Tzankova M. and Georgieva V.

Wind Power

Our project was originally going to be a model of a wind turbine, but due to the unexpected circumstances, we made a presentation about the history and usage of wind power and a short experiment to look at the relationship between the area of the blades and time. The topics we have covered are the following:

1. When did people start using wind as a power source?

In the 18th century (mills)

2. What type of energy source is wind?

Intermittent—can not create electricity on its own, and needs back up from other electric sources.

3. Pros—no pollution (or very little); renewable energy source (cost-effective).

4. Cons—wind is not constant; it depends on the time of day/year or location; it can harm animals, especially birds; dangerous to use and operate; expensive to set up.

5. Statistics—the percentage of wind produced electricity of the world’s/ Europe’s usage; Denmark is the country that uses wind power the most; locations on largest wind farms; a graph to show that there are more and more wind farms every year.

6. The formulas with which we determine the energy and power of the wind.

The goal was for people to get a general idea of wind power and turbines and the model would have been more entertaining, but the presentation and the short experiment afterwards, we think, are just as effective.