Running head: NOTEBOOK 0

EMWiT
Electric Motor with Wind Turbine Component to Extend Battery Life

RESEARCH PAPER AND NOTEBOOK

PAULINA HALL, LAUREN WARNER, AND SHANNON WOOLFOLK

NOTEBOOK 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................... 2

RESEARCH PAPER

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND .................................................................................. 4

MATERIALS .......................................................................................................................... 5

EDD...................................................................................................................................... 6

PROCEDURE ........................................................................................................................ 7

DATA AND RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 9

DATA ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................. 11

CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................... 12

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................... 13

REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 14

PROJECT NOTEBOOK

PROGRESS REPORTS .......................................................................................................... 17

NOTEBOOK 2

Abstract

EMWiT is an effort to make electric motors and cars more accessible to the general
public by extending the time the motor can run before an external power source is needed to
recharge the battery. By introducing a wind turbine in parallel with the battery, a clean energy
source is able to supplement the voltage drawn by the battery. A 9 V battery was used to power
an electric motor for fifteen minutes to establish a control and repeated three times to find the
voltage difference. The wind turbine was then added as an additional power source to
supplement the charge drawn from the battery. This was then tested for fifteen minutes with the
motor to find the voltage difference with the wind turbine. Further testing will be continued with
a larger electric motor, designed and constructed for the purpose of this experiment. This is
meant to show the applicability of the experiment to a larger testing scenario. Results show a
52.9% difference between the averages of the voltage differences after three trials. When the
battery was combined in a parallel circuit with the wind turbine, a significant decrease in the
voltage difference was observed. Further testing can be applied to electric cars to determine
whether wind turbines are effective in extending the run time of electric cars before recharging is
necessary. The idea behind the project was to make electric cars a better alternative to carbon-
emitting gasoline motors.
NOTEBOOK 3

Research Paper
Pages 4 to 15
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Background and Introduction

Over the past decade, reports of a significant increase in the planets temperature have

become common. This temperature rise, also known as climate change or global warming, is the

effect of increased carbon emissions into the atmosphere. In order to reduce the carbon footprint

of humans, there is an increased effort to reduce the dependence of humans on burning fossil fuels.

Due to this, there is a high demand for electric cars, with Teslas 2018 Model 3 electric car

possessing a waiting list of almost 200,000 people and counting (Fehrenbacher). The goal for

manufacturers is to make electric cars more convenient by maximizing battery efficiency and

affordability for consumers. Electric cars, when using an external power source to recharge the

battery, can take anywhere from 3.5 to 10 hours to fully recharge (Popely). This proves inefficient

for working adults who have a travel average of almost 20,000 miles a year with the ratio of quick

recharge stations for electric cars to gas stations in the United States only 1 in every 11.2.

Innovators are searching for ways to maximize the run time of the electric motor before the battery

source needs to be recharged externally. EMWiT addresses these problems by providing a clean,

alternate power source to supplement the batterys charge for the electric motor system. This will

thereby increase the run time of the car and decrease the need for immediate external recharging.

The wind turbine uses a renewable, environmentally-friendly source of energy to help decrease

carbon emissions, creating a natural progression towards the goal of eliminating the use of fossil

fuels in transportation altogether.

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Materials

3D printed armature
28 AWG magnet wire
Iron filings
Epoxy glue
Stainless steel epoxy putty
Solid aluminum rod (0.8125 diameter)
36x36 aluminum sheet metal
22 neodymium magnets (2 length)
3D printed wind turbine
Insulated wire
6V battery
Generator
D cell battery
Vex parts
Timer
Photogate
Multimeter
6x6 copper plate
Differential voltage probe
Accelerometer
NOTEBOOK 6

Experimental Design Diagram (E.D.D.)

Title:

Electric Motor with Wind Turbine Component to Extend Battery

Life (EMWiT)

Question:

Can an electric motor be modified to lengthen the run time by

incorporating a wind turbine in parallel with the battery?

