KIDWIND SCIENCE WIND PROJECT
Make a unique science project from hard-to-find parts such as generators, hubs, gears, pulleys and power measurement devices. You’ll need to provide the tower materials, ideas, creativity and muscle to build a device that harnesses the power of the wind. We recommend this kit for secondary students who are looking for a challenge!

The instructions included with this kit provide enough information to get started with a wind energy project; however, so that your project will be unique, we leave most of the turbine design up to you.

With this kit you can:
• Design a wind turbine with blades
• Generate electricity
• Compare gearboxes or belt drives
• Measure power output
• Power a water pump
• Light LEDs
• Play tunes
• Explore torque vs. speed
• Charge capacitors

Concepts:
• Understanding clean energy
• Exploring energy transformations
• Understanding the relationship between energy and forces
• Developing and using physical models
• Understanding differences between energy and power
• Collecting data with advanced tools
• Analysing and interpreting data
• Using mathematics to explain and understand data
• Designing controlled experiments
• Optimising designs

Download these FREE lessons for use with this kit or purchase hard copies: View >>>>
WindWise Lesson: Which Blades Are Best? Download PDF
WindWise Lesson: How Can I Design Better Blades? Download PDF

Quick Lesson: Wind Turbine Blade Design Download PDF
Quick Lesson: Maths: Gear Ratios Download PDF
Quick Lesson: Maths: Word Problems Download PDF
Quick Lesson: Maths: Coefficient of Power and Betz Limit Download PDF

Specifications:
• Maximum blade diameter: 915mm (with provided materials)
• Maximum number of blades: 12
• Expected power output: 0-2Watts
• Table/floor space needed: 460mm diameter circle

Materials included:
Instruction Manual Download PDF
Turbine
- Essentials for designing a nacelle
- Multiple generators
- Multiple gear sets
- Pulleys
- Materials to design a drivetrain
- Hub
Blade consumables
- Balsa wood sheets
- Corrugated plastic sheets
- Dowels
Power measurement
- Digital multimeter
- LEDs & assorted load devices
- Bucket/weights/spool for weightlifting

FAQs:
Q Does this kit come with a tower?
A No, that is up to you to build. Check out the turbine tips page for ideas on building your own tower.

Q This looks like a jumble of parts. Is it complicated?
A This kit contains the hard-to-find materials, like hubs, generators, power output boards that will make it easier as you attempt to build your own turbine. This kit cannot be used to build a turbine overnight. This project will take some time but can be very rewarding.

Q Can this be used for both electrical and mechanical experiments?
A YES!

Q Can I make something that charges a battery or iPod?
A The short answer is yes, but this can get complicated and small wind turbines really do not produce piles of power. We recommend that you check out the battery charging kit manual to explore the possibilities and maybe add to your kit.

Q What is the point of that small board with the LEDs?
A That small board has two LEDs, one that blinks and one that remains lit. It also has a small sound chip that plays a tune ("It’s a Small World After All"). This is so you can demonstrate that a wind turbine can transform the energy of the wind into electrical energy to light a bulb or play a sound.

Q Will this run the Water Pump?
A Yes. If you build a wind turbine that makes around 2 V at 70 mA, you will run the Water Pump. Is it easy? That depends on how motivated you are to pump water.

Last edited 27th Apr 2024