LauraWheeler,ScottNelson,&ParkerDaudt

AppliedCalculus,15001
Dr.Cruz
Due7October13,Monday
WindTurbines
Thequestionaskedofourteamofhighlytrainedandhighlyskilled
mathematicianswastocrunchnumbersandfigureoutifthenewdesignofwindturbines,
generatedbyphysicists,wasmorepracticalandefficientthanthecurrentdesign,andto
figureoutwhatsortofpoweritwouldbeabletoproduce.Thenewlargerdesignisable
tocatchmorewindthanthepreviousdesign.Thebladesitsportsare11feetlong,more
thantwiceaslongasthecurrentturbines.Physicistspredictedthatthenewturbines
wouldincreaseefficiencyby24%percent.Theactualincreaseinefficiencyis45%.
Atcurrentaveragewindspeeds,thenewturbinesgenerate840wattsofpower,as
opposedtotheolddesigns380watts.Ataveragepeakwindspeeds,thenewturbines
generate1500watts,insteadoftheoldturbines660.Averageandpeakwindspeedsare
expectedtoincreaseoverthenext10yearsduetoclimatechange.Assuch,thenew
designiscalculatedtogenerate920wattsofpoweriftheaveragewindspeedrisesby
10%.Thenewpeakexpectancywiththenewdesignis1600watts.Thenewturbinesare
vastlymoreefficient,yieldingfarmorepowerthanthecurrent,outdatedmodels.
Theequationsweusedwerederivedfromthepreviouslyestablishedinformation
wheregeneratedpower(P)isequaltotheconstant(K)multipliedbythewindvelocity
(v),thelengthofblades(H),andairdensity().

Equationsused:
P=KvH
=88

kg
m3

600 W =K15 mph5 ft88

kg
m3

K=.0909090909

Newdesign
H=11ft
K=.0909090909
=88

kg
m3

Currentaveragewindspeed: v ca =9.5 mph

Currentpeakwindspeed: v cp =16.5 mph
Averagewindspeedin10years: v fa =10.45mph
Peakwindspeedin10years: v fp =18.15 mph
Pca=.090909090911 ft88

kg
9.5 mp h=835.99W
3
m

Pcp =.090909090911 ft88

kg
16.5 mp h=1452 W
3
m

Pfa =. 090909090911 ft88

kg
10.45 mph=919.599 W
m3

Pfp =. 090909090911 ft88

kg
18.15 mph=1597.2W
m3

Olddesign
H=5ft
K=.0909090909
=88

kg
m3

Currentaveragewindspeed: v ca =9.5 mph

Currentpeakwindspeed: v cp =16.5 mph
Averagewindspeedin10years: v fa =10.45mph
Peakwindspeedin10years: v fp =18.15 mph
Pca=.09090909095 ft88

kg
9 .5 mp h=380 W
m3

Pcp =.09090909095 ft88

kg
16.5 mp h=660 W
m3

Pfa =. 09090909095 ft88

kg
10.45 mph=418 W
3
m

Pfp =. 09090909095 ft88

kg
18.15 mph=726 W
3
m

Theequationsusedtogeneratethegraphabovewerecreatedfromscatterplots.We
createdalineofbestfitforthedatapointscalculatedandtheresultinglinesareshown
above.Thegraphcomparesthepowergeneratedasitcorrelatestothewindspeedthe
turbinebladesareexposedto.
New Turbines=90.356x18.353
Old Turbines=40.208x1.3359