IRES Track-1: International Research Experiences for Students in Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability

国际学生研究经验项目（IRES）将为至少12名本科生和/或研究生提供国际研究经验，在中国北京的华北电力大学（NCEPU）可再生能源学院进行为期8周的国际合作研究。IRES项目的目标是通过有意义的国际合作研究培训、网络和指导，在可再生能源和环境可持续性领域，特别是生物质处理技术和风力涡轮机空气力学领域，为未来的美国工程师提供全球视野和专业成长的机会。该项目将汇集来自不同文化背景的IRES参与者、相关教授、中国教师和他们的研究生/本科生，让他们在多层次的学习体验中充满发现的兴奋。它将培养参与者在国际研究环境中进行研究，以保持在世界科学和技术的前沿，使他们更加精通技术学科。该项目将为他们的专业发展提供机会，以建立他们未来的合作网络，并让他们了解中国的文化和传统，适用的技术趋势和商业实践。该IRES项目的研究主题是风力涡轮机空气力学和基于热解的生物质热化学转化。通过利用NCEPU独特的研究设施和仪器/设备，并在中国导师的监督下，“生物质轨道”上的IRES学生将研究混合生物质原料和生物质与塑料废物的催化共热解对协同生产高质量生物燃料和增值化学品的影响。而“风能轨道”的IRES学生将进行全面的实验研究，量化地面风特性，并评估其对各种复杂地形上风力涡轮机的空气力学性能和尾迹干扰的影响，以获得更高的总发电量和更好的风力涡轮机在陆上和海上风电场运行的耐久性。除了在实验室进行创新研究外，IRES的学生还将参加各种社会和文化交流活动，以增强学生与教师的关系。学生与导师以及学生与学生之间的互动，使IRES参与者能够与参与的中国导师和学生以及IRES参与者之间建立个人友谊和专业联系，从而为他们未来的专业发展和合作建立网络。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。

This International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) project will provide international research experiences for at least 12 undergraduate and/or graduate students to carry out international collaborative researches at the School of Renewable Energy of North China Electric Power University (NCEPU) in Beijing, China for 8 weeks. The objective of the IRES project is to provide the future American engineers a global perspective and opportunities for their professional growth through meaningful international cooperative research training, networking and mentoring in the fields of renewable energy and environmental sustainability in general, and biomass processing technology and wind turbine aeromechanics, in particular. This project will bring together IRES participants, involved professors, Chinese faculty members, and their graduate/undergraduate students with multi-cultural background in a multi-level learning experience infused with the excitement of discovery. It will train participants conduct research in an international research environment to remain at the forefront of world science and technology, making them more proficient in the technical subjects. The program will provide opportunities for their professional development to build their future collaboration network and expose them to Chinese culture and tradition, applicable technological trends and business practices.The research themes of this IRES program are wind turbine aeromechanics and pyrolysis-based biomass thermochemical conversion. By leveraging the unique research facilities and instruments/equipment available at NCEPU and under the supervision of the Chinese faulty mentors, the IRES students on "biomass track" will investigate the effects of blended biomass feedstocks and catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic wastes for synergistic production of high quality biofuels and value-added chemicals, while the IRES students on "wind energy track" will conduct comprehensive experimental investigations to quantify surface wind characteristics and evaluate their effects on the aeromechanic performance and wake interferences of wind turbines sited over various complex terrains for higher total power yield and better durability of wind turbines operating on onshore and offshore wind farms. In addition to working in the laboratory to conduct innovative research, the IRES students will also participate in various social and cultural exchanging activities in order to enhance student-faculty, student-mentor and student-student interactions to enable the IRES participants to build their personal friendship and professional connections with participating Chinese mentors and students as well as among the IRES participants themselves on which to build networking for their future professional development and collaboration.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.