PROJECT OVERVIEW

Objective: Students will learn about renewable energy by building a LEGO water wheel, while the
discussion will stimulate their interest in environmentally friendly types of
energy and how we harness them. The water wheel project will also teach them how
rotation can be transferred by gears.

Preparation: Follow the building guide to construct the LEGO water wheel

Materials: Kit 1, Plastic Tub, Bottle of Water

Vocabulary: Renewable Energy, Potential Energy, Hydroelectric Dam, Kinetic Energy, Transfer

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The water wheel runs on the natural source of water

Water wheels are meant to harness the power of nature, using the energy of streams, creeks, and rivers to
power the wheel. When water wheels were invented people did not know that we could burn coal or oil to
produce energy and saw moving water bodies like rivers and creeks as a source of energy they could
harness. This revelation was most likely the first renewable energy source that humans had discovered
and continues to be useful today when we harness the energy of larger rivers and bodies of water through
dams. Renewable energy is a type of energy that is able to be used over and over again, unlike gas or coal.
This idea is similar to a reusable plastic cup, after one use it can be washed and used again. One major
example of a dam that produces energy by harnesses the energy of a river is the Hoover Dam which is
pictured before in Figure 1.
 Figure 1. Hoover Dam.
Photos taken from commons.wikipedia.org
The water wheel has been a source of power since ancient times

The origins of the water wheel start in both Ancient Rome and China [4]. Early Roman water wheels were
used to power flour mills, but were not commonly used due to the cheap and easily accessible slave labor.
The most impressive of the Roman flour mills was the mill at Barbegal, which was in southern France.
This mill used 16 overshot mills to power their flour mill [3]. China, on the other hand relied heavily on
water power. They realized the usefulness of renewable energy because they did not have alternative
sources such as coal or gas to burn for power, so they had a variety of uses for the water wheel. The
Chinese version had horizontal water wheels that resembled a spinning top. These water wheels powered
grain mills and helped out in casting iron farm equipment [3]. A vertical water wheel was also used by the
ancient Chinese. The edge of the wheel was used to trip hammers for hulling rice and tripping hammers
[3]

There are different types of water wheels

There are four types of water wheels which use three main methods of using the energy in the water.
Overshot (forward rotation) and backshot (backward rotation) are the most common and powerful types
of water wheels. To imagine how these work, look at the seconds hand of a clock on the wall and imagine
it spinning much faster. The water flows from a stream uphill of the mill and down onto the wheel from
above. Breastshot is the second best wheel design. This design operates with the water flowing on the side
of the wheel. The last and least efficient design is the undershot wheel which is essential a wheel sitting in
a flowing stream [2]. The type of water wheel that the kids will be building is an overshot wheel design.
The three designs are shown below in Figure 2.

Figure 2. The three types of water wheels.

Photos taken from commons.wikipedia.org
Modern water wheels and their effects on communities

Typical modern water wheels consist of hydroelectric dams, dams that produce energy through the use of
water. A large reservoir of water is created by blocking off a river or a stream of water. The large body of
water is then used to store potential energy (a type of energy that comes from how high something is and
how gravity affects it) that can be used to power the water wheel. As the reservoir is drained through a
tunnel, flowing water spins a turbine in order to spin the generator and create electricity. After the water
flows through the turbine it drains to the existing river. Figure 3 to the right gives a graphical
representation of how a hydroelectric dam works.

Figure 3. A schematic overview of a hydroelectric dam

Photos taken from commons.wikipedia.org
Hydroelectric dams have been a ground breaking source of energy for surrounding states and cities.
These large reservoir create large amounts of power from the hydroelectric process similar to the water
wheel. Hoover Dam generates, on average, about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power each
year for use in Nevada, Arizona, and California - enough to serve 1.3 million people which is about
the size of larges cities like phoenix or Indianapolis. [5]

A water wheel is spun by water that is used to generate energy

The transformation of potential energy (a type of energy that is stored) to kinetic energy (a type of energy
that is caused by motion) can be difficult to grasp. Water rotates a water wheel similarly to how air spins a
pinwheel; water falls on the fins of the water wheel causing it to rotate. The wheels center is connected to
a rod that extends to gears. As the wheel spins, the rod then spins and so do the gears. This is the concept
of energy generation; something that was not moving is now moving. Machines such as saw mills and can
be connected to the gears and be powered from them. Today, only very few old designs of water wheels
are still in use. This is due to the very low efficiencies of the older design [1]. A more modern adaptation
of the water wheel is a water turbine; a water wheel enclosed in a space that can handle higher flow rates
of water. As the wheel spins, the rotating gears create energy that is stored in large capacitors; which is
something that can hold energy to be used at a later time such as a battery. This process exists in crank
flashlights which produces light when the handle is spun. The energy produced and stored in the
capacitors can be stored for later use or transported to another location. Below in Figure 4 is an example
of a water wheel.
 Figure 4. A water wheel spun by water
Photos from ThingLink.com

Discussion Questions
Q: What are we building today?
A: A water wheel.

