Vernier Software & Technology

# Wind Power

## Introduction

Power from the wind has become an increasingly popular option for electricity generation. Unlike traditional energy sources such as coal, oil, and gas that contribute large quantities of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, wind power relies on a non-polluting, renewable, ever-present resource—the wind. In recent years, the cost of harnessing energy from the wind has become more affordable making it a viable alternative for many communities.

A wind turbine generally consists of a two- or three-bladed propeller made of aluminum or fiberglass mounted on the top of a tall tower. It converts energy from the mechanical energy of moving air to electrical energy by means of a generator. The wind causes the shaft of the turbine to spin which in turn causes a generator to produce electricity.

## Objectives

In the Preliminary Activity, you will determine the power output of a wind turbine that you build. You will use a small motor as a generator and a pinwheel as the turbine. The power output of the pinwheel can be determined by measuring the current and voltage produced by the motor. Power is determined using the relationship

${\text{P = V I}}$ ${\text{Power}} = {\text{voltage }} \times {\text{ current}}$

Where power has units of watts (W), voltage has units of volts (V), and current has units of amperes (A).

After completing the Preliminary Activity, you will first use reference sources to find out more about wind power before you then choose and investigate a researchable question.

## Sensors and Equipment

This investigation features the following Vernier sensors and equipment.

You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?

## Investigating Environmental Science through Inquiry

See other experiments from the lab book.

 1 Seasons and Angle of Insolation 2 A Local Weather Study 3 Investigating Dissolved Oxygen 4 Water Quality 5 Long Term Water Monitoring 6 Water Treatment 7 Investigating Salinity 8 Soil Temperature 9 Soil Salinity 10 Soil pH 11 Soil Moisture 12 Soil and Acid Rain 13 Managing Garden Soil Moisture 14 Cell Respiration (CO2) 15 Biodiversity in Ecosystems 16 Biochemical Oxygen Demand 17 Water Cycle Column Investigations 18 Decomposition Column Investigations 19 Ecocolumn Investigations 20 Global Warming 21 UV Investigations 22 Comparing Sunscreens 23 Primary Productivity 24 Modeling Population Growth 25 Insulation Study 26 Fossil Fuels 27 Energy Conversion 28 Wind Power 29 Photovoltaic Cells 30 Investigation of Passive Solar Heating 31 The Effect of Acid Deposition on Aquatic Ecosystems 32 Measuring Particulates 33 Investigating Indoor Carbon Dioxide Concentrations 34 A Pollution Study

### Investigation 28 from Investigating Environmental Science through Inquiry Lab Book

#### Included in the Lab Book

Vernier lab books include word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.