Hypothesis:

If a wind turbine and an electric motor are combined in a

parallel circuit with a battery, then the wind turbine will provide an
additional power source, lengthening the run time of the motor and
therefore maximizing the efficiency of the motor

Independent Variable (I.V.): Power source of the motor

D-cell battery in parallel with

Levels of IV D-cell battery*
a wind turbine

Repeated Trials 3 3

*The D-cell battery is the control for the experiment

Dependent Variable:
The run time of the motor will be measured using a simple stopwatch as the motor
is first connected to a D-cell battery and run until the battery is dead. The same will
be done with the battery and wind turbine in parallel.
Constants:
Initial charge of the battery, motor size and voltage rating, wind turbine, wind
turbine voltage and current production, wire resistivity, battery size
Procedures
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Procedure for Construction:

Electric Motor-

1. 3D print the armature frame using Autodesk Inventor software.

2. Combine the armature frame and aluminum rod using epoxy glue.
3. Wrap 28 AWG magnet wire around the spokes of the armature frame, leaving loops on
one end of the frame.
4. Hollow out the spokes using a drill and fill the small holes with iron filings using a
funnel.
5. Construct the commutator of the motor using copper sheet metal and epoxy putty. The
commutator should be cut into small pieces of width in.
6. Solder the copper wire loops onto the copper pieces of the armature, leaving sufficient
room for the brushes.
7. Glue the neodymium magnets to the aluminum sheet metal using epoxy. The surface of
the aluminum must be roughened first using a file.
8. Wrap the aluminum sheet cylindrically around the completed armature, securing it with
aluminum rivets.
9. Attach the brushes to the exterior of the motor, allowing them to rest against only two
commutator pieces at once.
10. Attach insulated wire to the brushes and prepare them for connection to the battery,
soldering them into place.

Wind Turbine-

1. 3D print the wind turbine blades and hub using a constant scale factor.
2. Glue two pieces of metal to either side of the open hub, drilling a hole in the center of
each to attach the metal rod.
3. Using epoxy glue, attach the metal rod to the hub.
4. Construct a mount for the wind turbine using vex parts with a gear system to amplify the
rotation of the wind turbine.
5. Using epoxy glue, attach a smaller toothed gear to the generator. This should be included
in the wind turbine mount and system. Leave the two prongs in an easily-accessible
location. Attach wires to the prongs to prepare for testing.
NOTEBOOK 8

Procedure for Testing:

1. Check voltage of the wind turbine using a differential voltage probe while wind
resistance is produced. Use LabQuest and LoggerPro software to graph a voltage vs.
time, showing the voltage generation by the wind turbine alone.
2. Measure the initial voltage of a 9 V battery and connect it in series to the electric motor,
leaving one end unattached.
3. Start a timer for 15 min, connecting the circuit at the same time the timer is started.
4. Leave the motor running for 15 min, disconnecting it from the battery as the timer ends.
5. Measure the voltage of the battery once finished, allowing a stabilization period for the
voltage and record it in the chart.
6. Repeat two additional times for a total of three trials, recording the data on the chart.
7. Attach the motor to the wind turbine and 9 V battery in a parallel circuit per the diagram,
leaving one end of the battery unattached until ready to commence testing.
8. The initial voltage of the battery needs to be measured using the multimeter on the 20 V
setting. Record this value in the corresponding location on the chart.
9. Set a timer for 15 min and start it at the same time the motor is attached to the battery.
With wind resistance produced while driving at 17.5 m/s, the wind turbine should be
allowed to spin.
10. Continue for 15 min until the timer ends, detaching the battery from the motor and wind
turbine.
11. Measure the final voltage of the battery and record it on the chart.
12. Repeat an additional two times for a total of three trials, recording the data on the chart.
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Data and Results

Voltage (V) vs. Time (s) Preliminary Testing of Wind Turbine

Graph 1. The graph shows the potential, or voltage, as a function of time for the wind turbine.
While traveling at varying speed, the wind turbine produced a significant voltage over the
maximum ability the voltmeter could measure. A multimeter used showed up to 13 V being
produced. This shows that the wind turbine is effective at producing a voltage and a current.

