ordinary materials like water bottles can be utilized for practical devices. This lesson can easily be combined with the alternator lesson for an introduction to harnessing wind energy.

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- how to catch the wind

- theory behind vertical-axis wind turbines

- reducing friction for rotational motion

None

Students design a frame which supports their water bottle turbines while allowing them to spin freely. They also consider the different challenges involved in a larger turbine.

Students consider how they might scale up their turbines, and perhaps present to the class.

Students build their own mini turbines. Students present on how they might make larger turbines, and the challenges of scaling up.

PEN lessons that meet the requirement are noted in brackets.

Intro to wind: [Anemometer lesson]

Electrification: [alternator lesson], although this could also come afterward

None.

[Alternator], full-scale wind turbine

Teacher may want to hold up a pre-assembled bottle turbine for demonstration. If students are not adding magnets and coils to their turbines, the teacher may also wish to have a mini turbine that can generate power.

The teacher can use a fan or blow on a power-generating mini turbine, while the device is attached to a multimeter. She can then pass around the coil-and-magnet setup, and explain how the alternator fits into the picture.

Students will cut a plastic bottle in half. They then cut two end-pieces out of cardboard, then attach their plastic bottle halves to the cardboard in an S-shape with a rod in the center to build the turbine. They must then design frames, and some way for the mini-turbine to spin on its axis.

- glue that dries quickly like a hot glue gun or Epoxy

- knife or scissors

- stiff, cut-able material for the end-pieces

- plastic bottle for the turbine

- something structural for the frame

- solid material for the base

- stiff, light-weight rod for the center pole

- a holder or bearings for the pole to turn on

For a functional mini turbine, the teacher needs a completed bottle turbine, a multimeter, maybe an LED to light up, a few hundred meters of thin copper wire, and several strong magnets attached to a rotating disk to generate power.

Paper for students to brainstorm how to scale up the turbine, a whiteboard for students to present their scaled-up ideas. Maybe the internet for research.

This lesson requires very little supervision. Perhaps every 2 students can share one water bottle turbine– and the class size could be as large as 30 without much problem. If students want to add their own magnets and coils to the mini turbines, they may need more supervision to ensure that they attach the coils in the right orientation.

Why should students want to participate in this lesson?

To make a cool spinning thing that they can take home, and to work their way toward a large-scale turbine.

Why should teachers want to teach it?

To demonstrate how vertical-axis turbines function, and to explain the challenge of designing a structural, low-friction turbine frame.

If this lesson (and its prerequisites) were the only PEN lessons someone took, what should they be able to do?

Make the mechanical part of a small vertical-axis wind turbine.

If you had to teach this lesson tomorrow morning, what would you spend tonight working on? (assuming that materials were not an issue)

How to encourage students to build good frames, and what other wind turbine shapes to discuss.

If you hadn’t taught this lesson before, what questions would you have for someone who had taught a very similar lesson?

Is it easy to attach the end-pieces to the bottle halves? Do students know how to research larger-scale wind turbines? Can they think of the right problems that they would have with larger turbines?

If the only materials available were broken radios, TVs, and computers, could you do all the electronics in this lesson? (assuming you had solder, soldering irons, etc.) If not, what would be missing?

Yes.

If the only structural materials available were dish-cloths, cardboard, and plastic bags, could you make the mechanical bits of this lesson? (assume equipment as above) If not, what would be missing?

With the addition of plastic bottles, yes.