26

Wind Turbine
Best Blade
Design
Grades: 3-12

Objectives:
• Students learn about wind, wind energy, and wind turbines
• Students learn about turbine blade design
• Students learn to work as a team to solve a problem
• Students learn about the engineering design and refinement process

Summary:
Prior to attending the Mobile Museum, students are given a brief introduction to
wind and wind turbines. In groups, they are then asked to test a variety of wind turbine
blades of different shapes and number to determine the most efficient blade design.
The blades are tested when placed on a turbine base and exposed to a box fan on its
highest setting. Data is collected by reading a voltmeter and recorded on a worksheet.
Students then discuss their findings and begin designing blades of their own. Next
students attend the Mobile Museum with a goal to learn more about wind turbines and
their design. When students are back in the classroom, they are given a class period to
further research wind turbines and incorporate what they have learned to design blades
of their own using household materials. Students should be encouraged to test their
design multiple times before the final test at the end of the class period.

Next Generation Science Standards:

Energy
• 4-PS3-1. Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to
the energy of that object.
• 4-PS3-4. Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts
energy from one form to another.
• HS-PS3-3. Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to
convert one form of energy into another form of energy.

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 27

Earth and Human Activity

• 4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are
derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.
• HS-ESS3-4. Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of
human activities on natural systems.

Engineering Design
• 3-5-ETS1-1.Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes
specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
• 3-5-ETS1-2.Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based
on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
• 3-5-ETS1-3.Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure
points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be
improved.
• MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to
determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
• MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among
several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be
combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

Materials:
o KISS Wind Best Blade Kit - http://www.uni.edu/ceee/education/free-fabulous-
resources-energy-education/wind-energy-0
o KISS Wind Best Blade Kit worksheet -
http://www.uni.edu/ceee/sites/default/files/Education/2015_best_blade_test.pdf
o Turbine blade templates - located at the end of the document
o Wind turbine blade construction: Examples of materials students can use to
make their blades
○ Construction paper
○ Cardboard
○ String or yarn
○ Pie pans
○ Paper plates
○ Paper bowls
○ Aluminum foil
○ Tape
○ Scissors
○ Hole punch
o Wind turbine base
■ KISS wind kit - http://www.uni.edu/ceee/education/free-fabulous-
resources-energy-education/wind-energy-0

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Use permitted for educational purposes only. All other uses require permission.
28

○ Ring stand base - see Construction Guide at end of document

■ Ring stand
■ Ring stand clamp
■ 3V DC hobby motor
■ Tinker Toy wheels and sticks – 1 wheel per group and at least 4
sticks per group
■ #14 x 1-½” vinyl plug anchors – 1 per group
■ #1-3 x 1” vinyl plug anchors – 1 per group
■ 36” long ⅜“ diameter dowel rod to be cut into six 6” rods – to be
used in place of Tinker Toy sticks
o Blade Testing
○ Box fan
○ Voltmeter
○ Alligator clips

Prior to Exhibit Engagement Questions:

● What is wind?
● Where does wind come from?
● How do we use wind?
● How do wind turbines work?
● What is the best turbine blade design?

Prior to Exhibit Engagement:

After probing what students know about wind, wind energy, and wind turbines,
students work in groups of 2-4 to investigate different blades from the KISS Wind Best
Blade Kit or the templates located at the end of the document. At the beginning of the
investigation student are to predict which design will be most efficient by placing a star
in the corresponding box. The blades are tested using a fan located at the front of the
classroom. When students are using the voltmeter be sure it is set to the DC setting.
Students are able to position their turbines and blades as needed to maximize electrical
output. As time permits, students may begin designing their own blades for the next
class period.