Voltage Drop After 15 min (V)

Trial Battery Wind Turbine and Battery

1 0.94 0.42
2 0.77 0.42
3 0.61 0.51
Average 0.773333 0.45
Table 1. The table has the values for the voltage drop after 15 min. Per the procedure, the battery
was first hooked up to the motor and then placed in parallel with the wind turbine to allow the
wind turbine to supplement the load of the motor. The table shows a significant change in the
voltage difference after 15 min with a percent difference between the average values of 52.9%.
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Voltage Drop
0.77 0.773333333
0.8
0.7 0.61

0.6 0.51
0.45
0.5 0.42

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
2 3 Average

Battery Wind Turbine and Battery

Graph 2. The graph shows the voltage drop in a bar graph to show the significant change in the
voltage when the wind turbine was incorporated. The percent difference between the averages
was 52.9%, showing the significant effect of the wind turbine on the battery life.
NOTEBOOK 11

Data Analysis
Data was collected to measure the voltage of a 9-volt battery before and after carrying the
load of powering solely the motor, in addition to incorporating the wind turbine into the circuit.
In the first trial with the battery connected to the motor, there was a 0.94 voltage drop. In the
second trial there was a 0.77 voltage drop; in the third trial there was a 0.61 voltage drop. The
average voltage drop was 0.773 volts for the battery as a stand-alone power source for the motor.
In the first trial with the battery and wind turbine connected in a parallel to the motor, there was a
0.42 voltage drop; in the second trial there was a 0.42 voltage drop; and in the third trial there
was a 0.51 voltage drop. The average voltage drop with the wind turbine was significantly lower
than the average voltage drop when the battery was powering the motor. The average drop in
voltage was 0.45-volts when the battery and wind turbine were connected in parallel to power the
motor. The percent difference of the two average voltage decreases was 52.9 percent. This
supports our hypothesis because there was a substantial difference between the average drops in
voltage, with the wind turbine in parallel with the battery being the smaller of the two averages.
NOTEBOOK 12

Conclusion
The hypothesis was supported by the data and was proven especially by the percent
difference of 52.9%. When the wind turbine was incorporated in parallel with the battery to
power the motor, the voltage decrease of the battery was significantly reduced. This shows the
influence of the wind turbine on the voltage drawn from the battery and supports the research
prior to completing the experiment. This experiment is highly applicable beyond the scope of
scientific experimentation. The concept of applying a clean source of energy to power an electric
motor can be implemented in electric cars and make them more accessible to the public.

While attempting to complete the experiment, there were some minor issues that were
faced. The wind turbine was difficult to test without a high-powered fan and there were many
issues in the process of 3D printing. The blades of the fan broke off on three separate occasions
and were a hassle to combine with the small generator. Given that the experiment is a year-long
research project, there were some minor modifications made to the experiment. An electric motor
is almost finished constructed and the experiment used a small electric motor bought online
instead of the self-constructed one. However, the results still showed that the concept was
correct.

If this experiment was to be completed an additional time, there would be a high-powered

fan used instead of driving to produce the wind resistance. At the same time though, this showed
an accurate representation of how the wind turbine would react to the forces. Additionally, the
wind turbine would be constructed out of materials that would better withstand the forces of
wind at 18 m/s. Further testing will include a larger electric motor to show the possibilities
beyond a small toy motor for electric cars.
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Acknowledgements
Our thanks to the Governors School at Innovation Park, our mentor, Dr. Psaker, Dr.
Gutierrez for aiding us with 3D printing our materials, Ms. Massie, for helping us understand
physics, Prince William County Schools for affording us this wonderful opportunity, and finally
our parents and classmates for pushing us to always pursue success.
NOTEBOOK 14

References and Bibliography

Brain, M. (2000, April 01). How Electric Motors Work. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/motor.htm/printable

Bullis, K. (2008, December 1). A Design for Cheaper Wind Power. Retrieved October 10, 2016,

from https://www.technologyreview.com/s/411274/a-design-for-cheaper-wind-power/ .

Cowern Papers. (n.d.). motorsanddrives.com - purchase industrial motors and drives online.

Retrieved from http://www.motorsanddrives.com/cowern/motorterms2-print.htm.

Emadi, A., Lee, Y. J., & Rajashekara, K. (2008). Power electronics and motor drives in electric,

hybrid electric, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. IEEE Transactions on industrial

electronics, 55(6), 2237-2245.

Fehrenbacher, K. (2016). Get Ready For a Long Wait Before Getting Your Tesla Model 3.

