Susan Reyes KidWind Senator & Event Coordinator Science & Sustainability Educator.

Susan ReyesKidWind Senator & Event CoordinatorScience & Sustainability Educator

WIND BASICS

AIR IS SOMETHING

Properties of AirHas massTakes up spaceHot air risesCooler air fallsAir pressure and temperature are

dependent on:location on the earth the season

WIND IS MOVING AIRThe sun shines on theEarth’s atmosphere and heats its surfaces.As air heats it rises, the molecules in the airspread out because theair is light. Cooler air falls; its particles are denser and so the air isheavier. As the warm air rises, cooler air fills in the space. This process of warming and cooling air placement iscalled convection and this is what causes the air to

move.Moving air is wind. MOVING AIR IS SOLAR POWERED!

The Wind in NatureCarry scent Shape hunting and defensive

strategiesDistribute seeds

and arthropodsMove objectsHelp shape topography and can

be affected by topographySpread wildfiresAct as an energy resource to

generate electricity

Measurements are a Breeze

Wind Vane Windsock Anemometer

ENERGY BASICSIn a most basic sense,

energyis the ability of a force to perform work or to organize orchange matter.

ENERGY FORMS & TRANSFORMATIONS

Forms of Energy Mechanical-Kinetic Radiant Electrical Chemical Nuclear HeatWhat transformations

occur in these systems?

Energy occurs in many forms and is classifiedas either potential energy (stored) or kinetic energy (in motion) and is converted from one form to another.

I’M SOLAR POWERED!

Where do YOU get your energy to live, move, work & play?

Activity: Trace energy transformations from the sun to examples of food, such as a slice of pizza.

Sources of New York State EnergyApproximately 13% of New York energy needs are

met instate through a variety of energy resources:Coal (13 coal plants) Nuclear (6 power plants), Crude oil (production is at 0.1%) Natural gas (production is at 4.7%)Hydro-electric (28 large and 340

small plants contributing 6%)Wind* (20 wind farms contributing

less than 1%). Reference: 2009 Pattern and Trends Report of New York State Energy Profiles for 1993-2007,

NYSERDA, 2009Reference*: American Wind Energy Association, 2009 figures of current wind energy projects.

US Electricity Sources

KidWind Project | www.kidwind.org

Holland & Colonial America

First documented windmill: Afghanistan (900AD)

Greece

Wind Pumper

Modern Wind Turbines

Visit for a field trip!

Visit for a field trip!

Small Electricity Generating Wind Turbines

Technically Advanced Minimal Moving Parts Low Maintenance

Requirements Proven: ~ 5,000 On-Grid American Companies are the

Market and Technology Leaders

10 kW 50 kW

400 W 900 W

(Not to scale)

Downwind Rotor

Upwind Rotors

Yawing – Facing the Wind• Passive Yaw (Most

small turbines)• Wind forces alone direct

rotor• Tail vanes• Downwind turbines

• Active Yaw (all medium & large turbines produced today, & some small turbines from Europe)• Anemometer on nacelle tells

controller which way to point rotor into the wind

• Yaw drive turns gears to point rotor into wind

Upward Furling: The rotor tilts back during high winds

Angle Governor: The rotor turns up and to one side

Large Wind Turbines

450’ base to bladeEach blade 112’Span greater than 747163+ tons totalFoundation 20+ feet deepRated at 1.5 – 5 megawattSupply at least 350 homesUpwind rotorsTurn slowly & gear up Braking system

The Electrical GeneratorA generator converts

mechanical energy into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction.

Electromagnetic induction occurs when a coil of wire experiences a changing magnetic field, which causes a voltage to be induced in the coil

Inside a large hydropower turbine

Rotor Solidity

Solidity is the ratio of total rotor planform area to total swept area

Low solidity (0.10) = high speed, low torque

High solidity (>0.80) = low speed, high torque

A

R

a

Solidity = 3a/A

ISSUES TODAY: COSTS & BENEFITS

Fighting windmills has a long history!

Don Quixote fighting “Giants”

Accidents & Troubles


“So far no evacuation zone has been declared. There are no threats to sea life, and the fallout from the disaster was not detectable thousands of miles away. Cleanup efforts are in progress, and will not include covering the area in a giant concrete dome. No workers have been asked to give their lives in order to save their countrymen from the menace of this fallen wind turbine.” – Christopher Mims

Impacts of Wind Power: Noise

Modern turbines are relatively quiet

Rule of thumb – stay about 3x hub-height away from houses

Impacts of Wind Power: Wildlife

• In the Audubon Magazine, John Flicker, President of National Audubon Society, wrote a column stating that Audubon "strongly supports wind power as a clean alternative energy source," pointing to the link between global warming and the birds and other wildlife that scientist say it will kill.

1980’s California Wind Farm Older Technology+ Higher RPMs+ Lower Elevations+ Lattice Towers+ Poorly Sited= Bad News!

Prospecting the Right Site: Lessons Learned

Off-Shore On the FarmOn a Mountain


Where is the Wind?

