Most Efficient Blade Angle for Wind Turbines
wikipedia.com
Last week we were asked to design and then carry out a lab plan based around the wind turbine models we had built earlier in the week. Designs for our turbine called for a blade that was cupped toward the back edge of the blade in order to more effectively catch the wind. With the addition of this feature, we would also need to determine what angle, in relation to the front edge of the turbine, the blade should be turned to, to achieve the maximum output/ input efficiency. This was tested by recording the output energy at a series of different blade angles, from 30 degrees to 180 degrees, and then calculating the output efficiency for each. The 30 degree angle produced the highest output efficiency: .0276 watts, while the next highest angle, 45 degrees, only produced an efficiency of .0197 watts. My findings supported my hypothesis, as the wind passing over the blades at a 30 degree angle has the greatest combination of both blade surface area and catch. In order to produce a turbine with the most efficiency output, it is necessary to create a blade that has a cupped edge to catch the wind. However, you must first determine what angle, in relation to the front edge of the turbine, the blade should be turned to, to achieve the maximum output/ input efficiency. The results gained from this experiment could be very applicable to any future designs of wind turbines, where the maximum efficiency that can be gained from the least amount of material is optimal.
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