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I chose this project on the topic of rotor design for wind turbines because of my interest in renewable energy and because I’ve always wanted to make a positive impact on the environment. I believe that wind power is an answer to our energy crisis, and we can be energy self-sufficient due to our geographical position on the Atlantic coast.
My hypothesis was if the design of a traditional wind turbine is changed then they perform better at electricity generation.
I 3D-printed several wind turbine designs, tested them in a wind tunnel, and measured the current and voltage each one produced. I kept the wind speed constant throughout to ensure it was a fair comparison. The turbines were designed on TinkerCAD or adapted from other designs found on Thingyverse. The turbines were attached to a small motor and this was connected to a Pasco Voltmeter and Ammeter to take my measurements.
After compiling my results in Excel and drawing graphs that best represented my data, the Archimedes Spiral proved to perform the best. Cost analysis also showed the Archimedes Spiral to be the superior design but the cost to make a new mould for a spiral is prohibitively expensive, the repair costs also are a barrier because you would have to replace the entire turbine instead of repair and finally there is too little data on noise pollution and any detrimental impact on migratory birds and insects for companies to see it as a viable solution.
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