The green outlet – Small wind power plants island options Erasmus Project

General information for the The green outlet – Small wind power plants island options Erasmus Project

The green outlet – Small wind power plants island options Erasmus Project
July 7, 2020 12:00 am
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Project Title

The green outlet – Small wind power plants island options

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Energy and resources; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The project dealt with the question of whether and how wind energy island solutions can contribute to today’s energy supply. The trigger for dealing with this topic was the reactor disaster in Fukushima (2013, Japan), which (especially in Germany and Europe) has led to a rethinking (including wind farms in the North Sea).
However, the wind farm energy must be “transported” over long distances. For single applications, “island solutions” are better suited to reduce transport to regional weaker areas. A major advantage of regenerative systems is that they do not generate any environmental impact during energy generation.

The overall objective of the project was to look at the “energy problem” from different perspectives:
• First the intellectual point of view was considered; here Students expanded their knowledge of alternative systems,
• Social and political perspectives continued to be considered as well
• analyzed the technological view.
The Students planned and produced four different, functioning “small wind turbines” during the entire project period and put them into operation.
The generated electrical energy is available to all students (and not just the students involved in the project) of the two participating schools. At “charging stations” they can always charge their smartphone, tablet, etc.

The project participants (= Students of the two participating schools) are all between 16 and 19 years old. They attend the grade 12 of the vocational high school (Germany) or the comparable school form in the Czech Republic – both groups with the subject / focus “mechatronics”. Every year 40 to 50 students took part in the project exchange – four transnational encounters / exchange trips took place.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned goals, a project focus (= different types of small wind turbine type = module) was (not only) dealt with in the transnational exchange phases.
As preparation and during these phases, SuS et al. Developments, presentations and video clips on the respective small wind turbine type
(= modules: three-bladed rotor, Savonius rotor, Darrieus rotor or Heidelberg rotor).
In addition, the SuS built the functioning, electricity-generating models in the replacement phases that function like the real “large-scale products” (cf windmills in wind farms).
In these transnational phases of learning activity (in addition to communication and dealing with the respective technology), especially “new manufacturing technologies” played an important role. The Students were introduced here in these manufacturing technologies (practice-oriented):
• from Computer Aided Design – CAD (Solid Works as Professional Software),
• the production of single parts with conventional machine tools up to
• Computer-controlled production with modern production machine tools (CNC machines: milling machine & lathe).
The complete design, programming and manufacturing were subsequently carried out by SuS in mixed teams using the aforementioned manufacturing technologies and machines (IT).
• The communication during the project period (and especially during the transnational exchange phases) took place in German, Czech and English.

The methods and approaches used throughout the project are “integrated learning” (multiple themes), “holistic learning” (to learn the problem in all its perspectives and contexts (technical, social, political) and “self-organized learning “to see (the students work in groups that perform the” solve “clearly defined task individually according to their own planning and production).

The results (= presentations, video clips and models) are presented and exhibited in various dissemination events at both schools (open house, (school) information events (including vocational training fairs, etc.) or outside schools (visiting firms or other schools).

The effects of the project are, among others:
• that students (further) developed and experienced new forms of learning,
• a better understanding of the European partners,
• realized that technology is not an “end in itself” and does not just consist of questions of know-how, but also: are always dependent on social importance; as well
• Political aspects that need to be considered and evaluated.
This has prepared SuS better for her professional future in a technical field.

The long-term benefits for the school include:
• improvement of the standard and the quality in the classroom,
• the implementation of a European curriculum,
• improved cooperation with European partners, because …

… the problems we face in the future can only be solved together …

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 48900 Eur

Project Coordinator

Werner-von-Siemens-Schule Wetzlar & Country: DE

Project Partners

  • Sigmundova stredni skola strojirenska, Lutin