● Students make predictions on which blade type and number of blades will have
the highest electrical output
● Students put together and test the various blade configurations

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Use permitted for educational purposes only. All other uses require permission.
 29

● Students complete the data sheet by filling in their collected data

o If using the KISS Wind Best Blade Kit use the worksheet located at
http://www.uni.edu/ceee/sites/default/files/Education/2015_best_blade_test.pdf
o If using the provided templates use the attached worksheet
● Students discuss the different blade designs and their electrical output in their
groups and then with the whole class
○ What blade designs worked well?
○ What blade designs did not work well?
○ How well did your team work together when designing and constructing
the turbine blades?
○ What are some factors you will look for in the Mobile Museum and
research for your turbine blade design?
● Students begin sketching blade design ideas and discussing possible shapes
with their group members

During the Exhibit:

Encourage students to examine the Hawkeye Power infographics and miniature
wind turbine. When a student pushes the button, air will blow causing the miniature
turbine to spin. The student is also able to turn a dial to adjust the wind flow. Students
can observe a difference in energy output from increasing or decreasing the wind by
looking at the LED voltmeter to the right of the turbine.

● Key takeaways from the Mobile Museum Visit

○ Iowa is the #1 user of wind energy in the United States
■ Iowa gets 31% of its energy from wind
○ Wind energy is sustainable and does not pollute the air
○ University of Iowa researchers use math, physics, and computers to
design turbine more efficient turbine blades

Post Exhibit Engagement Questions:

● What did you learn in the Mobile Museum about wind energy in Iowa?
● How will you change your blade designs to improve them?

Post Exhibit Engagement:

Give students another class period to research and alter their designs. You may
direct students to sites listed in the teacher notes or allow them to conduct their own
research. Students should be guided to consider the following factors:
• Blade shape
● Blade length
● Blade angle (pitch)
● Number of blades

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Use permitted for educational purposes only. All other uses require permission.
30

During this second class period, students incorporate what they have learned into a
group blade design.
● Students obtain the materials they will need for their design
● Students begin the construction of their blades
● Students test their blade design on the turbine base
● Students make modifications to their design
● At the end of class, students record the highest voltage output of their blade
design

Teacher Notes:
• Wind is moving air that is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun.
o Earth’s surface is very diverse with many different land and water
formations. These land and water formations absorb energy from the sun
in different amounts.
o The warmer air rises and the cooler air moves to replace the area the
warm air occupied.
o http://www.eschooltoday.com/winds/Introduction-to-winds-for-young-
people.html is a good source for background information on wind for
students
o http://hint.fm/wind/ is a real time wind map of the United States. Students
can see the higher wind speeds in the Midwest.
• We have used wind for thousands of years. Humans have used wind for
transportation through the use of sails, food production through the use of mills,
and electricity through the use of turbines.
o http://energy.gov/eere/wind/history-wind-energy is a great resource for
some more history of wind energy
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImRKK7Wh1kQ On Dancing Air: The
Story of Wind Power is a great video that takes you through the history of
wind energy
• Turbines generate electricity by taking energy from the wind. The wind causes
the blades of the turbine to spin. These blades are connected to a shaft which
also spins and is connected to a generator. As the shaft spins, electricity is
produced.
o As the wind passes over the turbine blades, a lift force is created and
causes the blades on the turbine to spin.
o A gearbox is attached to the shaft to increase the speed of the shaft in the
generator and produce more electricity.
o http://energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-work is a good resource
on how wind turbine work
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSWm_nprfqE How do Wind Turbines
work? is a great video by Learn Engineering showing how wind turbines
operate.
• There are many different wind turbine blade shapes and designs. The number of
blades, blade size, and blade pitch all contribute to an efficient design.

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Use permitted for educational purposes only. All other uses require permission.
 31

o Researchers at the University of Iowa study wind turbine blade reliability

and performance using math, science, and computers. You can see some
more of their research interests at
http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/economic-partners/wind-energy-
resources/wind-energy-research
o Students may observe in their testing that a two bladed design is most
efficient, however it has been found that three bladed designs are actually
more efficient and stable as you scale up.
o http://explorecuriocity.org/Explore/ArticleId/193/why-dont-wind-turbines-
have-more-than-3-blades-193.aspx and
http://www.learnengineering.org/2013/08/Wind-Turbine-Design.html are
great resources for further information on blade design.

Copyright The University of Iowa 2016. All rights reserved.

Use permitted for educational purposes only. All other uses require permission.