Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1181966
64 SMT007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2019 Matties: What was the process like for develop- ing this STEM project? Dylan Nguyen: First, I talked to a lot of my teachers and asked for resources. Kites aren't really an area most people at my school would be familiar with, so I took it to the kite commu- nity too. I observed and inquired about various kites that I was interested in; then, I combined them into something that would work the best for me. I've also had to adjust and re-engineer things along the way. Initially, I planned to build the turbine onto the frame of a Cody or Conyne once used to carry war equipment. However, the Prism Flip spinner sparked the idea of attaching the turbine to the flying line, making the use of a sparless kite even more plausible. The first test flight did not turn out well as the system swung wild like a pendulum. Alden Miller, a kite mentor of mine, suggested I use a picavet. I made it out of pinewood to hoist the turbine and adjusted it so that it keeps the propeller stay pointed to the wind, which eliminates the need for a tailfin. Matties: How big is the turbine, and how much does it weigh? Dylan Nguyen: It weighs about one pound, which is still a lot for a kite to lift. The two- blade propeller is 15 inches. The motor is about 1.5 x 2 inches, so it's not a huge motor. It's not like an RC plane motor, which is some- thing that I've been looking at. Matties: Like a brushless motor? Dylan Nguyen: Yes, because those seem to spin faster and produce a lot of energy. It's con- nected to a short spar to keep it away from the line. The turbine is inserted on to the frame that connects to the picavet mount. The pica- vet is then suspended from the flying line. The transfer of electricity to the ground-based bat- tery is via an electrical wire. Matties: What sort of voltage are you moving down to? Dylan Nguyen: The motor is 12 volts at the moment. If I want to use something like a trans- former, like a step down or step up, I'd go for 14 volts; that way, it would go into the 12-volt battery for more output. The whole system fits into a backpack and is easily carried. Matties: And the kite you use is a very durable foil, so it has no rigid parts. Dylan Nguyen: Correct. That makes it easier to set up and maintain because there are no extra parts nor anything to break other than the sail. The kite fits into a small compression bag. Storage and the size of the system have never been issues; instead, I've sacrificed a bit of the power output for the sake of portability, which is why I'm looking into a transformer or some other efficient way to produce energy. Matties: Do you see this growing this product into a business for yourself? Dylan Nguyen: I could see it growing into a busi- ness, and it's something that I want to expand The system is designed to fit into a backpack.