Retrieved December 16, 2016, from http://fortune.com/2016/04/01/wait-time-tesla-

model-3/.

MSC Industrial Direct Co. (2016). Motors Technical Information | MSC Industrial Supply Co.

Retrieved from https://www.mscdirect.com/basicsof/motors.

Popely, R. (2013, November 09). How Quickly Does the Tesla Model S Battery Charge?

Retrieved December 15, 2016, from https://www.cars.com/articles/2013/11/how-quickly-

does-the-tesla-model-s-charge/ .

Slootweg, J. G., De Haan, S. W. H., Polinder, H., & Kling, W. L. (2003). General model for

representing variable speed wind turbines in power system dynamics simulations. IEEE

Transactions on power systems, 18(1), 144-151.

Song, S. H., Kang, S. I., & Hahm, N. K. (2003, February). Implementation and control of grid

connected AC-DC-AC power converter for variable speed wind energy conversion system.
NOTEBOOK 15

In Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, 2003. APEC'03. Eighteenth

Annual IEEE (Vol. 1, pp. 154-158). IEEE.

NOTEBOOK 16

Project Notebook
Pages 17 to 40
NOTEBOOK 17

October 11th, 2016 - Progress Report

Progress:

The first step was to brainstorm for possible ideas for the project. The list of ideas included

a body-heated flashlight, a vacuum that almost eliminated air resistance and friction, testing

propeller designs, and more. The idea chosen was building an electric motor with a wind turbine

component to lengthen the time needed before the battery would need to be recharged with an

external power source in order to further popularize the usage of the electric car. Approval was

received from Dr. Psaker to complete the project. Research was conducted on electric motors, wind

turbines, and generators. The first article, Power Electronics and Motor Drives In Electric, Hybrid

Electric, and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles, provided research on how electric motors worked

in comparison to car systems. The first article summary was written on the article and submitted

to Dr. Psaker for grading. Another article summary was written on the second article, General

Model for Representing Variable Speed Wind Turbines in Power System Dynamics, and submitted

again for review. The final article summary completed was on the scientific article Implementation

and Control of Grid Connected AC-DC-AC Power Converter for Variable Speed Wind Energy

Conversion System. These three initial articles gave information about the basic processes that

would need to be understood in order to complete the project. Two other articles, A Design for

Cheaper Wind Power and How Electric Motors Work, have also been read to give further insight

on how to construct EMWiT. These articles provided insight into the best way to design the wind

turbine in order to only minimally affect the aerodynamic efficiency of the car as well as

information about the basic parts and functioning of an electric motor. The experimental design, a

broad description of how EMWiT will be built, and a research plan to document the basis of the

experiment has been completed as well and posted on the website emwit-gsip.weebly.com under

their given sections. The necessary forms for the experiment are completed and signed along with
NOTEBOOK 18

the first progress report. The website has also been given its basic structure and organized as well

as updated with all of the information up to October 13th.

Work Planned For the Next Two Weeks

Research will continue to be conducted within the following two-week time span to expand

knowledge of the key components and minor details of the experiment. The website will be

continuously edited to update and perfect it. The experiments design will continue to narrow as

minor details are decided on. A small commercial electric motor will be brought to class for

observation of how the pieces fit together. The motor will be separated from the frame, taken apart,

and then pieced back together to give insight on how each part is compatible with each other.

Overall, the goal for the next two weeks is to better understand how both pf the parts work and

investigate how they will be successfully combined. In addition, hopefully with the research, the

parts and pieces that will be needed can be decided on and researched regarding prices and

purchasing these parts.

NOTEBOOK 19

October 27th, 2016 - Progress Report

Objectives:

Complete a supply list and plan out the budget. Continue research on the wind turbine and

electric engine. Investigate 3D printing the wind turbine blades.

Progress:

Since October 13, 2016, the EMWiT website was completely developed and published on

Weebly. The first progress report, sketches, captions, and information about the Governors School

was uploaded to complete the necessary information for the website. More sketches were drawn

to allow visualization of how the components of the electric motor will fit together and to develop

a better understanding of the workings of an electric motor. Basic supplies required to build the

project were listed to determine how much further research needed to be conducted about wire

type, frame size, etc. The supplies that have already been agreed upon are the type of wire that will

be used, the size of the armature frame and the type of metal used for the armature. The dimensions

of the frame were based on research that was conducted to see how the size of the frame would

impact the horsepower of the motor. A small, remote controlled toy car was brought in for class

and taken apart to observe the basic structure of an electric motor. This allowed a more hands-on

experience for research and benefited our limited knowledge of the electric motor. Different ways

to construct an electric motor were looked at, such as having one or two parts for the commutator

and a simple design of what will be built was sketched.

Work Planned for the Next Two Weeks:

NOTEBOOK 20

Research for the supplies will be completed before the next progress report, including the

sources to buy the equipment. The supply list order form will be filled out and submitted to Dr.

Psaker. The dimensions of the wind turbine blades will be finalized and given to Dr. Gutierrez for

three-dimensional printing.
NOTEBOOK 21

November 10, 2016 - Progress Report

Objectives:

Complete the Supply Order Form and submit the first supply order for the engine. Continue

research on the wind turbine components and 3D printing the wind turbine blades.

Progress:

Since the last Progress Report, the supply list has been continuously worked on and

completed. For most of the supplies, a vendor was found and prices were calculated, knowing the

limited budget. A full-scale sketch was drawn of the electric motor and dimensions were decided

upon in order to have an accurate supplies list. The website has been updated continuously over

the last two weeks with numerous sketches and drawings used to configure the supplies list. See

the website, http://emwit-gsip.weebly.com/sketches.html on the media page for sketches done

during the last two weeks. The dimensions for the wind turbine have been decided and additional

research on blade design was completed. Research on the supplies was continued for both the

motor and the wind turbine. In addition, the basis for the battery that will be needed for the electric

motor was researched. The decision was that the battery would be a basic 6V battery to power the

motor. The overall progress includes multiple sketches and decisions on the dimensions of the

motor. Additionally, the wind turbine, which will be the second step following the construction of

the motor, was researched and basic elements, such as the blade design and dimensions, were

decided upon.
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Work Planned for the Next Two Weeks:

Over the next two weeks, the supply order form will be submitted and supplies will

hopefully come in, allowing the start of construction of the electrical motor. The website will

continue to be updated and sketches will be added to the media page of the website. Research will

continue on the wind turbine and blades.

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November 29, 2016 - Progress Report

Objectives:

Another Supply Order Form will be submitted, the website will continue to be updated

and sketches will be added, research on wind turbine and blades will continue, armature frame

will be sent for 3D printing,

Progress:

Since the last Progress Report, the supply list has been updated and the majority

of the supplies have been finalized. The original dimensions of the electric motor were too large

and made the construction of the armature frame complicated, so the dimensions were altered to

better reflect the capabilities, time, and budget constraints of the project. Ultimately, the

dimensions were scaled to 60% of the original size to allow for 3D printing of the armature

frame. The website has been continuously updated over the last two weeks with numerous

sketches and drawings used to configure the supplies list. See the website, http://emwit-

gsip.weebly.com/sketches.html on the media page for sketches done over the last two weeks.

Research on the wind turbine blades was continued and dimensions were decided. Lauren put the

dimensions for the blades and the armature in Inventor, so the blueprints would be ready for

when the parts would be 3D printed. After submitting our two Supply Order Forms, the metal

rod, battery, copper wire, iron fillings, and aluminum sheet metal arrived. Additionally,

discussion over the purchase of the neodymium magnets needed for the armature continued and

are almost completed. The number of magnets needed and the vendor are almost finalized.
NOTEBOOK 24

Work Planned for the Next Two Weeks:

Over the next two weeks, the final supply order form with the magnets and a motor for

the wind turbine will be submitted and all supplies will hopefully come in, allowing the start of

construction of the electric motor and wind turbine. The website will continue to be updated and

sketches will be added to the media page of the website. Additionally, the metal rod will be cut to

the desired size to fit the armature and the wind turbine components and armature layouts will be

sent to Dr. Gutierrez, so they can be 3D printed.

NOTEBOOK 25

January 10, 2017 - Progress Report

Objectives:

Objectives: Begin construction of the electric motor. Research commutator construction.

Investigate and plan wind turbine construction.

Progress:

The final supply order form was submitted for the neodymium magnets for the

motor, more magnet wire for the armature, carbon brushes for the motor, the 12-volt battery to

power the configuration, a copper sheet for the commutator, and insulated wire for the wind

turbine. All supplies on the order form were received, including the magnets (Figure 1), and excess

materials were given to Dr. Psaker for return. These excess materials were a result of the scaling

down of the electric motor. One of the magnets broke while it was being shipped and needed to be

thrown away because it was unusable. The dimensions of the wind turbine blades were configured

to match the ncessary size for the wind turbine, determined by voltage and amperes produced.

Blueprints for the 3D-printed wind turbine blades, the number of blades needed, and the hub were

submitted to Dr. G for printing. The armature frame was printed but unexpectedly had to be done

in two separate pieces due to height limitations. The armature frame was received and construction

of the electric motor began. The two pieces were glued together and narrow holes were drilled into

the end of each of the frames spokes to add the iron filings. The pieces of the commutator were

cut using tin snips (Figure 2) and are ready to be applied to the metal rod using putty when the

armature is finished.
NOTEBOOK 26

Figure 1: Supplies include: 6x6 inch copper plate for the commutator, a 6 volt battery for

the electric motor, 1000 g of iron filings for the armature, magnet wire for the electric motor's

electromagnetic field, a small motor for the wind turbine, carbon brushes for the electric motor an

aluminum rod for the electric motor axle and neodymium magnets for the electric motor (not

included in picture). 3D printing components were emailed to George Mason Professor Dr.

Gutierrez for printing.

Figure 2: This image shows the process of determining the number of commutator pieces

and the size of each piece, as well as the distance between the 10 pieces. Since there are 10 spokes

on the armature, there has to be 10 commutator pieces as well. The wire from each spoke will be

soldered onto the commutator and the brushes will rest against two of the pieces at a time.
NOTEBOOK 27

Work Planned for the Next Two Weeks:

The iron filing holes will be filled and closed with electrical tape to prevent them

from spilling every time the motor runs, and the magnet wire will be wrapped around each of the

spokes. Aluminum sheet metal will be cut into a rectangular shape with tin snips and bent to take

on the form of a cylinder. Magnets will line the inside of the metal, placed using epoxy glue to two

in a column and spaced an even distance apart. The armature will be attached to the metal rod with

epoxy glue. The commutator will be constructed and attached to the rod at the base of the motor

with putty. The magnet wire will be soldered to each plate in the commutator. Carbon brushes will

connect to the reshaped frame of the electric motor and wire will then be attached to the batter to

allow the charge of the commutator to be changed from negative to positive and vice versus. Once

all the components of the electric motor are put together, the frames ends will be glued with epoxy

glue.
NOTEBOOK 28

January 26th, 2017 - Progress Report

Objectives:

Continue construction of electric motor. Reconstruct commutator. Continue updating

website. Connect wind turbine blades to hub and investigate construction of wind turbine.

Progress:

The armature was received in two separate pieces, as planned, and glued together using

plastic epoxy glue (figures 1, 2, 3). The ends of the two separate pieces of the armature that were

supposed to be glued were uneven, so the ridged edge, as seen in the pictures below, was glued as

it was more level. The wire was wrapped around the spokes of the armature, beginning the

construction of the electromagnet (figure 4). A couple different ways to add the iron filings were

reviewed using an additional piece of similar plastic to the armature. Additionally, 6 holes were

drilled on the end of each spoke to fill with iron filings in order to direct the magnetic field. The

rod was glued into the armature and copper pieces for the commutator were cut using the old tin

snips. These pieces were glued to the rod, but after receiving the new tin snips, it was decided that

the commutator would be reconstructed and new copper pieces cut (figure 5 is old commutator).

The old epoxy putty has to be removed in order to reconstruct the commutator. The metal exterior

of the motor was cut and has been marked for the magnets. Gluing of the magnets has started, but

considering the strength of the magnets, only a few can be glued at a time. The wind turbine blades

were printed as well as the hub. The hub still had rafts on it, so those were removed. The website

has been updated with pictures, which are present below.

NOTEBOOK 29

Figure 1: 3D printed armature frame components were completed January 12th. The armature

frame had to be printed in two parts, so they have to be glued together. After the parts are glued,

the copper magnet wire can start being wrapped around each of the ten spokes. This will create the

electromagnet that will help the armature spin.

Figure 2: To glue the two armature frame parts together, JB Weld glue was used, which is just a

type of epoxy glue. This glue was used instead of another type of glue because it is one of the

strongest epoxy glues available and it can be used with plastics. This was very important because
NOTEBOOK 30

some glues would have actually burned or melted the plastic, which would damage the armature

frame.

Figure 3: This is the final armature frame after it was glued together. The thick spots of glue on

the outside of the frame are there to fill in the gaps there were between the two parts when putting

them together. During the 3D printing process, the second piece printed a little crooked, so when

the two were put together, they did not align perfectly. Now that the armature frame is completed,

the magnet wire needs to be wrapped.

Figure 4: The magnetic wire was wrapped around the armature frame and the frame was glued to

the rod. The magnetic wire will help to create an electromagnet when an electric current is sent

through. Epoxy glue was used to attach the frame to the metal rod. In order to complete the
NOTEBOOK 31

armature, the commutator needs to be constructed, the carbon brushes connected, and the ends of

the magnetic wire soldered to the commutator. Soldering the end of the magnetic wire to the

commutator makes it so that each time the commutator changes the charge, the new current can be

sent through the wire to change the charge of the electromagnet also. This will cause the armature

to spin as the poles repel and attract to each other continuously as a result of the charge of the

electromagnet changing.

Figure 5: This is the first commutator that was built. The copper pieces are visibly jagged since

the first set of tin snips were used. The pieces have been recut using the new snips and the epoxy

putty needs to be cut off using a drimmel in order to reconstruct the commutator.

Work planned for the next two weeks:

The electric motor will continue to be constructed. The first commutator will be removed

using a drimmel and the new one created. The new, well-cut pieces of the copper sheet metal will

be attached to the rod using epoxy putty again. These pieces are longer than the first pieces in order

to provide room for both the soldered wires and the carbon brushes. The magnets will be glued to

the aluminum sheet metal and the sheet metal formed around the armature. The wind turbine blades
NOTEBOOK 32

will be glued to the hub using epoxy glue. Further investigation of how to connect the wind turbine

to the electric generator will be completed. The website will continue to be updated with pictures

of the process. An outline for the testing of the electric motor will be created to prepare for testing

before the end of February.

NOTEBOOK 33

February 9, 2017 - Progress Report

Objectives:

Continue construction of the electric motor. Fix glued magnets on aluminum sheet metal.

Glue wind turbine blades to hub and investigate construction of the wind turbine. Continue

updating the website.

Progress:

During the past two weeks, the electric motor has almost been completed. At the beginning

of these two weeks, the two armature frame pieces had just been glued together and the magnetic

wire had been wrapped around each of the ten spokes. The next step was to complete drilling holes

on the outer rim of the spokes. The holes were drilled and the iron filings were put into them. This

took about three class periods to complete because of the difficulty with filling the holes with the

iron filings without having a funnel readily available at the time. A pen cap was used and a piece

of paper taped around it to make a funnel small enough so the iron filings could slide right into the

holes. Duct tape was also placed over each of the holes to ensure that the iron filings would not

fall out of the holes. This proved very effective and helped complete the construction of the

armature (figure 1). The magnets were also all glued onto the aluminum sheet that was cut to

eventually embody the exterior of the motor. This process took more time as magnets could not be

applied until the epoxy putty dried. At first epoxy glue was used to place the magnets on the sheet

metal, but it was discovered that the glue would not be strong enough to hold the magnets in place.

Some magnets had to be removed and placed back down with epoxy putty instead. The new

commutator was also made after the old one was removed with a multi tool saw. The replacement

commutator pieces were cut with newly bought tin snips. These pieces were much smoother and
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were easily placed on the reapplied epoxy putty (figure 1). The fan blades were printed previously,

but more were printed to replace those that were printed incorrectly (figure 2). The hub was also

printed previously, but a new one is being printed because the hub was too small and was scaled

down incorrectly (figure 3). The new scale was sent to Dr. Gutierrez, and the hub is in the process

of being printed. The website has been updated with pictures, which are present below.

