Abstract:

The widespread acceptance and utilization of renewable energy sources require the education of the public at all levels. While the public has a relatively high level of familiarity with solar photovoltaic systems, primarily due to their popularity in residential applications, the same cannot be said about wind energy. This is particularly important for wind turbines in the light of misinformation that circulates on social media. This education can be most effectively delivered via simple setups to demonstrate the fundamental principles of these systems in K-12 institutions and museums, specifically science and technology museums. Furthermore, electricity produced from wind energy makes a major contribution to the energy mix of many countries. In fact, wind energy is the fastest-growing electricity generation technology. This growth has created and will continue to create a major job market for a wide variety of skilled workers, particularly those who graduated from engineering programs. Many engineering colleges are including relevant courses and labs in their curriculums to educate their graduates and prepare them to fill this market. The complexity and multidisciplinary nature of wind turbines pose significant challenges. To address these challenges, experimental setups have been introduced to these courses and labs. Currently, some companies are providing the hardware required for these experiments. However, these experimental setups are typically expensive and unfordable for many institutions, particularly schools and museums. The objective of this paper is to present the design and manufacturing of a small-scale horizontal axis wind turbine that is inexpensive and can provide a hands-on learning experience for students of all ages and educational backgrounds. The complete product includes all equipment needed to run the experiments. The wind turbine and wind generator work together to ensure a successful lab experiment. The wind turbine experiments match real-life expectations. The students are able to change turbine and fan characteristics then compare the power generation. Finite element analyses and computational fluid dynamics are used to design the components and verify that they won’t fail. All parts but the tower and base are produced out of Polycarbonate and ABS with a 3D printer.

Keywords:

Horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT), Design and construction, Educational tool, Renewable energy lab, Engineering education.