National Wind Institute
LETTER FROM THE NWI DIRECTOR:
Annual Report 2012
Texas Tech University’s newly-formed National Wind Institute (NWI) is based on a strong foundation of more
than 40 years of research on the impact of wind on structures and human life. Previously named the Wind
Science and Engineering Research Center (WiSE), NWI is a collaborative transdisciplinary center that involves
atmospheric science, economics, mathematics, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, construction
technology, law, and business.
By merging with TTU’s Texas Wind Energy Institute (TWEI), NWI offers the only Ph.D. program in wind
science and engineering in the U.S., and has introduced a Bachelor of Science degree in wind energy, along
with offering continuing education certificates for technical professionals in the field.
NWI has world-class research facilities to offer its project partners, faculty and students. Located just eight
miles from campus, the facilities are housed at Reese Technology Center, a 2,500 acre research park. There,
the NWI occupies 56,000 square feet of indoor laboratory space and large open field site to take advantage
of the plentiful West Texas winds.
The Institute is at the forefront of making full-scale wind farm observations to improve their efficiency and
to help to reach the federal goal of “20% wind power by 2030”. By using Doppler radar technologies and
techniques developed at TTU, researchers could influence the wind energy community by improving wind
farm design, layout practices, operation and performance while reducing the cost of energy at the same
time.
Support for these cutting-edge facilities comes in the form of expert technical and administrative staff, a
select group of hard-working and focused students, and renowned faculty with ground-breaking ideas and
the skills to make it happen.
We are proud to be with Texas Tech University and its long history with wind. The future looks bright for All
Things Wind and the new National Wind Institute.
www.depts.ttu.weweb
Big changes are ongoing at Texas Tech. The former Wind Science and Engineering (WiSE) Research
Center is in the process of integrating with the Texas Wind Energy Institute (TWEI) to form the National
Wind Institute (NWI) which will encompass All Things Wind for Texas Tech University.
NWI is intended to serve as an intellectual hub for interdisciplinary research, commercialization and
education related to wind science, wind energy, wind engineering and wind hazard mitigation. The
institute will serve faculty affiliates, students and external partners involved in these activates and other
peripheral areas of interest. The vision of NWI is to stimulate discovery and innovation, provide and
implement solutions to wind-related problems, establish multi-dimensional partnerships, and educate
the next generation of wind workforce and researchers.
NWI maintains participation from 41 faculty affiliates originating from 13 different academic
departments. NWI has 15 students are currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program, with numerous other
graduate students are supported in departments across campus. WiSE also maintains a unique suite of
technical capabilities and facilities including a 200 m instrumented tower located on a 67-acre field site, a
70 station regional network of weather stations, and the two TTUKa mobile research radars, which are
revolutionizing our ability to measure complex wind flows through wind farms.
NWI offers the only doctoral program in Wind Science and Engineering in the nation, a comprehensive
and multidisciplinary program that aspires to exploit useful qualities of wind and to mitigate its
detrimental effects. Additionally, NWI offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Wind Energy, which
currently houses 100 undergraduate students, and a range of certificates for professionals already in the
wind energy field.
NWI is preparing to commission the SWiFT facility (Scaled Wind Farm Test Facility), a new research
project involving TTU with collaborative partners from the Sandia National Laboratories, Vestas and
Group NIRE. The project will allow participating partners to investigate turbine-turbine interactions and
innovative rotor technologies, as well as research on aero-acoustics and structural health monitoring of
turbines using embedded sensor systems.
The Institute continued to expand its research activities in 2012 with new competitive awards from
various funding agencies including the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.
Additionally, the Center has engaged with numerous private industry partners to conduct sponsored
research and partner to pursue competitive funding.
With Texas leading the nation in wind power capacity and with the NWI located in the heart of the
development region, we look forward to continued opportunities to significantly and positively impact
society through innovative research, education and outreach focused on all things wind.
John L. Schroeder, Ph.D.
Director, National Wind Institute
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I. 2012 HIGHLIGHTS
The National Wind Institute (NWI) – formerly the Wind Science and Engineering Research Center (WiSE) -- at
Texas Tech University (TTU) had a successful 2012. Highlights include the following:
•
WiSE/NWI had 15 students in the WiSE/NWI Ph.D. program during 2012; two students completed their
Ph.D. studies in 2012. Jason McNeill earned his doctorate with a dissertation that was titled
“Characterization and Simulation of Inhomogenous and Non-Stationary Turbulent Wind Fields for
Assessment of Wind Turbine Reliability.” Amber Emory earned her doctorate with a dissertation titled
“The Collapse of Transitioning Mesoscale Convective Systems off the Coast of West Africa and Links to
Downstream Tropical Cyclogenesis.”.
