Optimization of windmill power with use of gears

[tmahon2]

< Mentor Note -- thread moved to HH from the technical Engineering forums, so no HH Template is shown >

Okay so I'm a freshman BE student and one of our first projects is designing a windmill that can produce a voltage of 5 for 2 seconds or longer. We are having trouble find the optimal gear ratio though: Our options are 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3. So far we've figured out the optimal angle of the blades as well as the number and type blade. Any tips? Help? Anything?

 

[billy_joule]

The optimal gear ratio depends on the generator specs and the expected RPM of the blades.
Find the gear ratio that matches the expected RPM of the blades to the RPM you want your generator to spin at (maybe it's peak efficiency rpm?)