MAE 4121 - [Community Wind Energy Research]

(CU-CEL)

Spring. Not offered: 2023-2024. Next offered: 2024-2025. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: MAE 4020/MAE 4021/MAE 5020 or EAS 2500 or permission of instructor. Satisfies M.E. senior design requirement. Co-meets with EAS 4120/MAE 4120.

Staff.

This is a project based design course. Students will be instructed in the tools and techniques used in planning and developing wind farms and then will work in teams building their own projects focused on an aspect of data collection (atmospheric, environmental, acoustic, wind turbine) and/or analysis at a local wind farm or wind energy facility. Community engagement can also involve developing/presenting education materials. Projects can include developing and deploying new sensors, modeling and data comparison, deploying existing instrumentation in a new configuration or for a particular campaign. The projects must be of utility to the wind farm and /or the surrounding community. All students engage in a 2-4 person wind farm design project. In addition, MAE 4121 students undertake this project with the reporting expectations of a senior-design project. If used to fulfill the senior design requirement it must have a significant mechanical engineering design component.

Outcome 1: Students will be able to understand scientific/engineering /environmental issues in developing/operating a wind farm.

Outcome 2: Students will be able to understand the fundamentals of operation and deployment of atmospheric, acoustic and environmental measurements.

Outcome 3: Students will be able to demonstrate an ability to select and use the techniques and engineering tools necessary to design a project to address their research goals.

Outcome 4: Students will be able to analyze and present their data as a technical report describing their project and make clear and effective technical presentations and to scientific and general audiences.