WIND TURBINE DESIGN PROJECT

San Jose State University

Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering
E10 Introduction to Engineering

Thach Nguyen
Luan Phan
Man Huynh
Kristen Dava
Vincent Kyi

Introduction:
Wind is used to produce work for a long period by human. Wind can be transfromed from
kinetic energy into either mechanical energy or electricla energy. For centuries, sailors have taken the
advantage of the wind energy to set sail. Meanwhile, farmers have been using wind energy to pump
water from wells using windmill for years. Nowadays, wind energy is one of the fastest growing sources
of electricity in the world, especially in Europe where eighty-one percent of the worlds new wind
equipments are installed. The device that transformed wind energy into electrical energy is known as
the wind turbine. Just like a toy pinwheel, the wind spins the blades of the wind turbine. Unlike
windmill, which is used for grinding mills grain or pumping water, wind turbines generate electricity. The
two most important factors that affect the power of the wind turbine are the wind speed and the area
that is swept by the turbine blades. In this particular experiment, our groups main objectives are
designing and fabricating the support tower and the rotor blades. Besides, we will measure the power
output generated by our designed turbine, as well as stiffness of our support tower.