Our goal is to create a clean renewable energy source to power heaters for farm town schools in Ukraine. We plan to use the natural, consistent rainfall in Ukraine in transformation of a source to enhance students comfort and concentration.

Step 1: Materials

Materials List:

Turbine

9’’ Bucket Tops

2” PVC

3/4’’ PVC

Rotor / Stator

1’ Cardboard circle cutouts

Super strength rare earth magnets

Enameled magnet wire, 24 gage

Overall

17 gallon bucket

2’’ PVC

2’’ elbows

1 ½ ’’ x 1’’ PVC fittings

Step 2: Turbine Prototype

You will need a spinning water powered turbine. Originally we put spoons into a cork but then sized up to a PVC turbine. To make the PVC turbine we cut 3 PVC elbow pieces in half making 6 pieces total. Next, sandwich the elbows in two circular plastic pieces, we used bucket lids. Then make a hole through the middle of the sandwich for a dowel to go through.

Step 1: Gather materials

You will need 2 Home Depot bucket lids, 3 PVC elbow pieces, 6 nuts, 6 bolts, and drilling equipment.

Step 2: Material preparation

Cut the rims off of the two buckets. We did it with a jigsaw. Then drill a 2 inch hole through the center of each lid. Next drill 6 evenly spaced holes near the perimeter of both lids so that your nuts can fit in them. Now saw each of the elbow pieces in half lengthwise exposing the insides of the tubes. Then drill a hole of the same size as in the perimeter of the lids in each half piece of the elbows. Make sure they can all face the same direction as in the picture. Then align the elbows to the lids, put your nuts through the holes and bolt them snugly.

Step 3: Shell

This will be the housing for the turbine as well as what is holding the dowel in place. It is relatively simple the make.

Step 1: Gather materials

Get a bucket or box with a diameter of 21.5 inches and a height of 16.25 inches. Drilling equipment.

Step 2: Drill

You will be drilling two holes on either side of the bucket so mark where you will drill first and make sure the holes will be aligned. Then drill a 2 inch hole where you have marked on the sides. Next drill a hole on the center of the bottom of the bucket. For this one size is irrelevant as long as enough water can make it into the turbine.

Step 4: Electrical System

In this part we convert the energy made from the turbine spinning into electricity.

Step 1: Gather materials

For this step get the 2 pieces of cardboard, the magnets, and the wire.

Step 2: Embed magnets

Cut out a small chunk of card board in 6 evenly spaced out places about half way between the center and the edge of the cardboard. Next, jam a single magnet into each hole and seal it down with a strip of tape.

Step 3: Coil the wires

Wrap the wire around your hand clock wise 20 to 30 times then remove it from your hand and without cutting the wire go on to spin it on your hand counter clockwise 20 to 30 times. Repeat this step 3 times resulting in 6 ovals of wire then tape them down to the second piece of card board so the parallel the magnets in the other cardboard.

Step 4: Finishing

Put both pieces facing each other on the dowel sticking out side of the bucket. Make sure they are as close as they can be without any obstruction to maximize the power flow. Finally, loosen one of the holes in the card board so the dowel does not spin it. Only one should spin. Then connect it to your battery