Importance of Wind SpeedNo other factor is more

important to the amount of power available in the wind than the speed of the wind

Power is a cubic function of wind speedV X V X V

20% increase in wind speed means 73% more power

Doubling wind speed means 8 times more power

Calculation of Wind Power

•Power in the wind Power in the wind

– Effect of swept area, A– Effect of wind speed, V– Effect of air density,

Swept Area: A = πR2 Area of the circle swept by the rotor (m2).

Power in the Wind = ½ρAV3

R

Maintenance



Wind Energy is a Growing Industry

•US total installed wind energy capacity now over 43,635 MW as of Sept 2011 per WindPoweringAmerica.com

• Enough electricity to power the equivalent of over 7 million households!

1979: 40 cents/kWh

• Increased Turbine Size

• R&D Advances• Manufacturing

Improvements

NSP 107 MW Lake Benton wind farm

4 cents/kWh (unsubsidized)

2004: 3 – 4.5 cents/kWh

2000:4 - 6 cents/kWh

Wind Energy in the Classroom

ELEMENTARY: Build Skills in Science & Engineering PracticesOBSERVE, EXPERIMENT, EVALUATE & APPLYGain understanding of explanations – reflect & discussLearn content in many connected topic areas

Many Topics Addressed


•Forces Cause Change•Energy Transformations (Forms of Energy)•Circuits/Electricity/Magnetism•Properties of Air•Weather Patterns•Renewable – Non Renewable Energy

Activities• Wind Sails – Engineering is Elementary• Wind Chimes & Art• Weather vanes & Anemometers• Animals & the Wind• Visit wind turbines & wind farms• “Air is There” Demos• Create electrical generators• Design simple blades and rotors for electrical & lifting turbines• Compete in turbine contests

Upper Elementary/Middle Building Wind

TurbinesAssessing Wind

ResourceMathematics

balloon

streamers

Kite or balloon string

~3m

Wind Turbine Blade ChallengeStudents perform

experiments and design different wind turbine blades

Use simple wind turbine models

Test one variable while holding others constant

Record performance with a multimeter or other load device

Goals: Produce the most voltage, pump the most water, lift the most weight Minimize Drag Maximize LIFT Harness the POWER of the

wind!

Scientific & Engineering PracticesNRC’s New National Frameworks & Achieve’sNew Generation Science Standards

1.Asking questions & defining problems2.Developing & using models3.Planning & carrying out investigations4.Analyzing & interpreting data5.Using mathematics & computational thinking6.Developing explanations & designing solutions7.Engaging in argument from evidence8.Obtaining, evaluating & communicating information



KidWind.org

The KidWind Project is a team of teachers, students, engineers and practitioners

exploring the science behind wind energy in classrooms around the US.

Our goal is to introduce as many people as possible to the elegance of wind power

through hands-on science activities which are challenging, engaging and teach basic

science principles.

RESOURCES:


KidWind

KidWind and Wind Wise Web SitesFree Downloads -- Wind Wise – Math Lessons NEW On-Line Turbine Design CompetitionKidWind store – good prices: great stuff

KidWind CompetitionsUtica Area Competition: Contact Ray Pitcher: [email protected]

Western Massachusetts Event:Contact Susan Reyes: [email protected]

Wind Wisdom for School Power…Naturally Guides for K-4 and 4 – 6 Provides: an introduction to the technology involved in clean, renewable wind

energy; a context for teaching scientific principles related to energy

transformations, electricity, and light, which are central to many clean energy technologies.

a natural segue to environmental, ecological, social and human health studies in a variety of topics such as climate change, ecological foot-printing, and carbon foot-printing.

DOWNLOAD IT: Google “Wind Wisdom for School Power...”; search

at www.nyserda.ny.gov or go to UMass STEM Ed website.

Exploring Wind Energy in New York State

U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_maps.asp

American Wind Energy Association http://www.awea.org/projects/

New York State Energy & Development Authority & AWS

Truewind, LLC http://windexplorer.awstruewind.com/NewYork/NewYork.htm

Kid Wind & WindWise Gr 6-12 http://www.kidwind.org/

KEEP SAFETY FIRST

• Protect eyes with goggles where there are moving parts or LED use.

• Don’t fly kites near electrical wires.

• Do not allow anyone to stand in the plane of rotation of the model turbine blades since they can come off.

• Secure fans & keep fingers out of fans and turbine blades.

• Check for hazards at field trip sites prior to going.

• Consider other hazards, take precautions, and educate students on how to stay safe.

Susan ReyesScience & Sustainability EducatorKidWind SenatorKidWind Event Coordinator – Western MassachusettsUMASS Amherst STEM [email protected]

Ray PitcherTechnology Education EducatorKidWind SenatorKidWind Event Coordinator – [email protected]

Acknowledgements:This workshop is organized by the UMASS Amherst STEM Ed Institutehttp://k12s.phast.umass.edu/stem/Primary Grant funding through the Utica Public School SystemDonations of some parts, prizes and support from KidWind

CONTACTS

Susan Reyes KidWind Senator & Event Coordinator Science & Sustainability Educator.

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Transcript of Susan Reyes KidWind Senator & Event Coordinator Science & Sustainability Educator.