Phase II IUCRC at UT Dallas: Center for Wind Energy Science, Technology and Research (WindSTAR)

该项目的目标是建立一个多所大学组成的第二阶段I-UCRC（产学研合中心），用于风能研究、教育和推广。第一阶段由两所大学（马萨诸塞大学洛厄尔分校和德克萨斯大学达拉斯分校）领导，并取得了成功。这两所大学共同开展了风能研究，在风能行业建立了长期合作伙伴关系，培训本科生和研究生进行最先进的行业相关研究，并致力于向K-12学生推广。该中心将为国家的研究基础设施做出贡献，并提高可再生能源劳动力的智力能力。由科学家、工程师和实践者组成的多元化团队将执行一项研究和教育计划，重点关注用于发电的陆基和海上风能系统的设计、运行和维护。该中心的目标是：(a)加强与产业直接相关的风能研究和开发方面的国家卓越水平；(b)培养一批受过世界一流培训的本科生和研究生，他们将支持并最终领导风能系统的分析、设计、制造和成功运营。拟议的第二阶段I-UCRC将把工程与基础研究结合起来，以支持低成本和高可用性风能系统的发展。合作伙伴将在以下关键领域进行合作研究和教育：(a)复合材料、叶片和转子设计与制造，(b)结构健康监测和无损检测，(c)风力发电厂建模和测量，(d)风力涡轮机和风力发电厂控制系统，(e)储能和电网集成，(f)基础和塔，以及(g)环境影响。由德州大学达拉斯分校领导的工业相关研究预计将产生：(1)改进控制风力涡轮机和风电场发电的系统，同时减轻空气力学负荷；(2)通过将SCADA数据和LiDAR数据与CFD模型融合，在不同分辨率和运行时效率水平下对风电场性能进行诊断和预测；(3)叶片、风力涡轮机部件和规模风电场的空气动力学和结构性能评估的实验协议；(4)可再生能源电网整合的决策支持工具，(5)海上风能的新型转子技术，(6)减轻野生动物影响的新系统，以及(7)叶片和塔的材料和建造方法的评估。可用于本研究的实验设施包括一个高度仪器化的边界层和亚音速风洞，该风洞具有为风能和风工程应用而设计的大试验段。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The objective of this project is to establish a multi-university, Phase II I-UCRC (Industry-University Collaborative Research Center) for wind energy research, education, and outreach. The effort is based on successful operation during Phase I that was led by two university sites (UMass Lowell and the University of Texas at Dallas). Together these two universities have conducted wind energy research, established long-term partnerships within the wind industry, trained undergraduate and graduate students to perform state-of-the-art industry relevant research, and engaged in outreach to K-12 students. The Center will contribute to the nation’s research infrastructure and enhance the intellectual capacity of the renewable energy workforce. A diverse group of scientists, engineers, and practitioners will execute a program of research and education focused on the design, operation, and maintenance of land-based and offshore wind energy systems for electricity production. The Center will be aimed at: (a) enhancing national excellence in wind energy research and development that has direct relevance to industry, and (b) developing a cadre of diverse undergraduate and graduate students with world-class training who will support and eventually lead in the analysis, design, manufacture, and successful operation of wind energy systems. The proposed Phase II I-UCRC will integrate engineering with fundamental research to support the development of low-cost and high availability wind energy systems. The partners will engage in cooperative research and education in the following key thrust areas: (a) Composites, Blade and Rotor Design & Manufacturing, (b) Structural Health Monitoring and Non-Destructive Inspection, (c) Wind Plant Modeling and Measurements, (d) Control Systems for Wind Turbines and Wind Plants, (e) Energy Storage and Grid Integration, (f) Foundation and Towers, and (g) Environmental Impacts. Industrially relevant research led by the UT Dallas site is expected to result in: (1) improved systems for controlling wind turbines and wind farms for power production, while mitigating aeromechanical loads, (2) diagnostics and prediction of wind plant performance by fusion of SCADA data and LiDAR data with CFD models at various levels of resolution and run-time efficiency, (3) experimental protocols for evaluation of aerodynamic and structural performance of blades, wind turbine components, and scaled wind plants, (4) decision support tools for grid integration of renewables, (5) novel rotor technologies for offshore wind energy, (6) new systems to mitigate wildlife impacts, and (7) evaluation of materials and construction methods for blades and towers. Experimental facilities available for this research include a highly instrumented boundary layer and subsonic wind tunnel with a large test section designed for wind energy and wind engineering applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.