Introduction

The blades on a wind turbine catch the wind and spin around, making the generator generate electricity. Does this mean that bigger blades will generate more power?

In this experiment, you will explore how blade area is related to the power output of your wind turbine. To do that, you need to be able to calculate the area of the blades you are using. The area of a rectangular blade is equal to the length times the width of the blade.

Objectives

  • Investigate how blade area affects the power output of a wind turbine.
  • Determine the optimal blade area for maximum power output.