Finding clarity in the fog
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — On a gusty October day, I find myself staring at my wind turbine-simulation results. I take a sip of coffee and smile: The results validate a promising hypothesis.
My research focuses on the design and control of wind farms. Two key factors contribute to the power a wind turbine generates: the incoming wind velocity and how fast the turbine blades rotate. Each turbine hosts its own internal computer that measures wind speed and assigns it a specific operating torque. The computer is designed to maximize the individual turbine’s power output.