WIND TURBINE

Beverly Thompson, Daniel Marquez, Dani Maalaelu, Ahren Becker

North Central College

Engineering 110 1 – The Engineering Method

MD Erfanul Alam

2024-12-03
Problem Statement:

We must design a wind turbine that rotates on a vertical axis. The wind turbine blades

must be removable and must have a maximum sweep area of 80𝑚𝑚2. With this project we are

provided with a generator/motor, alligator clamps, and jumper wires, however we must design

and create the turbine blades, blade mount, and motor mount. In addition, the blades must be

removable from the blade mount.

Concept:

In order to create an initial concept, we had to look at the requirements. The given

requirements are as follows: the blades must have a width of 72mm, the central connector must

fit onto the given motor, the design must be a vertical blade design, and the blades must spin

when wind is introduced to them.

Below is our initial sketch of our design, along with its respective measurements:
Full Wingspan: 72mm
Blade Height: 65mm
Blade Width: 32mm

Central Connector Width: 32mm

 Design:

To get the final design, we created each component in SolidWorks, printed them running

multiple trials so that the sizing of each piece was the exact one we needed. Below is the

assembly file showing the final sketch of our design. Included below the assembly file is the 3D

SolidWorks image of the full product as well as a photograph of the printed final product.

Motor Casing:

The final design for our motor casing was simply a shell that allowed for the

motor itself to be hidden and blend in with the rest of the design. The final motor casing

has a height of 34.6 mm and an inside diameter of 24.9mm and an outside diameter of

26.8 mm.
Center Connector:

Our final design also included a center connector that has a pole that goes onto the

motor, and 4 notches that allow the blades to seamlessly connect to the center. The final

center piece has a height of 39.50mm and a width of 19.93mm.

Blades:

Our final design included 4 blades that would seamlessly snap into the notches of

the center connector. The blades had equal heights of 65 mm and widths of 27 mm.
Measurements:
Given Blades:
 Distance (in) Wind Speed (m/s) Voltage (V) Current (Amps)
5 6.172 3.713 22.52
10 4.972 3.176 10.62
15 3.724 1.942 15.91
20 2.997 1.402 6.12
25 3.153 2.203 9.92
**Note that the hair dryer setting was on low for distances 5-20 in. then changed to high for the

25 in. distance due to no movement happening when using low.

Designed Blades:
 Distance (in) Wind Speed (m/s) Voltage (V) Current (Amps)
5 6.172 5.921 11.97
10 4.972 3.422 13.24
15 3.724 2.034 5.92
20 2.997 1.782 4.89
25 3.153 2.002 6.44
**Note that the hair dryer setting was on low for distances 5-20 in. then changed to high for the

25 in. distance due to no movement happening when using low.

- Designed Blades: 64.5mm in height, 27.6mm individual width, 72mm total width

- Central Connector: 39.3mm in height, 19.7mm diameter at widest part

- Overall Design: 107.2mm in height, 72mm in width

- Quantity of Vane: 4

- Diameter of Motor: 24.5mm

- Height of Motor: 34.2mm

 Our final blade design has a height to width ratio of close to 2:1 (H=65mm, W=27mm) to

maximize the surface area for power generation while minimizing drag. We also shortened up

the overall width of our design to allow for faster and tighter rotation.

Equations:

Sweep Area: 𝐴 = 𝐷 ⋅ 𝐻 = 72𝑚𝑚 ⋅ 65𝑚𝑚 = 46.8𝑐𝑚2

Input Power: (5in, 10in, 15in, 20in, and 25in respectively)

1
𝑃𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 = ⋅ (6.172)3 (11.97)(1.225) = 1723.77
2

1
𝑃𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 = ⋅ (4.472)3 (13.24)(1.225) = 1622.35
2

1
𝑃𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 = ⋅ (3.724)3(5.92)(1.225) = 187.27
2

1
𝑃𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 = ⋅ (2.447)3(4.89)(1.225) = 80.626
2

1
𝑃𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 = ⋅ (3.153)3(6.44)(1.225) = 123.64
2

Output Power: (5in, 10in, 15in, 20in, and 25in respectively)

𝑃𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 5.921 ⋅ 1723.77 = 10206.41

𝑃𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 3.422 ⋅ 1627.35 = 5568.79

𝑃𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 2.034 ⋅ 187.27 = 380.90

𝑃𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 1.782 ⋅ 80.63 = 143.76

𝑃𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 2.002 ⋅ 123.64 = 247.53

 Efficiency: (5in, 10in, 15in, 20in, and 25in respectively)

10206.412
𝜂= = 59.2%
1723.77

5568.79
𝜂= = 34.22%
1627.35

380.90
𝜂= = 20.33%
187.27

143.76
𝜂= = 17.83%
80.63

247.53
𝜂= = 20.01%
123.64

Bill of materials:

Item Name Quantity Price Each Item Total Link

Motor Wind 4 $12 $48 Wind Blades
Blades Generator
Generator

Tolerance Analysis:

Center Connector:

The center connector required for the 2mm motor rod to be inserted in the bottom to

connect the design to the motor. The hole for the bottom rod to be inserted was given an extra

allowance, which brought the design to have an inside diameter of 2.1mm and an outside

diameter of 4.8mm. The center also needed to include 4 notches for the blades to be connected

to. The notches were also given an extra allowance, which brought their measurements to 3mm.

Shell Casing:
 The shell casing for the motor required for a motor with a height of 34.2mm and a

diameter of 24.5mm to be cased within it.

Cost analysis:

Machine Time: $1/hr

Material Cost = $20/hr

𝑝 𝑡 𝑚
Cost Equation: 3600 (ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑙𝑦 cost) + 𝑝 (cost 𝑜𝑓 1𝑘𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑜𝑙)
1000

10860 25.45
Total Cost: + 1000 ≈ 3.02 + .03 ≈ 3.05
3600

Results:

The performance testing of both the given and designed wind turbine blades revealed

several important findings:

1. Wind Speed and Distance Relationship:

• Wind speed consistently decreased as distance increased, from 6.172 m/s at 5 inches

to 2.997 m/s at 20 inches

• At 25 inches, the wind speed increased slightly to 3.153 m/s when switched to high

setting

2. Voltage Output Comparison:

• The designed blades showed higher initial voltage output (5.921V vs 3.713V) at 5

inches

• Both designs showed similar declining voltage patterns with increased distance
 • The designed blades maintained slightly higher voltage outputs at most distances

3. Current Output Analysis:

• The given blades showed higher current spikes (22.52A maximum)

• The designed blades proved more consistent current outputs ranging from 4.89A to

13.24A

• Both designs showed variable current patterns that didn't strictly correlate with

distance

4. Design Specifications Achievement:

• Successfully met the maximum sweep area requirement of 80mm²

• Achieved removable blade functionality through the 4-notch design

• Maintained optimal height-to-width ratio (65mm:27mm) for efficient rotation

• Successful integration with the motor system (24.5mm diameter, 34.2mm height)

Discussion/Conclusions:

Our wind turbine design demonstrated several key successes and learning points:

1. Design Effectiveness:

• The 2:1 height-to-width ratio (65mm:27mm) proved effective for balancing power

generation and drag reduction

• The four-blade design with removable components met all initial project requirements

• The modified blade design showed improved voltage generation at close ranges

2. Performance Analysis:
 • Our designed blades demonstrated better voltage generation capabilities, but lower

current output compared to the given blades

• The performance degradation with distance was consistent with expected fluid

dynamics principles

• The design showed reliable operation across various wind speeds

3. Technical Achievements:

• Successfully implemented a modular design with removable blades

• Achieved precise tolerancing in the center connector (2.1mm diameter for 2mm

motor rod)

• Created an effective motor casing system that protected and integrated well with the

overall design

4. Areas for Future Improvement:

• Current output stability could be enhanced

• Performance at greater distances (20-25 inches) could be optimized

• Wind speed to power output ratio might be improved through further blade profile

refinement

The project successfully met its core objectives while providing valuable insights into

wind turbine design principles and practical engineering challenges. The modular nature of our

design allows for future iterations and improvements, particularly in optimizing the balance

between voltage and current output characteristics.

Acknowledgements:
 We would like to thank MD Erfanul Alam, our professor, for purchasing the necessary

parts to make this design as well as for teaching us the necessary equations and skills to design

and create this report and project. We would also like to acknowledge North Central College for

giving us the 3D printers and space to design and create this project.