Team Name
Penn State
Team Turbine
For the 2019 competition, the Penn State team is looking to improve on all aspects of the previous test turbine. This includes designing new, more efficient blades that extract more power from the wind with a different airfoil from past designs. The team is also redesigning the blade pitching system with a new servo and hub attachment that will be more robust. The electrical load system is being completely overhauled and rebuilt so it has the capability of completing all required competition tasks. With all these changes, it is essential that the turbine still functions as an entire system, so wind tunnel testing must be done to ensure all turbine components work as intended.
Game Plan
The project development team is working to develop a detailed financial model of the proposed 100-megawatt wind plant. This involves researching transportation and construction methods in Pennsylvania's hilly terrain. The team is using Openwind, System Advisor Model, and spreadsheets to complete the project energy analysis and financial modeling.
Community Engagement
The Wind Energy Club will be supporting the Pennsylvania KidWind competition in early April. Team members will help run the wind tunnel to collect data, show the Penn State collegiate test turbine to middle school and high school students, and volunteer to help the event run smoothly. We also supported the Vertical Flight Society’s Annual Rotor STEM Day in October and conducted tours for local school groups throughout the year.
Facebook: PSU Wind Energy Club
Team website: http://wind.psu.edu/wind-energy-club
The Wind Energy Club was recently featured on Penn State's homepage with a story on the team: https://www.psu.edu/feature/2018/11/14/shift-wind
Reports
This webpage was submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy by the team.