Harnessing Wind
Wind turbines provide energy in the midwest.Copyright US Department of Energy http://www1.eere.energy.gov/
Students are introduced to the ways that engineers study and harness the wind. They learn about the different kinds of winds and how to measure wind direction. In addition, they learn how air pressure creates winds and how engineers design and test wind turbines to harness renewable wind energy.
Engineers monitor, use and design technology around wind. To make weather predictions, they design devices such as anemometers and weather vanes to measure wind velocity, force and direction, and predict wind patterns. To tap wind as a renewable energy source, engineers design wind turbines, windmills and wind farms. Engineers also consider wind and aerodynamics (minimizing friction due to wind) in their design of cars, bridges, airplanes, structures and recreational equipment (hang gliders, sailboats).
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain the properties of wind.
- Describe some Greek mythology around wind.
- Describe how wind affects humans.
- Explain why wind is a renewable energy source.
- Describe how engineers design technologies to monitor and capitalize on wind energy.