1. Wind Power New York State 2017
Maple Ridge on the Tug Hill Plateau

2. Event Overview A team of up to 2
Teams may build a blade assembly that consists of any kind of propeller/pinwheel/rotor attached to a compact disc (CD), which will be used to capture wind power. Teams must also be tested on their knowledge regarding alternative energy. [emphasis added]

3. Event Overview Eye protection: B Impound: Yes
Approximate time: 50 minutes
2.a.: “All reference materials to be used during all parts of the competition must be initially secured in a 3-ring binder so that regardless of orientation none can fall out.”
 2.b.: “Tools and supplies do not need to be impounded.”

4. 2.d.: Supervisor-provided equipment
2.d.i.: We will use only 1 box fan at states.
2.d.ii-v.: Our testing apparatus will be virtually the same as last year. It follows this plan: +
The feet of the turbine base fit snugly around (and are secured to) the lab jack, allowing for vertical adjustments. This worked well at multiple competitions including NY B&C states and the MIT invitational last year.

5. 2.e. Attaching the CD Get this motor: Uxcell model RF-300F-12350
It comes with a hub for attaching CDs. Works like a charm.
Available on Amazon with the handy name “Uxcell(R) DC 3V 24mm Base Car VCD DVD Player Spindle Motor w Trayer Holder” with a price of $5.79.
Picture:

6. Uxcell motor (2.d. cont.)

7. Build your own testing turbine
www1.eere.energy.gov/education/pdfs/wind_basicpvswindturbine.pdf or just go to the soinc.org site, Wind Power event, and click on the first link under “Links,” viz. “Building a basic PVC wind turbine.”

8. 3. Construction
3.a. Bring only one. Many teams at both the B and C state tournament last year brought multiple blade assemblies.
Aside: Thank goodness that they fixed the diagram in this section for this year.
3.b. “Modification of the CD is not allowed (except to affix the blades via tape, glue, etc.).” Many violations at regionals, not many at states last year. But notice this means no extra or random glue droplets; glue can only be on the CD if it is affixing the blades.

9. 3. Construction (cont.)
3.c. “When mounted, no part of the blade assembly may have a radial distance from the center of the axis of rotation of more than 20 cm (Div B) / 14 cm (Div C).
Most of last year’s best NYS finishers were close to the maximum size, but they certainly were not squeezing out every last mm.

10. 3. Construction (cont.)
3.e. “Commercial kits or third party designs may be used, but must have at least one functional modification, defined as a modification such that the lack of it will result in the assembly working differently or not working.”
We had a Division B team at States last year who simply pried the blade assembly off a commercial fan and glued it onto a CD. Despite the claim that transferring the blade assembly to a CD constituted a ‘functional modification,’ this was judged to be a construction violation.

11. 3. Construction (cont.)
3.f. “When initially mounted, no part of the blade assembly may extend behind the mounting plane of the CD”
 Slight change from last year.
 Mounting plane = radial plane.

12. 4. Competition 4.a. There will only be one station.
4.c. “Event supervisors may prohibit blade assemblies from being tested if they will damage the testing setup (e.g. due to excessive weight/torque, residue on the CD mount, etc.)” This is a welcome new line. We had one assembly at Division C states last year that was heavy enough to nearly torque the motor out of the PVC tube!

13. 4. Competition (cont.)
4.c. “Teams may modify the blade assembly during the impound period or their Part I testing periods, if time is available. This may be to bring the blade assembly into compliance with the event specifications. Blades not meeting construction specifications at the beginning of the 30 second measurement period must receive a Max Voltage score of 0 for that wind speed. Modifications are not allowed during the 30 second measurement periods.”
 Note that there are two “Part I testing periods,” one high and one low wind speed.

14. 4. Competition (cont.)
4.g. “No later than 2 minutes 15 seconds into the testing period, with the fan already on and the blade assembly already rotating for at least 10 seconds, the students must tell the event supervisor to begin a 30 second measurement period.”
 This is a slight change from last year. Note that no measurement can be made if the assembly is not already spinning for at least 10 seconds.

15. 4. Competition (cont.)
At the state tournament for both B and C division in the spring, we will conduct the device testing while students work on their written tests.
Specifically, we will call teams up one at a time to the device testing area while everyone continues to work on the written test. Teams may send one student back to do the device testing while another student continues to work on the written test.

16. Part II: Written Test
There will be at least 5 questions from each of the 5 areas
Wind Power rotor/fan blade design
Power generator general questions
Power storage questions
Power transmission questions
Historical wind power designs
Note that only 2 of the 5 areas are specifically about wind power!

17. Part II: Written Test (cont.)
Study the math. The written test will be about half math, half notes/memorization questions.
Last year, the math questions were what separated the top groups from the rest at the state tournament.
Pay attention to significant figures AND UNITS

18. Part II: Written Test Sample energy storage math problem:
Octavia wants to build an energy storage reservoir for Lincoln. She pumps 3000 kg of water into a tank at the top of a 150-m hill.
a) How much energy is stored in the water, relative to the bottom of the hill?
b) If Octavia wants a power of 100 Watts generated in a turbine she constructs at the bottom of the dam, and she can count on 70% efficiency, how much water per second should she release from the reservoir?
c) Octavia eventually creates a voltage of 10 V. She wants to step it up to 50 V for transmission. What should be the ratio of turns, primary coil to secondary coil, in her transformer?

19. Part II: Written Test (cont.)
Some power and energy math
Electric power: P = I2R = VI = V2/R
Energy storage: K = (0.5) I w2
U = mgh
Transformers: Vp/Vs = Np/Ns
Ohm’s law: V = IR
Efficiency = Wo/Win
Wind power: P = (0.5)pAv3

20. Contact
Frank Brunner: