How to Make a Wind Turbine for a Science Fair

Experiment with the shape and design of your wind turbine.

Wind turbines continue to gain momentum as an alternative source of electrical energy. These massive wind turbines don't look much different from a child's pinwheel toy on the outside; however, inside their outer casing is a complex set of components. Wind turbines created for science fair projects don't have to be quite so complex. Simple wind turbines can be made using items from around the house. Depending on the type of science fair project you're building, components can be altered to create an electricity-generating wind turbine.

Things You'll Need

• Flower stick, 3-5 millimeters thick, 25 centimeters long
• Cork
• Knife
• Glue
• Ruler
• Plasticine
• 2 plastic washers that fit the flower stick
• Thick drinking straw (16 centimeters long)
• Paper
• Scissors
• Pin
• Thread
• 4-centimeter thin nail

Instructions

1. Attach the cork to the end of the flower stick. Flower sticks (used as a support for heavy blossomed flowers) can be bought at garden supply stores. Use a knife to cut a narrow channel into one end of the cork that's just wide enough for the stick to fit into. Fill the channel with glue and insert the stick.

2. Roll the Plasticine out into a tube shape. The tube should be approximately 1 centimeter in diameter and long enough to wrap around the flower stick. Wrap the Plasticine tube around the flower stick roughly 20 centimeters from the cork-free end, molding it so that it forms a barrier that's firmly attached to the wooden stick.

3. Slide one of the washers onto the end of the flower stick and push it down so that it rests next to the Plasticine tube. Insert the flower stick through the straw, pushing it up against the washer. Add another washer, making sure there's enough of a gap between the straw and the washer so the flower stick is able to turn within the straw. Affix a rounded piece of Plasticine to the other end of the flower stick (2 centimeter diameter).

4. Construct the turbine's rotor (blades) from a square of paper, using card stock for added strength. Cut towards the center of the square from each corner, stopping approximately 1 and 1/2 inches from the center point. There will now be four triangular flaps held together at the center. Fold the right corner of each triangle towards the center, holding them in place with a pin. Stick the pin (with the rotor attached) into the end of the cork. Add some glue to make sure it stays in place.

5. Cut a length of string and tie one end to the flower stick between the cork and the Plasticine tube. Make sure that it's tied tightly and apply a drop of glue over the knot.

6. Bend a nail into a hook shape. Tie it to the other end of the string. The head of the nail should keep the string from sliding off.

Tips & Warnings

• Place different weighted objects onto the hook and see how much wind power is necessary to spin the turbine enough to lift them.

References

• U.S. Department of Energy: How Wind Turbines Work
• Wind Power: Build a Small Wind Turbine
• Kid Wind Project: Learn About Wind