Center for Research and Education in Wind
Center for Research and Education in Wind (CREW) holds inaugural symposium August 14, 2009, with kick off by Colorado Governor Bill Ritter.
The Center for Research and Education in Wind, also known as CREW, advances the science of wind energy technologies to make wind power more accessible by reducing its cost and increasing its reliability and efficiency.
CREW serves the wind energy industry and the public by:
- Offering wind industry companies access to the Collaboratory's partners through a single point of contact
- Conducting both shared precompetitive and sponsored proprietary research
- Teaming up with other public and private research efforts, including atmospheric scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Creating educational programs that support wind industry research, outreach, professional, and technical training.
Research Areas
Based upon input from leading wind energy companies, the Center for Research and Education in Wind has identified five areas of research emphasis: turbine modeling, electrical systems, control systems, turbine testing and certification, and atmospheric science.
Turbine Modeling
Turbine modeling covers all aspects of wind turbines including:
- Mechanical components
- Aerodynamics, aeroelasticity, and aeroacoustics
- Load prediction
- Wind farm effects
- Electrical systems
- Grid interactions
- Wind inflow
- Hydrodynamics for offshore wind turbines.
Models may employ a range of complexity—from empirical engineering codes to high-fidelity, physics-based codes.
Electrical Systems
Electrical systems research includes power converter research and grid modeling. Grid modeling research covers power quality, fault tolerance, islanding, and stability analysis with high-wind tolerance. The power converter area includes advanced converter control, modular converters for improved utilization of wind power, and generators.
Researchers use the InteGRID Laboratory's megawatt-scale, physical-grid simulation capability to test, validate, and develop solutions via grid simulations with actual physical system dynamics, including renewable sources.
Control Systems
Control systems can reduce the cost of wind energy by using advanced turbine controllers. Research falls into two categories: individual turbine control and coordinated wind farm control. Individual turbine control can increase energy capture and/or reduce turbine loads. Coordinated wind farm control may also achieve both objectives.
Turbine Testing and Certification
CREW researchers perform turbine testing and certification at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). The NWTC facilities used include the Blade Testing Facility and the Dynamometer Facility for testing drivetrains and generators. Turbines can also be installed in the field for power quality and acoustics tests.
Atmospheric Science
Atmospheric science capabilities include environmental sensing and measurement testing using:
- Meteorological towers, lidars, and sodar
- High-resolution numerical wind and inflow forecasting
- Hybrid numerical wind models.
Additional Research Capabilities
CREW's engineers and scientists also offer expertise in blade materials; energy storage and dispatchability; hybrid systems; interaction between wind farms and local ecosystems; and offshore wind farms. Other capabilities include policy and outreach tasks, such as defining International Electrotechnical Commission standards and developing wind energy classes at CREW-affiliated universities.
To offer additional capabilities in forecasting, modeling, and related disciplines, the CREW has formed research partnerships with NCAR and NOAA, giving CREW corporate members access to the world-class scientists at these two institutions, as well as the four Collaboratory institutions.
Contacts
For more information about CREW, contact:
Florence Bocquet, Ph.D.
Managing Director
Phone: 303-492-6748
Fax: 303-492-1149
E-mail: Florence.Bocquet@colorado.edu
