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We did something similar to this, and got a whole load of corks to  
stick onto the motor, though you have to pre-drill a little hole  
depending on the size of the motor shaft.

We also used mobile phones to automatically upload photos and  
readings to a blog: http://windenergyexpt1.blogspot.com/

kevin

On 5 Nov 2008, at 15:57, Ian Russell wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> ********************************************************************** 
> *******
>
> Here are some pictures of a 'kit' I put together for a special one-off
> project in a school. http://www.interactives.co.uk/ 
> minds_workshops_wind.htm
> I bought a large number of extremely cheap motors from a British  
> educational
> supplier called TTS. This firm also sells inexpensive 'clips' with
> self-adhesive pads to fix down the motors.
> http://www.tts-group.co.uk/Product.aspx?cref=TTSPR597137 I bought
> pre-drilled wooden hubs into which 5mm wooden 'spokes' fitted. I  
> cut a whole
> load of dowels to the same length for the spokes. Children cut  
> their own
> turbine blades from 4mm corrugated plastic sheet:
> http://www.tts-group.co.uk/Product.aspx?cref=TTSPR597082 The hollow  
> channels
> in this material pushed tightly onto the 5mm wooden dowels.  
> Unfortunately
> TTS have temporarily discontinued the 'spoked' wheels. I just  
> phoned them,
> and they say they are thinking about re-introducing them next year.
>
> The next problem was how to fit the spoked wooden wheels to the  
> motor. TTS
> sell a tiny plastic pulley that fits tightly onto the shaft of  
> their motor.
> It's a fairly standard size with these little motors. The children  
> glued a
> pulley into the central hole of their wooden wheel so then the  
> wheel fitted
> snugly onto the motor shaft.
>
> A mains-powered desktop fan provided the wind. We used crocodile  
> clips and
> the school lab's digital multimeters to measure the output of the
> motor-'generators'. It this point teams began competing for the  
> highest
> meter reading and everyone suddenly became even more excited and
> motivated...
>
> The electrical output from these motors is measurable but low. In  
> order to
> light an LED lamp it is better to use the high-efficiency motors  
> often sold
> with postcard-size solar cells.
>
> Before anyone asks, this was a one-off project and I'm not selling  
> these
> kits, just sharing how to put something like this together.
>
>
> Promoting public engagement with science
> through a contagious delight in phenomena
> *
> [log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
> *
> Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
> Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
> *
> Ian Russell
>
> ********************************************************************** 
> *
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers  
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For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

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