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大学、二期I-UCRC(产学合作研究中心)，用于风能研究、教育和推广。这一努力是基于第一阶段的成功运作，该阶段由两个大学网站(UMassLowell大学和德克萨斯大学达拉斯分校)领导。这两所大学共同开展了风能研究，在风能行业内建立了长期的合作伙伴关系，培养了本科生和研究生进行最先进的行业相关研究，并开展了面向K-12学生的外联活动。该中心将为国家的研究基础设施做出贡献，并增强可再生能源劳动力的智力能力。一群不同的科学家、工程师和从业者将实施一项研究和教育计划，重点是用于发电的陆基和海上风能系统的设计、运营和维护。该中心的目标是：(A)在与行业直接相关的风能研究和开发方面提升国家的卓越水平，以及(B)培养一支受过世界级培训的不同的本科生和研究生队伍，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将把工程和基础研究结合起来，以支持低成本和高可用性风能系统的开发。合作伙伴将在以下主要领域开展合作研究和教育：(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)基础和塔楼；以及(G)环境影响。由UT Dallas现场领导的工业相关研究预计将导致：(1)改善控制风力涡轮机和风电场发电的系统，同时减轻气动机械负荷；(2)通过在不同分辨率和运行效率下将SCADA数据和LiDAR数据与CFD模型融合来诊断和预测风力发电厂的性能；(3)评估叶片、风力涡轮机部件和规模风力发电厂的空气动力学和结构性能的实验协议；(4)可再生能源电网整合的决策支持工具；(5)海上风能的新转子技术；(6)减轻野生动物影响的新系统，(7)叶片和塔架的材料和施工方法的评价。可用于这项研究的实验设施包括高度仪表化的边界层和亚音速风洞，以及为风能和风工程应用而设计的大型测试部分。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.