Concordia U Mech Eng Capstone 2008-2009 Team 15B Wind Turbine

[nwilke]

how were the helical blades formed? what are they made of? i imagine it wouldn't self start under load. at lower winds, which are what the majority of people have most of the time, you definitely want higher solidity.

[Ferrarina]

The blades are made of high-density styrofoam, cut into 2in sections and glued together, then covered in fiberglass. By our last official test, we had it self-starting under a small load, but only at high speed. Still not bad for something hand made on a $500 budget!