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Wind Mill
Wind Mill
Problem:
Students had to build a balsa wood windmill that generated electricity from wind using a DC motor as a generator. The goal was to maximize the amount of electrical energy produced by designing, testing, and improving the windmill while meeting all project requirements.
Prototypes/Ideas:
Using the windmill kit, the students tested different blade numbers and blade shapes to determine which design produced the most energy. They first built a small prototype windmill and tested its lifting power by measuring how much weight it could lift. The test results showed that four oblong-shaped blades produced the best balance of speed and torque. Using this data, we created a KidWind model to visualize and refine the blade shape, angle, and overall design before building the final windmill.
Design:
The final windmill was built using four oblong-shaped balsa wood blades attached evenly around the hub. The blades were positioned at a slight angle to capture as much wind as possible while maintaining balance. A DC motor was connected to convert the spinning motion into electrical energy. The tower was built with a wide, free-standing base and support beams to keep it stable during testing. The final design was based on the data collected from the prototype tests and the KidWind model.
Evaluate/Improve:
After testing the final windmill, several improvements were made to increase performance. A counterweight block was added to the opposite side of the rotating shaft to balance the spinning blades and reduce wobbling. Additional support braces were also added to the base to make the tower more stable so it could withstand stronger wind without tipping or vibrating. These improvements allowed the windmill to spin more smoothly, rotate faster, and generate more electrical energy.
Bridge
Bridge
Problem:
We had to model, build, and test a wood bridge that could safely carry bricks on a wheeled platform back and forth. The bridge had to span a 3-foot gap between two tables and be 1 foot high. The following materials were provided:
150 balsa wood strips (1/8" × 1/8" × 36")
15 balsa wood planks (1/8" × 3" × 36")
15 hot glue sticks
Prototypes/Ideas:
We first built a paper bridge prototype to learn how different truss designs affected strength and stability. This helped us understand that triangular trusses distribute weight more evenly and make the bridge stronger. We then used Bridge Designer and Fusion to create digital models and test different ideas before building the final bridge.
Design:
During the design process, we faced challenges making the bridge stable and strong enough to support heavy loads. To improve the design, we added multiple triangular trusses along both sides of the bridge. We also glued two balsa wood strips together instead of using one strip for the main support beams, making them much stronger and less likely to bend. We added cross braces throughout the bridge to increase stability and reduce movement.
Evaluate/Improve:
During testing, our bridge successfully held 19 bricks while supporting the wheeled platform. Before testing, we looked at other groups' bridge designs and noticed that bridges with more trusses and reinforced beams were stronger. We used those ideas to improve our own bridge by adding extra supports and making the glue joints stronger. If we built the bridge again, we would make the joints more precise and add even more cross-bracing to reduce twisting and increase the amount of weight the bridge could hold.
Bridge Prototype #1 Working On Bridge Windmill Prototype #3 Working On Windmill
Balsa Wood Windmill and Bridge Design Research PaperResearch Paper Week 1 ⬅️
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