Wind mill power
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:34 pm
I am making a windmill for physics class. It must lift a 500 g weight. How big should the fan paddles be to accomplish this. It will be powered with a box fan.
There are way too many variables here to answer your question. Besides the diameter of the blades, you have to consider the pitch of the blades, the lifting mechanism in general and specifically any gearing involved that increases the work efficiency.
The best way to get your answers might be to just plow ahead and start experimenting. Simply put, a design that can lift a 1G weight can also lift a 500G weight (with the right gear arrangement), but it will take 500 times as long. So you need to be a lot more specific. Are there any limitations on your design? Does it have to lift the weight in some amount of time? Is there a limit on size?