LBMS students learn to harness wind energy

LBMS eighth graders Sebastian Deak and Jack Lipscomb confer over the design of their wind turbine.
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Lee Burneson Middle School technology teacher Kurt Thonnings is trying to teach his students where wind comes from, the concept of an energy transfer and the difference between a volt and an amp in a wind turbine design contest.

The KidWind Challenge is a student-oriented test that challenges students to design and construct their own wind turbines. The goal of the project is to create something that is both efficient and elegant.

The KidWind Challenge started in a New York middle school classroom and has spread to Virginia, Washington, D.C., California, Iowa, South Dakota, Alaska, Minnesota and Colorado, among other states. Thonnings is trying to bring a KidWind event to Ohio.

The project teaches valuable scientific concepts in a fun, creative, hands-on learning environment.

Using generators, resistors, digital multimeters, hubs and dowels, students create turbines that are powered solely by wind. Students design and create their own blades. Turbines must produce power. Power output data is collected for 60 seconds and an energy output score is calculated using a Vernier data-logging system that collects voltage and amperage readings simultaneously. The turbine with the highest energy output (milliwatt-seconds) earns 60 points.

Turbines are judged on the choices/mechanisms used to maximize power output, craftsmanship and environmental decisions. Students produce documentation reflecting their design process and demonstrating their knowledge of wind energy science.