Mechanical Engineering, Gearbox, Gears and Drive Train
Testing Facilities
- Aerodynamic/atmospheric boundary layer wind and gust tunnel
- Tornado/microburst simulator
- Health monitoring and inspection
- Micro-mechanics and composite structure testing laboratory
- Experimental tools for damage evolution and fatigue lifecycle estimates
- Anechoic chamber for noise testing and mitigation
- Computational tools for aerodynamics design performance and simulation
- Gear train noise and vibration measurements, modeling, and reduction strategies; spectral content of gear meshing and harmonics; influence of drive train component misalignment
- Evaluating new markets; integrating wind power with the hydrogen/ammonia economy (conversion and storage); compressed air storage, wind generator performance models; site and wind resource assessment; data acquisition systems for monitoring performance; evaluating performance of compared to rated/installed capacity; Evaluating losses in individual components; case studies (economics, feasibility, performance, environmental impact); alternate technologies
- Biorenewables Institute (140 faculty, $37 million per year in research)
- Virtual Reality Applications Center ($20 million per year)
- Center for Building Energy Research (renewable energy technology including active and passive solar energy, geothermal, the hydrogen and ammonia economy, green buildings, and wind energy)
- Industrial Assessment Center (Department of Energy program for energy efficiency
