Michael Reynaud, Kyle Hanley, Tavish Marsh, Sara Buckhold, Advisor Dr. David Alexander, and Grant Barr
TEAM NAME:
2017 UPDATE:
For the 2017 Collegiate Wind Competition, Chico has a completely new team, but they were able to learn from our predecessors successes and shortcomings through the faculty advisor, who has remained the same. A key lesson learned in 2016 was to not re-invent the wheel and seek out as much industry advice as possible to expedite the design process.
The small group allowed the team to easily communicate about all aspects of the competition which is fundamental for any project of this scale.
WHY WIND?
Students at California State University, Chico are interested in learning more about different types of renewable energy because they believe that renewable energy is going to be the future, and they want to make contributions to advance wind energy as a clean source of power. The experience the students will gain by working with other students from other disciplines will be extremely valuable both personally and professionally.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The California State University, Chico, WindCats are developing a small-to-medium sized, three-blade, horizontal azis wind turbine to provide power to an electrical load. The turbine design and control system are being developed for their intended market applications with reliability, sustained performance, and easily sourced components as the main design considerations. They were identified through detailed market research and customer interviews. The application is designed to provide power to areas that currently lack sufficient electrical grid infrastructure. The team has working prototypes and is undergoing preliminary testing while market research continues to optimize deployment and business strategies.