Since our last post the wind turbine team has been single-mindedly focused on our wind tunnel tests at the NASA-Ames research center. This testing opportunity will be a godsend for us as we will finally be able to get some clean, quality data concerning the performance of the two turbine styles we are evaluating: Savonius and Lenz. Good bye chasing wind around San Francisco!
What we are most excited about is the controllable nature of the wind tunnel and the ability we will have to set our test parameters. As a result of this unprecedented level of control, we will finally be able to apply a degree of rigor to our tests that has previously been unattainable. This more scientific approach will allow us to accurately predict not only the performance characteristics of the turbines, but also determine the appropriate alternator specifications for maximum power extraction from the system.
The tunnel in which we will perform the tests is a 7’x10’ wind tunnel owned by NASA, but leased to, and operated by, the US Army – specifically the Aeroflightdynamics Directorate (AFDD). We are extremely grateful to both the US Army and the folks at the test facility for their generosity and assistance. Without this unique opportunity, we would be hard pressed to continue making substantive progress with our turbine design.
Over the past handful of weeks Jeremy Kimmel, our wind turbine intern, and Malcolm Knapp, an EWB/Catapult volunteer, have been diligently working out the bugs in our set-up. Malcolm has spent countless hours programming the Data Acquisition System (DAQ) and they have both made a number of trips down to the test facility in order to ensure that we’ll be ready once the wind tunnel is ready for our appearance. Speaking of which, we’ve been told that we will finally get into the tunnel on August 17th! There have been a number of delays, but it is finally going to happen.
Below is a photo from our data collection training session just prior to shipping the turbine down to the NASA-Ames facility. We are fortunate enough to have an entire two weeks of dedicated wind tunnel time! During that period, Jeremy, Sarah, and Charlie will be leading our testing efforts and maintaining a constant presence at the tunnel. A number of other volunteers will cycle through to lend a hand and participate in this major testing milestone. Stay tuned for a post about our wind tunnel experience…
Left to right: Sarah Felix, Malcolm Knapp, Charlie Sellers, and Jeremy Kimmel
