WINDMILL DESIGN
Bethany, OK
Original Design
The base case design was built out of paper, cups, a cork, and sticks (shown in photos). We first tested to see how many washers our base case windmill could hold.
Number of washers held: 17 washers
We then tested the windmill's power output by adding in an arduino and motor to measure the watts produced of the windmill.
Original Design Max Power: 34.1784 watts
Base Case Windmill Design
Testing the Original Windmill Design Using a Fan to Measure Power Output
Redesign Windmill
For our redesign windmill, we decided to change the blade design by using a different material. We tested how how much power the windmill would produce if we used spoons as the blade rather than the paper blades because those were more flimsy in comparison to the heavier spoons.
Redesign Windmill Max Power: 112.2266 watts
Our redesign windmill performed better than the base case design. It produced 78.0482 more watts than that of the original design. We can clearly see that a sturdier design results in more power produced.
Final Redesign Windmill with Spoon Blades
Arduino and Wiring Set Up for Motor to Measure Power
Based off analyzing three maps below (Population Density, Electricity Cost, Wind Map) we decided that the a good location to place our windmill is in Bethany, Oklahoma.
Population Map of Bethany, OK
As you can see in this population map of Bethany, OK, the population density roughly between 6,000-9,000 people per square mile. This isn't a very high population density but isn't a very low population either. We chose Bethany, OK because a medium population allows us to still gain a reasonable profit from the windmill but also doesn't disturb a large amount of people due to the noise pollution normally produced by windmill plantations.
Wind Map of Bethany, OK
As you can see in this wind map of Bethany, OK, the wind speeds indicate a moderate/light breeze which is good enough to get a windmill to produce a substantial amount of power. Bethany is located slightly Northwest of Oklahoma City and based off the wind patterns, much of the wind is headed in the direction of Bethany rather than Oklahoma City which is perfect for windmill placement because we want as much wind in Bethany City to get the windmills to be beneficial. Wind speeds are also very variable in Oklahoma due to wind storms that increase the wind speed allowing us to boost our power generation every now and then.
Electricity Cost Bethany, OK
As you can see in this electricity cost map of Bethany, OK, the electricity cost burden is around 7.6-9%. Now although the electricity cost isn't the highest, we will still be able to gain profit because there is a good amount of wind in our location that will make using windmills rather than other energy sources the more reasonable option. Because the electricity costs are still decently high, we can use this knowledge and our knowledge of the population density to know that we should be able to produce a good profit out of our windmill here.
Size and Materials for Hypothetical Windmill
Size: Roughly 300 feet with a 130-foot blade diameter
Power generation: 14 million kWh per year
Materials: Steel, fiberglass, aluminum, copper
Costs of Materials:
- Steel (200-230 tons) - Used for base and in the blades: $1 million
- Fiberglass - Used in nacelle (contains inner working of the turbine) and the blades: $200,000 per blade (4 blades)
- Aluminum - Found in nacelle, rotors, and blades: $40,000
- Copper - $18,000
Requirements:
- Self-sufficient: Makes enough profit to cancel the cost of production within 2 years
- Area: 80 acres of megawatt of capacity
- Supplies electricity for at least 1,250 households
- High-quality materials (durable, strong, doesn't get weathered)
- Easy to maintain
Constraints:
- Cost has to be below $2 million per turbine
- How easy to do maintenance
- Land and access: avoid residential areas because of noise
- Wind speeds: Minimum 13 mph wind speed
- Transportation: big roads necessary; cranes necessary
- Good grid structure in order to hold excess electricity and supply electricity
- Under 350 feet
- Blade length has to be at least 100 feet
- Weight has two be under 35 tons
- Located in fields (not in residential areas due to noise pollution)