Will it survive hurricane conditions?
After five months working on the design and construction of wind turbines and boats, our STEAM after school class celebrated with a field trip to Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) in Wanchese. Their boats were launched in a special tank where they were tested for their ability to withstand wind, current, and waves. Everyone had a chance to tweak their designs after the initial trial but none of the adjustments helped the boats survive hurricane conditions in the wave tank!
How much energy will it generate?
Then it was time to test the wind turbines, girls against boys. Each team carefully placed their turbine in front of the fan, turned on the motor, and used the gauge to measure the amount of energy generated. Again, they had the opportunity to tweak their designs and adjust the angle of the blades before the second test. David Sybert, of CSI, was a master at giving the students leeway to make their own decisions without instructions from him. He posed questions and withheld judgment on any answers. The result of the second turbine test was a tie!
And then we got to fly drones!
