Case Western Reserve University launches first U.S. campus wind turbine research center

A 100-kilowatt, community-scale wind turbine was erected on the Case Western Reserve University campus in late November. The university plans to install a total of three turbines, creating possibly the largest university facility of its kind in the country dedicated to wind energy innovation.

In addition to research, the turbines will offer opportunities for local companies to create, test and commercialize wind energy-related technologies.

Last year, the Ohio Third Frontier Commission Wright Projects Program awarded a $3 million grant to the Case Western Reserve University’s Case School of Engineering and the university’s Great Lakes Energy Institute. The funds, combined with contributions from the university and its industry partners, will provide support for an overall $6 million Ohio Wind Energy Research and Commercialization (WERC) Center.

The center’s medium and large turbines are expected to be located in Euclid, Ohio, a few miles east of campus, on one of the WERC Center industrial partner’s sites. All of the turbines will serve as a resource for faculty and student research.

David Matthiesen, associate professor of materials science and engineering, is the project leader. He said students are already conducting research.

"I have three undergraduates working with me this summer. They are making a scaled model of all the buildings in and around the [turbine location], and will study the unsteady wind flow" through wind tunnel testing, Matthiesen said. He added that wind velocity and wind direction sensors have been installed near the on-campus turbine. Students will analyze the data to develop an understanding of how the wind tunnel tests compare to "real life."

Northern Power Systems, a U.S.-based manufacturer, was be used for the campus turbine. The university will also work with several local companies to advance the design and manufacture of critical components in a wind turbine.

For more information and groundbreaking research, visit the Case Western Reserve University Web site.