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Design and Control of Wind Energy Systems

Course Information

Semester: Course time: Instructor: Office: Office Phone:   Office Hours: Email:

Spring 2009 TR 11:00 am - 12:15 pm Kathryn Johnson BB250 303-273-3914 T 2-4, R 10-11 or by appointment kjohnson@mines.edu

Course Description

Wind energy provides a clean, renewable source for electricity generation. Wind turbines
provide electricity at or near the cost of traditional fossil-fuel fired power plants at
suitable locations, and the wind industry is growing rapidly as a result. Engineering
R&D can still help to reduce the cost of energy from wind, improve the reliability of wind
turbines and wind farms, and help to improve acceptance of wind energy in the public and
political arenas. This course will provide an overview of the design and control of wind
energy systems.

Course Outline

Note: this outline is subject to change
Week 1: Energy Sustainability and Wind Energy History
Week 2: Wind Turbine Configurations
Week 3: Characteristics of the Wind Resource
Week 4: Aerodynamics
Week 5: Mechanical Dynamics
Week 6: Wind Turbine Design Process
Week 7: Design Tools & Economics
Week 8: Electrical Systems
Week 9: Turbine Design Review
Week 10: Wind Turbine Control 1
Week 11: Wind Turbine Control 2
Week 12: Controller Modeling and Simulation
Week 13: Wind Farms
Week 14: Offshore Wind Turbines
Week 15: Control Design Presentations

Announcements

(9/26/07) The textbook for "Design and Control of Wind Energy Systems," Spring 2008,
is Wind Energy Explained, by Manwell, McGowan, and Rogers (publisher: Wiley).

Course Documents

Course documents will be available to enrolled students via Blackboard.