Scifest 2011
CBS Wexford
Scifest 2011
Carne wind farm
Aim: To investigate what blade area
produces the most electricity.
By Eoin Hickey,
Liam Hore,
and Stephen Breen.
CBS Wexford
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Scifest 2011
CBS Wexford
Table of Contents
Page
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Contents
Cover page
Table of contents
Meet the team
Summary / Abstract
Introduction
5
Background Research
8
Experimental methods
10
Diagram
11
Results
14
Conclusions and Recommendations
15
Appendices
15
Acknowledgements
19
References
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Meet the Team
L to R:
Stephen Breen, Eoin Hickey, Liam Hore.
My name is Stephen Breen. I am 13 years old and I used to go to St. Ibars primary school in
Castlebridge but now I go to CBS Wexford.I still live in Castlebridge. My hobbies are playing
soccer,drawing and motocross.
My name is Eoin Hickey.I am 13 years old and I live in Hillcrest,Mulgannon,Wexford.I went
to school in Gaelscoil Charman and I now go to CBS Wexford.I can speak fluent English and
Irish i can also speak a little French. My hobbies are painting warhammer,playing video
games and reading. My favourite subjects at school are PE, Science and Irish.
My name is Liam Hore. I am 13 years old and am from Wexford Town. I went to Kennedy
Park primary school and I now attend CBS Wexford. My hobbies are playing
hurling,rugby,soccer and playing PlayStation. My favourite subjects are Iirish,Woodwork,PE
and Science.
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Summary / Abstract
Our project is based on wind turbines and wind power. In our project, our goal was to
find out what number of blades would produce the most electricity.
First, we researched renewable energy in general, occasionally focusing on wind
energy. Then we started work on our experiment. Our experiment was recording the
voltage of the turning blades, to find out what kind of blades would be more effective
in producing electricity. We did this by making small blades out of aluminium. We cut
out the blades by cutting a circle out of flattened Coca-Cola cans with sharp scissors.
Our blades had two, three, or four blades. These were in two different sizes. We set
them up on retort stands by sticking them onto the caps of pens with a mounting
needle, attaching the cap of the pen to a motor, and connected that to a sensor
using crocodile clamps. Then we used a hairdryer to blow them around.
We used the voltage sensor attached to a Labquest for reading the voltage to record
the amount of electricity being used. Our brand new Labquest recorded the
information and turned them into graphs for us.
With this experiment, we hoped to find out whether the original three blades worked
best. Maybe two, or three, or maybe even more blades would work better. Also, we
wondered whether the lengths of the blades were just right, or should they be longer,
to catch more wind? Or should they be shorter, so they can spin faster? These were
the questions we wished to have answered, because if new, better windmills were
made, it could help people to use more renewable energy instead of non renewable
energy.
Introduction:
We thought that a three bladed windmill would produce the most energy. We got this
idea from Carne windmill farm Co. Wexford. In Carne most of the windmills have
three blades. We also knew that the blades would only spin if tilted. We got access
information on Wikipedia and a book of science.
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Background Research on Renewable Energy
1. What is renewable energy?
Renewable energy can be generated from self-replenishing sources.
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It can take shape in wind, sunlight, water and geothermal heat [heat from
the earth’s core]. It also includes energy deprived from recently dead plant
material.
The role of renewable energy is becoming more significant with concern
about global warming and the rate of energy demands world wide.
2. Different types of renewable energy.
Solar energy:
The sun’s energy is changed into heat to heat water in homes and also light energy
to power light bulbs
Hydroelectric energy:
Dams hold back water and force it to spin wheels to turn an electric generator
turbine, which provides electricity.
.
Wind energy:
This energy can provide electricity by turning windmills.
Biomass energy:
Some plants naturally produce oils, and others fuel, like alcohol and methane gas.
Geothermal energy:
The temperature under the earth’s surface increases the deeper you go. This can
sometimes be used to heat water.
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3. Wind power.
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a more useful type of energy, such
as:
-Using wind turbines to make electricity.
-Windmills for mechanical power.
-Wind pumps for pumping water or drainage.
-Sails to propel ships.
At the end of 2009, worldwide power produced by wind-powered generators was
159.2 giga-watts. Energy production was about 2% of worldwide electricity usage,
and has doubled in the past 3 years. Some countries have achieved relatively high
levels of wind power electricity generated, such as 20% of electricity production in
Denmark, 14% in Ireland, and 8% in Germany in 2009. As of May 2009, 80 countries
around the world are using wind power on a commercial basis to generate electricity.
Wind power currently makes up for only 0.6% of overall world energy needs.
Large-scale wind farms are connected to the electric power transmission network;
smaller facilities are used to provide electricity to isolated places. Utility companies
increasingly buy back extra energy made by small domestic windmills. Comparing
wind energy to fossil fuels, wind energy is more plentiful, greener [it produces
virtually no greenhouse gases], is widely distributed, and is renewable. However, the
construction of wind warms isn’t always welcomed because of how they look, but
their effects on the environment cause the least problems of any power source.
