Windmill

Goal

The goal of this project was to design and build a balsa wood windmill that generates electricity from wind to power an LED light. It had to contain at least 4 blades, be able to rotate to capture wind in order to maximize electricity production, be free-standing, and generate enough power to illuminate an LED.

Design & Simulations

We used OnShape to brainstorm the initial design of the windmill. Once we had a good idea of what we were going to do, we started planning how we wanted to build it and the windmill's dimensions and

3D print

Building

Base: Similar to bridges, we relied on a triangular structure to best support our blades and motor.

Blades: The blades are 6 in by 18 in and curved on one side. They are at a 12.5-degree angle to generate aerodynamic lift. To power the LED light, the motor needed to rotate counterclockwise, which we took into account when angling the blades.

IMG_1768 1.MOV

Test

The windmill worked perfectly. The base was very sturdy and did not wobble, and the LED light was very bright.

Lessons learned/ Final thoughts

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