The KidWind project has produced a lot of useful content for educators. When we started working with them, they allowed us to take a "snapshot" of these documents from their old web site, which we have preserved here. Although useful, many of th...
No. The 10 mm LEDs sold with the KidWind Power Output Pack (KW-POP) are not resistor protected.
LEDs typically need a resistor to prevent damage from current that is too high. Optimal current for 3, 5, and 10 mm LEDs is usually 20 mA. Going over ...
The KidWind video on the KidWind Small Water Pump with Tubing (KW-PUMP) reports the minimum voltage as 1.7 volts and 50 mA. We have operated the pump at up to 5 volts.
The specifications sheet from the manufacturer lists:
Rated voltage: 3.0 V/D...
There are two generators associated with the KidWind Wind Experiment Kits.
Both the KidWind Basic Wind Experiment Kit (KW-BWX) and the KidWind Advanced Wind Experiment Kit (KW-AWX) and the associated classroom packs come with the KidWind Wind Tur...
The weight lifting buckets that come with KidWind Advanced Wind Experiment Kit (KW-AWX) and KidWind Basic Wind Experiment Kit (KW-BWX) and their respective classroom packs can be purchased from IKEA.
The buckets are the KALAS Tumbler.
You can ei...
Electrical power is the product of Potential (Voltage) and Current. Readings may fluctuate because the wind coming out of the fan is fluctuating. This can also be caused by blades that do not spin smoothly or change shape as they spin. Additionally,...
To get the most efficiency out of a wind turbine that you are testing indoors with a fan, the turbine blades should have about the same length as the radius of the fan. Any portion of the turbine blade that extends beyond the fan blade length will no...
The following PDF document shows how to use a multimeter to measure current or voltage in a KidWind setup. Two multimeters are needed to measure current and voltage at the same time.
Multimeter Instructions
A multimeter is an inexpensive way to...
You likely are not producing enough voltage with your turbine design. The color of an LED determines the minimum voltage needed for it to emit light. This has to do with the colors of light having different amounts of energy. A colored LED is not a w...
The screw used with the Drivetrain Set (KW-DS), to secure the hub to the drive train is a commonly found screw that can be purchased at most hardware stores.
The specifications of the screw are #4-24 3/8"...