4. The History of Wind Power.
Humans have been using wind power for 5,500 years at least to propel sailing ships.
Windmills originated in China and Persia around the 7th century A.D., which had
been originally mills, used for irrigation pumping and for milling grain.
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5. Offshore Wind Power.
Offshore wind power refers to the construction of wind farms in water to generate
electricity. Better wind speeds are available offshore compared to on land, so
offshore wind power’s contribution in terms of electricity is higher.
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Experimental Methods
Aim:
To investigate how much electricity can be produced using different blade
areas.
Date:
November 2010 – April 2011.
Statement of tasks to be carried out:
We prepared blades with 2 blades, 3 blades and 4 blades and set them up
on a retort stand. Then we used a hairdryer to make them spin. Then we
measured the voltage and recorded our results.
List of tasks to be carried out during the investigation.
Firstly, we cut out aluminium cans to make blades. Next, we mounted
them on a motor. We clamped them with a retort stand and used a
hairdryer to make them spin. Then we measured the voltage.
List of apparatus:
A motor, aluminium cans, surgical scissors, retort stand. Marker, pen lids,
dropper ends, pointing needles, voltmeter, labquest, laptop, hairdryer,
crocodile clips, ruler, protractor, and a wooden board.
Method:
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We cut the top and bottom of the aluminium cans
We marked the cans with a whiteboard marker in the shape of a circle
We cut out the circle on the cans
We pierced a hole in the centre of the circles
We marked the blades onto the circles in duplicates
We marked smaller circles in the centre with the cap of a pen
We cut the blades into the circles
We put the blades under chopping boards to flatten them out
We put a pen cap on a motor and attached the blades
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CBS Wexford
We connected the motor to the sensor
We then clamped the motor into the retort stand
We got a hair drier and turned it on to make the blades move
The sensor recorded the voltage and made the results into graphs for each
blade
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Results of Experiments
Propeller
Min. Value
Max. Value
Difference in Voltage
2 Blade Small
-0.4422
0.0574
0.4996
3 Blade Small
1.422
0.8481
0.574
4 Blade Small
-0.0307
0.0328
0.0636
2 Blade Big
-0.3975
0.0135
0.4010
3 Blade Big
-0.6478
0.0820
0.7298
4 Blade Big
-0.5206
0.0279
0.5485
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Max. Value: -1.422
Min. Value: 0.8488
Difference in Voltage: 0.574
3 Small Blade Propellar
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Max. Value: -0.6478
Min. Value:
0.0820
Difference in Voltage: 0.7298
3 Big Blade Propellar
The results show that the difference between the maximum and minimum
voltage values was the highest in the 3 blade experiment. Our idea was that
the three blades would create the most electricity and this is what we found.
We can compare the 3 big blade and 3 small blade to see the difference in
voltage.The big blade created the most electicity.
With the 2 big and 2 small blades the small blade created the most electricity.
In the 2 blade experiment the small blade produced more electricity
.In both the 3,4 small blades didn’t create as much electricity as the big
blades.
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Conclusions and Recommendations:
Our project’s hypothesis was that three blades would produce the most electricity.
We discovered that we were correct in that three blades did produce the most
voltage. The voltage increased when the blades were longer.
When we were making the blades we found it very hard to keep the aluminium down
flat. We tried to stick it with masking tape and sellotape, but eventually had to just
hold it down ourselves while someone else cut it.
We also had trouble connecting the blades to the motor. We did it by cuttint the top
off a dropper and placing it underneath the blade and placed this on the cap of a
pen, we held this together with a pointing needle.The pen cap was then attached to
the motor.
For the project we went to the windfarm at Carne to take photos and get a proper
understanding of the way the windmills work.
We could have extended our project by asking a windmill manufacturing company to
send us some more information. Also, we could have started our projected earlier.
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Appendices:
Max. Value: -0.4422
Min. Value:
0.05747
Difference in Voltage: 0.4996
2 Small Blade Propeller
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Max. Value: -0.03077
Min. Value: 0.03288
Difference in Voltage: 0.06365
4 Small Blade Propellar
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Max. Value: -0.3979
Min. Value: 0.0135
Difference in Voltage: 0.3114
2 Big Blade Propellar
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Max. Value: -0.5206
Min. Value: 0.0279
Difference in Voltage: 0.5485
4 Big Blade Propellar
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Acknowledgements:
To complete our project we got help from our Physics teacher who gave us
information about motors. Stephen’s uncle helped us with the computer work and
his nanny helped us taking the pictures. Eoin’s Dad and Stephen’s mam helped us
with the lifts.
References:
We looked up information about wind energy and windmills on wilkedpedia and we
also used a science encyclopedia ‘ Science ’ by Adam Harte Davis.
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