Wind Turbine from Scavenged parts
Systems Engineering with scraps
Introduction
Wind Turbines are machines invented by William Kamkwamba in Kasungu District, Southern Part of Africa, Malawi, when he was sent back from school for not being able to pay his fees due to the overwhelming famine that the country was experiencing at that time. This wind turbine was built using some blue gum trees, car batteries, bicycle parts, PVC pipes, tractor fans, and materials collected in a local scrapyard.
A crippling famine forced the inventor of this wind Turbine to come up with the idea of developing this turbine upon reading a book called the “Energy". William first experimented with the construction of this wind turbine with a small model using a cheap dynamo that later turned into a functioning wind turbine that powered some electrical appliances in his home and the surrounding homes and was used in farm irrigation.
System environment and Stakeholders
Initially, the Windmill Turbine was built to provide electricity to William`s home only, but it later extended to the whole of William's village. The villagers were now able to light their homes, power appliances like Refrigerators and Televisions, and finally irrigate their fields.
Quality assurance and Adherence coupled with SE processes and concepts
The wind turbine invented by William Kamkwamba exemplifies the application of systems engineering principles to address real-world challenges with limited resources.
Resourcefulness and Adaptability: Facing a crippling famine, William Kamkwamba creatively used locally available materials such as blue gum trees, car batteries, bicycle parts, PVC pipes, and tractor fans to construct the wind turbine. This resourcefulness demonstrates the first principle of systems engineering: adaptability and flexibility in problem-solving.
Design and Iteration: William initially experimented with a small model using a cheap dynamo. Through iterative design and testing, he transformed it into a functional wind turbine capable of powering electrical appliances in his home and neighboring houses. This aligns with the second principle: continuous improvement through design iterations.
Operational Evaluation: The wind turbine’s operational evaluation involved assessing its performance, safety, and impact on the community. By monitoring its effectiveness in providing electricity, William ensured that the system met its intended purpose. This relates to the third principle, rigorous evaluation and validation.
Community Impact and Decision-Making: The turbine extended beyond William’s home, benefiting the entire village. It provided lighting, powered appliances like refrigerators and televisions, and facilitated farm irrigation. Involving the community in decision-making and considering their needs exemplifies the fourth principle: stakeholder engagement and impact assessment.
Quality Assurance: Plastic paper was used for blade design, and thorough testing ensured safety. The INCOSE Handbook emphasizes quality assurance, aligning with the fifth principle: ensuring system safety, reliability, and effectiveness.
Conclusion
The wind turbine is an example of systems engineering principles that can be applied to solve real-world problems with limited resources. This turbine, however, demonstrates the benefits of Systems engineering for innovation, sustainability, and social impact, as elaborated in the principles of systems engineering Handbook.
References
- “TED Speaker: William Kamkwamba — Inventor”. (October 2020).
- “Kamkwamba documentary wins international film award”. (October 2019)
- Kamkwamba. W, (October 2009) ALA student
- INCOSE (2015). INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook.https://www.incose.org/products-and-publications/se-handbook