Q: Has anyone ever seen a water wheel before?

A: Old types of water wheels are not very common anymore, and it is not likely that the wheel inside of a
dam could be seen from the outside.

Q: Who was the first country to use a water wheel?

A: It is believed that the Romans used water wheels as early as 14 A.D. There is also evidence that the
Chinese had water wheels around this time, so it is debatable who actually used them first, but they were
the frontrunners of water wheel technology.
Q: How many types of water wheels are there?
A: There are four types of water wheels. The four types are overshot, undershot, breastshot, and backshot.

Q: How do water wheels get their water?

A: The water comes from streams uphill of the wheel.

Q: How does a water wheel spin?

A: The water falls on the wheel and spins it. There are multiple ways depending on the type of water
wheel, but this version is the design they are building.

Q: What is a vane?
A: A vane is a broad piece attached to the water wheel used to catch the water as it flows by. Without
vanes a water wheel could not spin.

Q: What is renewable energy?

A: Renewable energy is natural energy that cannot be used up. The sources of natural energy include but
are not limited to solar, wind, and water powers.

Q: Why is renewable energy good?

A: Renewable energy does not cause pollution on the same level as other alternative forms of energy
generation like coal or gasoline. Renewable resources are also not in danger of running out like coal and
gasoline.

Q: What are water wheels used for?

A: Water wheels are used for watering fields, plants, and powering buildings. There were used for
irrigation and as sources of power for many factories.

Q: Do you know what types of factories used water wheels?

A: The most famous uses are for milling grains and sawing wood.

Q: When were water wheels invented?

A: 4th Century BC by both the ancient Romans and Egyptians [4].

Q: Has anyone ever seen a dam?

A: Dams are common throughout the world, as they are a great source of renewable power for us today.

Q: Do you know what a dam is?

A: It is a wall that holds up water, so that a river becomes a lake. Water then flows into the dam and spins
the turbines inside. As the turbines spin, their energy is used to generate power. A little bit of water is
allowed to flow through the dam in pipes, so that it does not overflow.

Q: How could a water wheel be used with a dam?

A: The water wheel can be placed where water flows through the internal pipes of the dam. This is what is
referred to as a turbine.

Q: How is power stored using a turbine?

A: As the water spins the wheel, the energy is stored inside a large device similar to a battery called a
capacitor.

Q: Do you think a turbine or an old classic water wheel works better and why?
A: A turbine works much better. It uses the water more efficiently and more rotation can be created with
less water. Turbines can also withstand high water speeds and its enclosure lets less water escape its
vanes.

Q: How is power stored using a turbine?

A: As the water spins the wheel, the energy is stored inside a large device similar to a battery called a
capacitor.
References:

[1] Gerald Mller and Klemens Kauppert, "Performance characteristics of water wheels," Journal of
Hydraulic Research, vol. 42.5, pp. 451-460, May. 2004

[2] "WATER WHEELS," WaterHistory.org, Types of Water wheel, N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017

[3] "Water Wheels," WaterHistory.org, N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017

[4] Oleson, John Peter (2000), "Water-Lifting", in Wikander, rjan, Handbook of Ancient Water
Technology, Technology and Change in History, 2, Leiden: Brill, pp. 217302,

[5] Bureau of Reclamation, Hoover Dam Web Designer. "Hoover Dam | Bureau Of Reclamation".
Usbr.gov. N.p., 2017. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.

[6] "File:Hydroelectric Dam.Svg - Wikimedia Commons". Commons.wikimedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 25

Apr. 2017.

[7] "File:Hoover Dam From Air.Jpg - Wikimedia Commons". Commons.wikimedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web.
25 Apr. 2017.
Today I Built a Water Wheel

What I Learned About Today

Key Terms:
Water Wheel an energy device powered by water
Turbine a machine for producing power that is spun by a wheel
Renewable Energy energy that is created without destroying resources
Hydroelectric Dam a modern energy devices that operates similarly to a water wheel

Concepts:
Energy can be harnessed using a water wheel.
Moving water is a renewable resource.
Hydroelectric dams have water wheels inside of them.
Modern water wheels can generate enough energy to power multiple states.
Renewable energy sources are important because they will always be around.