Island sixth-grader takes top prize at regional science fair

Hilton Head Island Middle School sixth-grader Joseph Ludewig faced tough competition at this year's regional science fair -- his brother.

Brian Ludewig, an eighth-grader, has placed at the annual fairs before. This year, he tested model bridges to see how many cinder blocks they could hold.

Joseph was determined to compete in the same category, physics.

After studying how renewable energy sources could help the economy, Joseph decided to focus on wind energy. His project, "Winds of Wonder," won the grand prize last month at the multi-county Sea Island Regional Science Fair. The fair was open to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. (Brian Ludewig finished fourth.)

Joseph received a $125 prize, a medal from Georgia Tech and a free trip to Reno, Nev., in May to observe the International Science Fair. He can't compete there because it's open only to high school students.

For his project, Joseph built three types of wind turbines and tested them to see which created electricity most efficiently.

He built two horizontal turbines and one vertical one with Tinker Toys, wood, Plexiglas, magnets, wire coils and low-energy light bulbs. One horizontal turbine was built with four curved blades, the other with four flat blades. The vertical turbine was built with three curved blades.

Joseph's turbines were propelled by a large fan. The wind spun the blades, which were attached to a circular piece of Plexiglas containing magnets. The magnets spun over wire coils, which created the electricity. The electricity was sent through the wires to an attached red light bulb, and Joseph measured the voltage with a meter.

It took only seconds for Joseph to learn his first lesson from the project -- blades need to be screwed securely to their turbine. The first time he turned on the fan, the unscrewed blades detached and flew across his dad's shop, he said.

"I learned the hard way," he said with a smile.

He thought the turbine with the flat blades would produce more electricity.

"I disproved my hypothesis," he said. The turbine with the four curved blades produced more than twice the voltage as the other two turbines in the same amount of time, Joseph said.

During the regional competition, 17 judges viewed Joseph's project and asked him questions.

He said he was shocked when he found out he won the grand prize.

"I was sort of, like, speechless," he said. "A lot of judges came and crowded around. That was fun."