Innovative educational methods in teaching sustainable energy

The purpose of this research is to develop an effective educational method for teaching sustainable energy. An innovative teaching method is created by using a wind simulation system. Wind turbines transform wind energy into mechanical energy from the kinetic energy of the wind´s speed that causes the rotation of the turbine´s blades. Therefore, in order to obtain optimal performance the location and elevation of the turbines is crucial. Due to the inability of having a real wind turbine in preferable locations, alternative methods are being developed. This research project proposes the Lucas-Nuelle wind simulator as a viable solution to these constraints. The software Lucas Nuelle generates power by using a small wind energy generator that simulates the rotation of the shaft in the wind turbine as the wind speed increases. It then records the amount of power, voltage, and current at different speeds. For that reason, the Lucas Nuelle software can be used as a substitution of an actual wind turbine. As a result, the wind simulator system imitates how wind turbines work and perform over changes of wind speed, pitch and elevation.