Wind Energy
Wind Energy is a clean, mainstream, and renewable source of electrical power and a major force for economic growth. Wind turbines collect kinetic energy from wind and this energy is converted to electricity. Wind flows over the wind turbine blades causing lift and making them to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator to produce electricity. Wind turbines can be used in small applications such as to power a single home or business measuring less than 100 kilowatts of output while large wind turbines can produce 5 megawatts of power and are often grouped together to create a wind farm that provides power to the grid. In 2008, the United States became the largest generator of wind power in the world.
Great Lakes Energy Institute is at the forefront of the wind industry with innovative wind research, including ground-breaking research on fresh water wind turbines. Ohio's political, business, and higher education leaders agree that advanced energy - wind energy in particular - can deliver business opportunities, job growth and technology-based economic development for Ohio's long-term viability. Ohio's emerging wind energy industry is fueled by the state's long history as a manufacturing powerhouse. Ranked second in potential for manufacturing wind turbines and components, Ohio is positioned to take advantage of the economic development opportunities associated with wind power. Wind energy offers the potential to reinvigorate Ohio's existing industry base and to develop and attract new companies and industries to Ohio as well as a unique role for the Great Lakes Energy Institute be the first to research wind turbines in fresh water.
"Wind Energy Initiatives and Research" Publication (PDF)
Key Faculty Contact
David H. Matthiesen
Associate Professor, Department of Materials Science & Engineering
Email david.matthiesen@case.edu or call (216)-368-1366.
Research Projects
Lake Erie Wind: Offshore Results of Wind Measurements from the Cleveland Water Intake Crib
A metrology tower was installed on the City of Cleveland's water intake crib on Lake Erie, which is located approximately 3.5 miles offshore. The 50 meter tower has redundant cup anemometers to measure wind velocities located at 50, 40 and 30 meters above the nominal water level. Wind measurements from this metrology tower were compared to measurements using a ZephIR LIDAR system. The LIDAR system was able to measure wind velocities at 30, 50, 90, 120, and 150 meters above the nominal water level providing promising results for offshore wind turbines on Lake Erie.
Lake Erie Ice: Results of Open Water Ice Thickness Measurements
In order to calculate an estimated impact force from a moving ice floe on the foundation and tower support for an offshore wind turbine, the velocity and mass of the ice floe must be known. A video camera was located on the City of Cleveland's water intake crib on Lake Erie, which is located approximately 3.5 miles offshore of downtown Cleveland, to measure the velocity of the ice floes and for the first time, ice thickness measurements were obtained simultaneously using a Shallow Water Ice Profiler (SWIP).