From Filament to Wind Power: The Effect of Blade Shape on Wind Turbine Performance
Energy and Change
Nicolas Tresso
- Grade:
- 7
- Teacher:
- Lisa Levine
This project tested how blade shape and blade number affected wind turbine electricity production.
This is an excellent and well-chosen experiment! Investigating how blade shape affects wind turbine performance shows real scientific curiosity and strong engineering thinking. You explored how changing one design feature can impact how efficiently energy is produced — that’s exactly how real engineers improve renewable energy systems.
I especially like that your project connects science to real-world problems. Wind turbines are an important source of clean energy, and understanding how blade design affects rotation speed or power output is something professional engineers study every day.
Your experiment demonstrates several important scientific principles:
Aerodynamics — how air moves around different shapes
Energy conversion — turning wind energy into mechanical energy
Controlled variables — keeping wind speed and materials consistent while changing only blade shape
It was great that you compared multiple blade shapes rather than just testing one. That shows strong experimental design.
I only wish you had included in your slide images of each blade design but all in all, kudos.