Center: IUCRC Phase III University of Massachusetts Lowell: Center for Wind Energy Science, Technology, and Research (WindSTAR)

About This Grant

The objective of this project is to establish a multi-university, Phase III I-UCRC (Industry-University Collaborative Research Center) for wind energy research, education, and outreach. The effort is based on the successful ten-year operation led by two university sites (UMass Lowell and the University of Texas at Dallas). Together these two universities have conducted wind energy research, established long-term partnerships within the wind industry, trained undergraduate and graduate students to perform state-of-the-art industry relevant research, and engaged in outreach to K-12 students and the international wind energy community. The Center contributes to the nation’s research infrastructure and enhances the intellectual capacity of the renewable energy workforce. An experienced group of scientists, engineers, and practitioners will execute a program of research and education focused on the design, operation, and maintenance of land-based and offshore wind energy systems for electricity production. The Center will be aimed at: (a) enhancing national excellence in wind energy research and development that has direct relevance to industry, and (b) developing a cadre of diverse undergraduate and graduate students with world-class training who will support and eventually lead in the analysis, design, manufacture, and successful operation of wind energy systems. This Phase III I-UCRC integrates engineering with fundamental research to support the development of low-cost and high availability wind energy systems. The partners will engage in cooperative research and education in the following thrust areas: (a) Composites Blade and Rotor Design & Manufacturing, (b) Structural Health Monitoring and Non-Destructive Inspection, (c) Wind Plant Modeling and Measurements, (d) Control Systems for Wind Turbines and Wind Plants, (e) Energy Storage and Grid Integration, (f) Foundation and Towers, and (g) Topics Beyond Levelized Cost of Energy. Examples of industrially relevant research led by the UML site are expected to result in: (1) a better understanding of how computer vision and acoustic sensors can be used to identify wind turbine structural damage and operating conditions; (2) identification of innovative chemistries and cost-effective environmentally benign processes towards recycling epoxy composites, thermos plastic resins, and glass-fiber reinforced polymers into high performance secondary feedstock materials; (3) new methods to predict damage progression during fatigue loading in fiber reinforced composites. Other topics will serve as the basis for conducting fundamental research including: offshore wind energy, electrical grid integration, energy storage, power-to-X, manufacturing of larger blades/towers, advancements in material technologies, understanding how wind turbines impact wildlife, and improving coupled turbine-turbine performance. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.