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Buildingaturbine:Startinginquiryintohydroelectricity
PostedonSeptember4,2009byrenewableteacher

SchoolgenSisterSchoolActivity

OutlineStudentshave2030minutestoassembleawaterpoweredturbine(Pelton
wheel)frompreprepareditemsthatcouldbeusedtodriveasmallelectricgenerator.
Suggestedbackgroundtothisactivity

1)BringinpartiallydisassembledF&Psmartdrivewashingmachineshowthemotor,
removethepermanentmagnetrotor,showtherotorandmagnets,showthecopperwire
coilsarrangedaroundthestator,showthethreephasewiresexplainhowinsteadof
puttingelectricityINtomaketherotorturn,youcanmaketherotorturnusingsome
mechanicalforcesuchaswater,windoracombustionengine(biomasspoweredof
course)andgetelectricityOUT!
2)ShowareconstructedsmartdrivemotorcombinedwithaPeltonwheelturbinethat
canbeusedasahydroelectricgeneratorforahouse.

AimTolearninahandsonactivity:

1.Howaturbineharnessesthemotionofamovingfluid.
2.Howtheenergyinmovingwatercanbetransformedintoelectricitythroughthe
rotationofaturbine.
3.Howelectricityisgeneratedusingarenewableenergysource.

Equipment

Plasticteaspoons(8perturbine).
Plasticmilkbottletops(1perturbine)
Craftknife
Hotgluegun.
Pieceof6mmwoodendowel(1015cmlong)
Drill(handorelectricdrill).
Pliers/strongscissorstocutplasticspoons.

Optional

Smallelectricmotor/generator,tinystrawlight(fromSurplustronics).
4Lplasticcontainertomakeintoapermanenthousingfortheturbine.
Voltmeter/multimetertomeasureoutputofgenerator.

Method
1)Cutoffthehandleof8plasticteaspoons(preferablyrecycled)1cmabovethe
spoon(IusedHomeBrandplasticteaspoonsandcuttheteaspoonsjustpastthedoton
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thehandle).

2)Cut8equallyspacedslotsaroundtheplasticmilkbottletopthiscanbedonequite
accuratelybycarefullycountingthenumberofribsaroundthesideofthecapandthen
dividingthatnumberby8.

3)Drillaholeofdiameterjustslightlylessthanthedowelthroughtheexactcentreof
theplasticmilkbottlecap.

4)Arrangethespoonsaroundthecapbypushingthecutoffhandleendthroughthe
slotsthespoonsshouldprotrudeanequaldistancearoundtheperimeter,andalso
leaveroomforthedoweltobeinsertedthroughthehole

5)Gluethespoonsintotheedgeofthecapusingthehotgluegun.

6)Leavetocoolforaminuteorsothespoonsshouldbefirmlysetintothecap.
7)Insertthedowelandcentretheturbine.

8)Balancetheturbineifneedbesothattheturbineisatrightanglestothedoweland
doesntwobblewhenspun.

9)Gluetheturbineontoitsshaft.

10)Oncecool,testtheturbinebylightlyholdingbothendsofthedowelandholdingit
underastreamofwaterfromataporhose.Theturbineshouldspinathighspeed!

Optional1Foramorepermanentmountingtheendsoftheshaftneedtobesupported
sothattheycanspinfreelywithaslittlefrictionaspossible.Largerectangularshaped
plasticbottles(say4L)canbemodifiedsothattheysupportthespinningrotorand
optionalgenerator.

Optional2Attachtheturbineshafttoasmallelectricgenerator.

Optional3Agearingorpulleysystemcouldbeusedtoincreasetherevsofthemotor
anditselectricoutput.

Weblinks

Forfurtherideasseethelinkbelowwhichincludesinstructionsonhowtobuildyour
owngeneratorfromcopperwireandmagnets:

http://www.reenergy.ca/hydrogenerator

Buildingaturbine:Startinginquiryintohydroelectricity
possiblelinkstotheNZCurriculumwithideasforextension.

SuggestedPrinciples

FutureFocus

Encouragethemakingofconnectionsacrossthelearningareas,valuesandkey
competenciesrelevanttostudentsfutures

Sustainability

Longtermimpactsonenvironment/society.

Enterprise

Innovationthroughworkingeffectivelywiththeforcesofnature.

Coherence

makeslinkswithinandacrosslearningareas,andopensuppathwaystofurther
learning.

SuggestedValues

Innovation,inquiry,andcuriosity
Thinkingcritically,creatively,andreflectively.

Ecologicalsustainability

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KeyCompetencies

Managingselfmanagetimeframes,reflect/respondtoideasencountered

Relatingtoothersworkinpairs/smallgroups,shareideas

Thinkingconsiderapplicationsoftheturbinetogenerateelectricity.

LearningAreas

Science

PhysicalWorld

Part1Making&testingtheturbine:
Motion(lineartorotational),energy(PEtoKE&friction).

Part2Usingtheturbinetodriveageneratorandlightaverysmallbulb:

Electricity/magnetism(transformationofenergyrotationalKEtoelectricaltolight).

SeeMathematicssectionbelow.

PlanetEarth&Beyond

Sunthesourceofenergyforhydro/windpower.

Geosphere/Hydrosphere/AtmosphereInteractionscontrolrainfall,runoff,riverflow
andlakestorage.Abilitytodamrivervalleysandcreateartificiallakes.

NatureofScience

Studythescientistswhodiscoveredelectricity&magnetismMichaelFaraday,
AllesandroVolta,etc
Investigatehowthenewdiscoverieswereturnedintousefultechnologiesbyinventors
suchasTesla,Edison.
Technology

TechnologicalPractice

Studentsexaminethepracticeofothersandundertaketheirown.

TechnologicalKnowledge

Studentsdevelopknowledgeparticulartotechnologicalenterprisesandenvironments
andunderstandingsofhowandwhythingswork.

NatureofTechnology

learntocritiquetheimpactoftechnologyonsocietiesSeeSocialSciencebelow.

Furtherpossibleareastoextendinvestigationofhydroelectricgeneration:

SocialSciences
Impactsoncommunities/environmentoflargescalehydro,contrastwithremote
communitiesusingsmallscalehydro.
ResourceManagementconsentsprocessinNZ.ComparewithsayChina,Braziletc.

Mathematics

Collectdata/graphdataonsayhowlongturbinespinsforwhen1litreofwaterfallsonto
theturbinefromdifferentheights.

Howmanytimesdoesitspin?(Couldusecottonthreadtowindontospool,butseeif
studentscancomeupwithacreativemethodfirst).

FutureFocus
Encouragethemakingofconnectionsacrossthelearningareas,valuesandkey
competenciesrelevanttostudentsfutures.
Sustainability

Longtermimpactsonenvironment/society.
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Enterprise

Innovationthroughworkingeffectivelywiththeforcesofnature.

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