When four mechanical engineering students were looking for a senior-year design project at Kansas University, they had three criteria in mind.
It had to be something that had never been done at KU, incorporate alternative energy and help other people. The end result is a wind turbine made of wood, trash barrels, car parts and other items that can easily be scavenged in Third World countries.
“We are looking at it as a philanthropic endeavor,” Brian Blackwell said. “We could still get all the engineering work, but we didn’t want something that would sit and never be used again.”
The wind turbine spins on West Campus behind another KU student project, the Center for Design Research building being constructed by Studio 804.
This winter, the group assembled the turbine just as it would be done in developing countries: with hand tools. The frame is built out of wood, the blades are concave pieces of trash barrels while flanges, pipes, a car axle and stubs hold the turbine together.
“Since the parts are recyclable and they aren’t brand new, we’ve had some troubles with failures,” Nick Garrett said. “But so far those failures are ones we have been able to correct. So our turbine is only getting better.”
Along with Blackwell and Garrett, Brian Larkin and Tommy Hirst are working on the project.
Soon, the group will put up more aerodynamic blades made from wood and covered in tarp.
At wind speeds of 25 miles per hour, the turbine can generate as much as 500 watts of electricity. The energy would then be stored in a car battery that could be used to keep the lights on longer or to power freezers and refrigerators.
The students had South American countries in mind when they designed the turbine because of wind speeds on the continent and populations with fairly easy access to old car parts.
With the semester about to end and several hiccups along the way, the group plans to hand the project over to a group of incoming seniors.
And they fully intend to see the turbines built in Third World countries.
“That’s the hope,” Garrett said.
Comments
monicataylor 2 years ago
I love their style –– focusing their efforts where they meet the greatest need and designing a product that people can build with hand tools from recycled materials. It's like a sustainability layer-cake.
bharadwaj001 2 years ago
hey ... we made our own wind turbine at our college for project and have succesfully completed it.. with recycled aluminum blades and a repaired and rewinded generator...
ChristineMetz 2 years ago
Hi Bharadwaj001,
Is this college in Kansas? If so, I'd love to hear more about it. It sounds like something I heard about at Cloud County Community College, where I know they have a pretty extensive wind energy program. Regardless it sounds interesting.
Thanks for sharing, Christine
kansasplains1 2 years ago
Why don't you continue working on the project after you graduate? That's so often part of the problem. Students start on something, but never carry it through to completion! It really matters to people in third world countries, especially when things are started and then not finished. These would be good alumni-current students working together projects. Lawrence
Eric_Melin 2 years ago
This sounds like a really cool project. I’m working with a group of people who are starting a professional Engineers Without Borders – USA chapter and our first eeting is Wednesday night, May 4 at 6pm. You should seriously think about attending. This meeting is at Bartlett & West, 1200 Southwest Executive Dr. in Topeka, but the meetings will alternate between Topeka and Lawrence each month.
It's not only engineers who join EWB-USA, but also health professionals, administrative personnel, scientists, fundraisers, educators, and anyone who brings a passion to help make a difference. If you want to get involved but cannot attend the introductory meeting on May 4th, please send an email to ewbusa.kansas@gmail.com to let us know! We’ll add your name to our distribution list and keep you posted on upcoming meetings and events. Cheers!
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