Figure 1: This is an image of the finished armature with the new commutator. The old commutator

was taken off with pliers and a multi tool saw. Then, using epoxy putty, a new commutator was

formed with 10 pieces of newly cut copper. These pieces were longer, smoother, and had more

defined edges than the previous pieces, providing a smoother surface for the soldering of the wires

and the brushes to make contact. The armature was drilled with 6 holes on each spoke and filled

with iron filings in order to provide a more stable magnetic field for the electromagnet. The holes

were then covered with duct tape to make sure the filings did not escape.
NOTEBOOK 35

Figure 2: The wind turbine blades were 3D printed and there are 17 in total. These blades will be

attached to the hub once it is printed again. See the below image for more information on the hub.

The blades measure approximately 4 in or 10.2 cm long. The base measure 4 cm or 1.5 in long.

There are two blades that were misprinted that only measure 3.25 in long.

Figure 3: The hub was printed incorrectly the first time and is being 3D printed to match the blades

of the wind turbine. The original hub was too small for the blades to fit. The blades will slide into

the slots on the hub and be glued using epoxy to secure them in place.

Work planned for the next two weeks:

The electric motor will be completely constructed and some tests may be conducted on the

electric motor by the end of the next two weeks. The first part of the wind turbine will be

constructed with the new hub. The wind turbine blades will be slid into their spots and secured

with epoxy putty. This will ensure that they stay in place as the wind turbine spins. There will also

be continued investigation of the wind turbine. Research will be done on the construction of the

wind turbine in order to generate the most power possible. It will be determined how to connect

the motor to the wind turbine itself. Some parts for the wind turbine may need to be ordered, but

that has not been determined yet. This will be one of the components that will be researched and
NOTEBOOK 36

discussed over the next two weeks. The website will continue to be updated with pictures of the

construction of the electric motor and wind turbine. An outline for the testing of the electric motor

will be created to prepare for testing.

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February 23rd, 2017 - Progress Report

Objectives:

Finish the construction of the electric motor and order parts for the wind turbine and

construct the turbine. Start testing for the electric motor to ensure it works. Continue updating the

website.

Progress:

The magnets on the frame of the electric motor were glued, first with quick-dry epoxy glue,

then with epoxy putty, but after drying, the magnets starting peeling off of the aluminum sheet

metal. The magnets were taken off the metal, a longer piece of aluminum was cut more precisely,

and the metal was marked and scored where the magnets would be placed. The magnets were glued

again using a stronger epoxy glue. The commutator of the electric motor was constructed, but after

using poor tinsnips to cut the copper pieces, a new pair of tinsnips was ordered and the commutator

was taken apart. The epoxy putty holding the copper pieces together was reapplied higher on the

metal rod, and longer copper pieces were cut with more accurate tinsnips and stuck to the epoxy

putty. The wire was soldered and excess wire was cut, completing the construction of the armature

and commutator. Dr. G reprinted the hub for the wind turbine, because it was too small for the fan

blades. The 3D printed fan blades were inserted into the new hub, but the slots for the blades were

slightly too narrow and have inconsistent widths, making the insertion of the blades tedious and

more time-consuming. The wind turbine blades and hub were finished and are ready for the final

steps of construction.
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Figure 1: The magnets were reapplied to a new sheet metal with a stronger epoxy that takes longer
to dry, so magnets had to be placed on the underside of the metal until the epoxy glue dried
completely. As seen on the far left, the area where the magnets were placed were outlined and
scored to create a stronger and more accurate adhesive for the magnets.

Figure 2: The wind turbine hub and blades were connected, without the need for epoxy glue.
This took longer than expected due to the tight fit for each slot, and the fan blades had to be
inserted using a hammer and buffer.
NOTEBOOK 39

Work Planned for the Next Two Weeks:

Research will be conducted on further construction of the wind turbine, including the types

of gears that are necessary to maximize efficiency of the power produced. The gears will be added

to the hub and blades, and then connected to the generator to convert the mechanical energy into

electrical energy. Two circles will be carved out of the aluminum sheet metal to go on the ends of

the frame of the motor, completing the construction of the electric motor entirely. The motor will

be measured using a multimeter to see the amount of volts it produces when attached to a battery.

The website will continue to be updated with more pictures and data for the voltage produced from

the electric motor.