The Energy Department has announced US$ 4.5 million for four projects to help increase deployment of innovative wind power technologies.
- Biodiversity Research Institute of Gorham, Maine, will receive US$ 1.1 million to develop a stereo-optic camera system to detect and document bird and bat flight behaviour in the vicinity of wind turbines. This system will use near-infrared cameras and specialised software to detect animal movements throughout the day and night, and will work to automate the identification of different species of birds and bats.
- Texas Tech University in Lubbock will receive US$ 1.4 million to develop a first-of-its-kind, radar-based prototype to measure the flow of wind through wind farms, which will increase data availability and lead to improved modelling.
- The University of North Carolina at Charlotte will receive US$ 500,000 to design and build a 30kW multistage magnetic gearbox, which will be validated for reliability, efficiency, and its potential to operate more quietly than currently available generators.
- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will receive US$ 1.5 million to develop an online health monitoring system that uses the electric current signals produced by a turbine’s generator in order to track the generator’s performance and help determine when it needs to be repaired.
