The delivery system of content for the Mobile KidWind Learning Laboratory bus is now in place and works!
Local coffee buddy, Dave, from Darlington went through the process. He selected 10 hands on experiences from the list of 32 hands on experiences list and he committed to 4 hours. We narrowed it down to these four, #49 Assemble PV panels in series /parallel. #50 Design and assemble PV panel circuit to run a devise. #51 Measure output of a solar PV system. And # 65 Use and explore LOTO (Lock Out Tag Out) systems.
Starting a 11:30 we spent 45 minutes touring and discussing my 16 panel, 8kW grid tied solar system. Dave has an interest in PV because he’s planing to move to Hawaii next year and because of Hawaii’s limited grid will need to run his rural off grid home on Solar. Dave used a multimeter to measure my systems output and how it is tied to the grid.
The next 45 minutes were spent wiring up AA batteries in series and parallel learning the rules for voltage and verifying the rules with a multimeter.
Back from lunch. By the way part of the program will be that any teacher committing to a 4 hour session will get a free lunch on KidWind! The next hour was spent experimenting with the Sun Shine in a Jar model. This model has a single 4 volt PV panel that charges a 660mAh 3.2v LiFePO4 Rechargable cell. It is also wired to charge a 3V 10F capacitor to compare performance with the LiFePO4 cell. Various devises can be hooked to this system and measurements for voltage and amperage were measured. This model was compared to the common solar yard pathway lights that many people have and use.
With these experiences under his belt Dave moved on the to the meat and potatoes of using what he learned to wire several 6v PV panels to supply the needed voltage to run different voltage devises. Here you can see he has the PV panels wired to run a 6v KW water pump. The “sun” is a stage light to the left. Other electric devises to power can be seen on the bench.
And the last 30 minutes we took a look at the model wind turbine with all the lock out points for power and rotation from top to bottom. Had there been more time some different repair or maintenance jobs requiring LOTO could give been planned out and the safety points physically locked.
My plan is for a third Beta test with the new first year teacher that is going to teach the 7th and 8th grade Tech classes this year in Darlington.
I have put together an Index for the hands on Learning Experiences for making electricity from the wind or the sun. A detailed sheet is also included that briefly explains what the experience is about and will cover.
BLADES
#9 - Cut a single airfoil shape blade from a styrofoam blank
14 - Laminate a turbine blade made of styrofoam with plastic
16 - Experiment with different blade design shapes
17 - Experiment with different number of blades in a rotor
18 - Experiment with rotors having different blade pitches
21 - Cut airfoil profile shapes from 1/4” illiquid for use in the hot wire cutting process
24 - Hot glue cardboard to sticks making blades fora rotor to be tested
GEAR BOXES
8 - Set up a gear ratio in a KW Nacelle
20 - Experiment with different gear ratios
71 - Work with planetary gears
GENERATORS
41 - Assemble a GEN-X AC generator
42 - Wind a stator coil for a GEN-X AC generator
43 - Test a single stator coil with magnets for output
44 - Wire an AC generator stator for single phase output
45 - Wire an AC generator stator for 3 phase output
MEASUREMENTS and CALCULATIONS
10 - Test a wind turbine using a 20” box fan
11 - Test a wind turbine using a 48” KW wind tunnel
51 - Measure the output of a solar system
68 - Use a multimeter to measure volts, amps and ohms
SOLAR SYSTEMS
47 - Assemble PV panels in a series array
48 - Assemble PV panels in a parallel array
49 - Assemble PV panels in a combination series/parallel array
50 - Design and assemble a PV panned array to run a devise
SAFETY
64 - Use and apply LOTO (Lock Out Tag Out) devises
OTHER
7 - Assemble a KW Nacelle
13 - Perform a McGyver weight lifting test
23 - Drill and thread a KW black blade hub for 6-32 threads and cap screws
46 - Measure the strength of different magnets
66 - Build a full wave bridge rectifier
69 - Assemble a yaw system for a wind turbine
70 - Assemble a furling system for a wind turbine
Please share if you have suggests or comments about this idea of bringing Renewable Energy education to teachers. Thanks
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