Name:______Period:______Date:______

Wind Energy and Wind Turbines Stations

Station 1: Parts of a Wind Turbine and Wind Speed requirements

Visit http://www.cat.org.uk/interactive/windfarm01.tmpl

Label the parts of a wind turbine

Click NEXT until you get to this screen

1. What is the minimum wind speed for the blades to turn?______

2. What is the minimum wind speed to generate electricity?______

3. What is the wind speed at which the turbine reaches its “rated power output?” ______

4. Explain what wind is and how it is generated in nature. If you do not remember, use resources at the station or the link below. Write a detailed description.

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/wind-power-profile/

Station 2: Harness the Power of the Wind

Visit National Geographic’s website on Wind Turbines

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/wind-power-interactive/

Click on “How it Works”

1. Summarize the description for each part of a wind turbine in the table below.

Blades
Low Speed Shaft
Gear Box
High Speed Shaft
Generator

2. What are the four variables that determine how much electricity is generated?

3. Try it Out! Change the different variables (6 times) to see the maximum electricity produced and the number of homes supplied with power.

Blade Radius (ft) / Wind Speed (mph) / Altitude (ft) / Power Produced (kw) / Homes Supplied
Initial settings / 103 / 6 / 0 / 0 / 0
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 4
Trial 5
Trial 6

Station 3: Electricity and the Electric Grid

Electricity Basics http://learn.kidwind.org/learn/wind_basics_electricity

1.  What is electricity? Why is it considered a secondary energy source?

2.  How is electricity generated?

3.  What unit is used to quantify electricity?

4.  Where does America’s electricity come from? List the sources and the percentages in decreasing order.

Visualizing the Electric Grid http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=110997398

Click on Wind Power Read the key for the diagram on the left of the screen.

5. Where are the best places to place wind turbines in the continental US?

Station 4: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

1.  Read the picture book- taking turns, one person read to the group.

2.  Read silently the prologue and pages 168-169.

Answer the questions below.

Prologue:

1.  What does he mean in the passage on the first page of the Prologue marked with a star? Read it slowly three times before answering.

______

2.  One word to describe William is tenacious. (very determined to do something) Describe a time when you were determined to accomplish something but were initially unsuccessful. What was is that kept you going?

______

Pages 168-169

1.  Imagine your world without electricity. Describe your “habitat” (home and school) without electricity.

______

2.  What did William figure out in the passage on page168 marked with a star? Be specific. Refer to the diagram of a bicycle dynamo.

______

On Your Own station

Read through the below websites and choose four important events in the history of wind turbines. Explain why you think each event is important in the development of this energy technology.

http://learn.kidwind.org/learn/wind_basics_history

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Wind/Energy/Applications/Blade/

Event / Why is it important?

(NEW STATION THAT WE FOUND AFTER THE LESSON WAS COMPLETE)

3M Science of Everyday Life- Virtual Labs

http://scienceofeverydaylife.com/innovation/

Click on the computer screen in the center of your screen, a drop down menu appears.

Choose WIND ENERGY

Click on BEGIN

Read the INTRODUCTION AND GOALS

Click on NEXT

CHOOSE a location and then blade design. Test our your design in your location.

Record the results of each test

VARIABLES / RESULTS
Trial
1 / Blade Length / Blade Pitch / Blade Twist / WATTS PRODUCED
EFFICIENCY FACTOR
Tip Shape / Airfoil Shape / Turbine Height / WATTS/UNIT COST
HOMES POWERED
VARIABLES / RESULTS
Trial
2 / Blade Length / Blade Pitch / Blade Twist / WATTS PRODUCED
EFFICIENCY FACTOR
Tip Shape / Airfoil Shape / Turbine Height / WATTS/UNIT COST
HOMES POWERED
VARIABLES / RESULTS
Trial
3 / Blade Length / Blade Pitch / Blade Twist / WATTS PRODUCED
EFFICIENCY FACTOR
Tip Shape / Airfoil Shape / Turbine Height / WATTS/UNIT COST
HOMES POWERED

(IF YOU VIEW THE WEBSITE THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO DO WITH THIS VIRTUAL LAB)