Callan

__**Project Proposal: Efficiency of Homemade Savonius Wind Turbines**__  For my research project this year I will be looking into the efficiency of different sizes and weights of wind turbines. To do this I will make a frame to hold the turbine which can be changed easily so that I can get different readings with different bottles without having to make a new turbine every time. The basic instructions for the construction of the turbine can be found on a website (or downloadable PDF) outside of science buddies, **http://www.re-energy.ca/ ridethewind/buildamodel-1. shtml** . I have looked around at other websites and the basic design is still the same. The variables in my experiment will be the size of the bottle-turbines I will be using and the speed of the wind which I will be controlling with a three speed fan. I will keep the frame the same and the weight attached to the bottles i.e., the magnets. Also the amount of copper wiring will be the same. An independent variable in this experiment is the dowel the bottle turbines turn on. It rotates on a point and if this point isn’t sharp the turbine won’t turn as fast. To keep my findings as accurate as possible I will have to constantly sharpen this dowel. The basic principal of the vertical wind turbine is the positively charge magnets passing over the magnetic wiring will generate electricity which will be measure by the volt meter. In the modern wind turbine the blades act much like an airplanes which great lift as the pressure increases and decreases on each side of the blade.  The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether a larger turbine is more efficient than a smaller turbine in certain conditions, e.g. is a larger weight but higher air catching capacity more efficient then a lighter turbine with a smaller air catching capacity. This will be done by creating three turbines, with different wind catching capacities then the other, from smallest to largest with an average in the middle, and measuring the energy they produce on three different fan settings. Will a larger turbine take longer to get started but produce more electricity, or will a smaller turbine start fast and reach its maximum speed first, but still produce more electrons.

**__Hypothesis __** If the fan blows the larger turbine at full velocity then it will produce more electrons then the smaller turbine spinning at full velocity is the hypothesis. In some situations it would be better to have a small turbine which can produce electricity quickly, perhaps when wind is less frequent. Also a larger turbine would better in the opposite of the scenario.

There will be some variables in this experiment. The independent variables will be the size of the turbines which will be changed to get the separate results. Another independent variable is the speed at which the fan can be turned at three different settings, 1, 2 and 3 where three is the highest. A dependent variable in this experiment will be the distance from the turbine the fan is. If it is knocked it could alter the results. If the turbine isn’t spinning properly then it can also change results – if the shaft the turbine spins on isn’t sharp. The magnets which pass over the copper wiring must be the same size and in the same position as all the other tests. If all these things are kept the same then the experiment should be accurate.
 * __Variables __**

The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether a larger turbine is more efficient than a smaller turbine in certain conditions, e.g. is a larger weight but higher air catching capacity more efficient then a lighter turbine with a smaller air catching capacity. This will be done by creating three turbines, with different wind catching capacities then the other, from smallest to largest with an average in the middle, and measuring the energy they produce on three different fan settings. Will a larger turbine take longer to get started but produce more electricity, or will a smaller turbine start fast and reach its maximum speed first, but still produce more electrons.

If the fan blows the larger turbine at full velocity then it will produce more electrons then the smaller turbine spinning at full velocity is the hypothesis. In some situations it would be better to have a small turbine which can produce electricity quickly, perhaps when wind is less frequent. Also a larger turbine would better in the opposite of the scenario.

There will be some variables in this experiment. The independent variables will be the size of the turbines which will be changed to get the separate results. Another independent variable is the speed at which the fan can be turned at three different settings, 1, 2 and 3 where three is the highest. A dependent variable in this experiment will be the distance from the turbine the fan is. If it is knocked it could alter the results. If the turbine isn’t spinning properly then it can also change results – if the shaft the turbine spins on isn’t sharp. The magnets which pass over the copper wiring must be the same size and in the same position as all the other tests. If all these things are kept the same then the experiment should be accurate.

Equipment I will need:
 * Multiple Bottles of Varying Sizes
 * Three Speed Fan ×1
 * Glue Gun
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Ruler
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Scissors
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Safety Knife
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Nail
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Pencil
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Compass
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Volt Meter
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Sand Paper
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Electrical Tape
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Solid Wood Base 20×30cm
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">120m 28 gauge enameled magnetic wire
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Rare Earth Disk Magnets ×4
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Square Dowels 80-100 cm
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Round Wooden Dowel 30cm
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">LED light 5mm size ×1
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Fender Washers ×1
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Screw eye ×1
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Corrugated Cardboard, 60×20 cm
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Off cuts for supports ×6

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">**Safety** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> To keep safe during this experiment you must keep well clear of the electrical wiring while a current is passing along it, no matter how small the current is. When handling knives you have to be careful so as not to cut yourself.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">**Recordings**

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Gulim','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> Each size of bottle turbine will be tested three times each on a different fan setting. The. This will give a wider range of data which will allow for greater accuracy when determining the outcome.