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EXPERIMENT 7

A Model Geothermal Steam Engine
 
THINGS YOU NEED: An empty soup can. Heavy aluminum foil (frozen food tray, pie pan, etc.). Aluminum wrapping foil. Straight pin. An 8" length of stiff wire (coat hanger). Stick about 12" long. Small pot. Glue. Tape. Rubber band.
 
     With a little imagination and a model turbine, you can get some idea how steam can produce electricity. First, you’ll have to build the model. It’s easy. Here’s how:

  1. If not already off, remove the lid from the soup can. Throw the lid away; rinse out the can.
  2. Turn the can upside down and punch two 1/8" holes opposite one another in the bottom. Locate each hole about ¼" away from the rim.
  3. From your frozen food tray or pie pan, cut out a flat disk equal in diameter to that of the can. Pierce a hole in the center of this disk with a straight pin.
  4. Take some aluminum wrapping foil and wad it up into a little ball the size of a small cherry. Glue this ball to the disk, centered right over the hole. It will prevent the disk from wobbling badly.
  5. After the glue has dried, put the pin in the disk hole and push it through the ball. Try to get the pin as perpendicular to the disk as you are able. Now enlarge this hole slightly with a thicker pin or needle. The idea is to have the disk and ball spin freely on the pin.
  6. Make eight equally spaced “pie cuts” in the disk with a pair of scissors. Cut all the way to the ball.
  7. Twist each “pie wedge”slightly to form the turbine wheel (see drawing)