Materials:

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• Various types of cardboard material or paper plates (You can bring in your own non-corrugated cardboard)

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• I foot of masking tape

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Criteria:

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• Center of the fan is centered on the hub of the turbine

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• The hub is 1m from the fan

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• Generate the highest reading on the voltmeter

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Constraints:

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• Limited materials:
• 1 foot of masking tape
• Limited amount of cardboard 8.5” x 5.5”

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• Limited time: 6 class periods

Tools:

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• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil

4th/5th grade Wind Turbine Engineering Design Challenge

Video/Story Links

• Wind Turbine Blade Haulers (China)
• Wind Turbine Blade Crash
• Energy Island
• The Boy who Harnessed the Wind Trailer
• PBS Wind Power video
• Renewable Energy explained in 2 ½ minutes
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• Annotated time lapse assembly of a wind turbine
• Renewable Energy, History Channel - Documentary 2017 (wind energy starts at 14 minutes and goes till 23 minutes.)

Constraints:

• Up to 3 blades
• All students gets a consistent amount of blade material per trial. (8.5”X5.5”)
• Students are allowed to bring in cardboard type samples from home.
• Tape supplied per trial = 12”

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Criteria:

• Center of the fan is centered on the hub of the turbine.
• The hub is 1m from the fan turned on high.

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