Blown Away: How Altitude Affects Electricity Production

Overview

Objectives/Goals My objective is to test if altitude affects the amount of energy (in watts) a windmill creates. If my experiment works properly, I believe we may be able to create more windmills in the areas that create more efficient electricity, and produce cleaner energy. Methods/Materials To test if altitude affects the amount of electricity a windmill creates, I got a fan and a windmill model. The model was connected to a multimeter, which measured the amperes and volts, which could be multiplied to get watts. I measured the watts at two, four and eight inches away from the fan. I also measured the wind speed with an anemometer at those distances. I tested this at four different elevations: 0 feet, 1500 feet, 4000 feet and 7500 feet. I graphed and charted the results. Results I observed that energy produced in watts at 0 feet elevation was 28% higher than at 7500 feet, although 4000 feet was different than expected, possibly due to a mistake in my operation. Results were similar regardless of distance from the fan. Conclusions/Discussion I can therefore support the idea that all things being equal, windmills will create more electricity at lower elevations rather than higher ones.

Competition history

• CSEF 2011 Alternative Energy (Junior Division Only) · Entry J0233

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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