Blowing in The Wind!! 

To begin with, the following articles deal with my work with wind turbine design, testing, and  implementation presented at the 2016 & 2017 Broadcom MASTERS Science Competitions:

https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/wind-power-gets-downsized-good-way

https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/wind-power-gets-downsized-good-way

In my wildest dreams, I never imagined my work as the subject of magazine articles. The last few years have been like a dream come true.  I was so excited to be a 2016 Broadcom MASTER Top 30 Finalist. The trip to Washington DC was everything that I could have imagined and much more! Although I did not win, I worked all year to improve on my research, and In 2017 I became a Broadcom MASTERS Top 30 Finalist once again. Being a 2-time Broadcom MASTERS Top 30 Finalist has opened many doors for me.

THE WORK CONTINUES

IN 2017, I designed the turbines and determined that applying tubercles to the blade surfaces increased the turbine efficiency. So, IN 2018, I decided to try to improve upon my previous designs by:

• 3D printing my hand carved turbines
• Testing both leading and trailing edge tubercles at 45° & 60° blade angles
• Testing the turbines with and without nanoparticle coating
• And… Testing all turbines at varying diverter door angles

 In 2018, I received a nomination to the 2018 Broadcom MASTERS competition. I have submitted my application and hope that I am chosen as a 3-time Top 30 Finalist.  As a result, I would like to thank Mr. Sid Perkins, Broadcom MASTERS, The Society for Science, and Science News for Students for supporting the research that I do with wind turbines.

I plan to continue focusing on improvements in the efficiency of my turbine’s output. I plan to use a variety of techniques to squeeze more output from each design. Those improvements will include:

• Altering the shape of the turbines by changing the shape of the tubercles
• By altering the shape of each blade by adding more camber
• Lengthening the turbines to increase the surface area
• Incorporating end caps on the top and bottom of the turbines to try to reduce wingtip vortices
• Modifying the diverter angles and the shape of the diverter doors and allow them to lengthen and shorten to more precisely divert the airflow

EXOTIC MATERIALS

• Additionally, I plan to attempt to use some exotic metals in the construction of the turbines so that I can test the turbines in real-world conditions to determine the feasibility and durability of my designs. I plan to use:
• Magnesium infused with silicon carbide nanoparticles. It is a metal designed by the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at UCLA. I happen to know about this metal because I met with Mr. Samueli at Broadcom MASTERS, and I did some research into inventions and designs that he is linked to. Magnesium infused with silicon carbide nanoparticles is currently the strongest and lightest metal known to man. This metal is extremely expensive, and I am currently applying for a grant to obtain the metal for my research.
• Also, if I can get someone to 3D print the turbines with it, I want to try to use graphene aerogel. However, I have been looking for a company that will be able to successfully print with the material, but I am still waiting for a response.

Efficiently harnessing wind energy will be a very important part of energy production in the, not so distant, future. Humanity has become dependent upon energy production, and every developed society requires vast amounts of energy to operate daily. Just imagine how different the world would be if there were no electricity for the lights in your house? How about no gas for the car, or if it is an electric vehicle, no way to charge it? Don’t forget about the cell phone. Can you imagine not being able to charge your cell phone? Life would be so different! As a matter of fact, “Blackouts” occur on a regular basis. Lightning strikes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and many other natural and manmade conditions can throw a community into utter disarray.

Societies have been built that have become dependent on energy production, and without that energy input, our lives will be adversely affected. Our dependence on energy production has never been greater, and it is only going to grow larger in the coming years. We have become dependent upon energy production and burning fossil fuels is our major source of fuel for fulfilling that need.

I propose going forward, we will have to exploit every opportunity to eliminate fossil fuel consumption on every level. It is a must for the future of the planet. We need to address the problem of “greenhouse” gases, and pollution of our land and water.  The younger generations have a responsibility to find ways to meet our energy needs while reducing our overall consumption of fossil fuels as our ever-increasing desire for energy grows. We can’t blindly go through life and continue to abuse the precious resources that this planet has to offer. Finally, It is up to each one of us to look for better ways to generate electricity, in addition to, more efficient ways to store and use it!