These videos explore the work of Senior Mechanical Wind Energy Engineer, Rosemary Barnes and provide a step-by-step tutorial for students to design their own turbine blades using CAD.
Wind energy is one of Australia’s main sources of renewable energy with over 100 wind farms in Australia at the start of 2020. Wind energy is one of the lowest-cost sources of electricity generation in Australia and, in 2019, it generated 8.5% of all of Australia’s electricity.
Wind turbines use the kinetic energy of the wind to spin an electric generator to produce electricity (electrical energy). The blades come in different shapes and sizes and are mounted at different angles; this changes the efficiency of the turbines.
Watch the career profile from home or school, then watch the tutorial to use CAD to design your own wind turbine blades. This tutorial works well with the STELR wind energy kits which you can access here.
Video Length: 2:44 mins
Rosemary Barnes is a senior mechanical engineer for LM Wind Power, a renewable energy company that designs and manufactures wind turbines in Denmark.
Watch the video above or read her career profile here.
Watch this career profile with Spanish subtitles here.
Tutorial: Designing turbine blades using CAD software
Video Length: 13:43 mins
Login or Sign up for FREE to receive our weekly newsletter and be the first to find out about special educational events and resources.
Years: 7, 8, 10
Topics:
Earth and Space Sciences – Renewable/non-renewable resources
Physical Sciences – Energy
Additional – Careers, Maths, Technology, Engineering
Concepts (South Australia):
Earth and Space Sciences – The Earth’s Surface
Physical Sciences – Energy
About STELR
STELR is a ready-to-use STEM resource that is hands-on, inquiry-based, and in-curriculum.
Most importantly, it shows students that science and maths are relevant to their lives.
STELR aims to increase student enthusiasm for and engagement with Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) subjects, and provides career profiles which highlight the study pathways necessary for jobs in STEM-related industries.
STELR has produced more than 20 curriculum modules comprising over 280 lessons, 100 hands-on activities, 30 career profile videos and 80 written career profiles. Many modules are supported by kits of Australian-designed and manufactured equipment to facilitate inquiry-based, hands-on, minds-on, problem-based learning.
Find more STELR investigations and order STELR equipment kits at https://stelr.org.au/