•
46 funded proposals for wind-related research were active in 2012 totaling $13,979,017.
•
In collaboration with Western Texas College (a community college in Snyder), the NWI has developed
and is operating a partner program where graduates of the WTC Wind Energy Technology Program can
easily transfer into the Bachelor’s degree at TTU. TTU is the only university in the country to offer
baccalaureate and post-graduate degrees in wind energy.
The SWiFT Project:
Construction started in November 2012 on the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) facility. Progress is
taking place in the preparation for the commission of the research facility, which is anticipated for Summer
2013. SWiFT is a new research project involving TTU with collaborative partners from Sandia National
Laboratories, Vestas, and Group NIRE. The facility will allow participating partners to investigate turbine-toturbine interactions and innovative rotor technologies.
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The site currently has two V27 turbines deployed by Sandia National Laboratories, and a third belonging to
Vestas, a leading wind manufacturer. All three towers have been erected and nacelles have been landed.
Rotors will be installed by early summer and specialists are currently working on the wiring of the turbines
so that they can communicate as part of the smart wind farm concept.
(Left) - A graphic layout of the
research concept behind the SWiFT
project that will study, among other
things, the turbine-to-turbine
interaction of wind farms. (Picture
credit: Chris Bigman.)
(Right) – Two of the turbine towers stand ready for
the blades to be added before the commissioning
ceremony in summer 2013.
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(Above) – The three turbine towers and other meteorological instrumented towers are readied for
completion as part of the ongoing preparation of the SWiFT project, a collaborative project between Texas
Tech University, Sandia National Laboratories, Vestas, and Group NIRE at Reese Technology Center.
(Left) – The blades of one of the
research turbines lie ready for
installation as part of the SWiFT
project.
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•
Dr. Brian Ancell, Assistant Professor in ATMO and NWI faculty affiliate, was the recipient of a five-year
NSF CAREER grant titled: “CAREER: Quantifying Inadvertent Weather Modification and Education
Through Museum Programs.” The project will focus on examining the effects that human activities (such
as urban development, agricultural practices, and wind/solar power development) have on high-impact
weather events on a variety of scales. Estimating how these effects are anticipated to evolve over the
next century is also a goal of this work.
The project includes a major educational component in collaboration with the Museum of Texas Tech
University that will employ a museum exhibition, traveling educational trunks for local schools, and
summer science camps.
(Above) Dr. Brian Ancell answers questions during a lecture at WiSE Wednesday during the fall 2012
semester.
(Left) - A class member from the
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
(OLLI) at TTU watches a
demonstration of some NWI
research at Reese Technology
Center. NWI has hosted numerous
tours for local and regional groups
as part of our ongoing community
outreach strategy.
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(Left) – NWI Director and Professor of
Atmospheric Sciences Dr. John Schroeder was
awarded the 2012 International Association for
Wind Engineering (IAWE) Junior Award
recognizing outstanding achievement of
researchers under age 40 within the previous
five-year period.
According to IAWE, award recipients have made
significant and original contributions to wind
engineering research, applications to wind
engineering practice, or educational
contributions in the field of wind engineering.
(Above) – Andrew Moulton (NWS Amarillo), Todd Lindley (NWS Amarillo), Wes Burgett (NWI), and
Charles Aldrich (NWS Lubbock) pause during the construction of one of the latest West Texas
Mesonet stations. (Picture credit: John Lipe (NWS Lubbock).
•
The West Texas Mesonet system increased by six additional meteorological stations in2012, including
new locations at Junction, Hobbs (New Mexico), Canadian, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Bootleg
(above), and Stirling City. Additionally, Scintec Phased Array SODARS were integrated to participate in
the study of low-level jet structure in eastern New Mexico and West Texas. SODARs can measure the 3D wind speed, direction and turbulence characteristics of the wind boundary layer which will be useful
for wind energy, aviation, and meteorological interests.
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(Left) - One of the latest additions to the
WTM, this SODAR station is located in
Hereford in the Panhandle of Texas.
•
Texas Tech University, the National Wind Resource Center, NWI, and Group NIRE co-hosted an
international symposium in Spring 2012 focused on improving wind farm performance and
developing collaborations between industry, academia, and national laboratories. More than 120
people attended the symposium, including representatives from NREL, Sandia National Laboratories,
Alstom, NCAR, GE Energy, Group NIRE and numerous other groups from across the globe.
(Above) NWI representatives gather for a brief photo opportunity at the 2012 NWRC Wind Farm
Underperformance symposium held in May 2012. (L-R) Dr. John Schroeder, NWI Director, Dr. Jerry
Guynes, Research Faculty, Dr. Brian Hirth, ATMO grad and NWI Research Associate, and WiSE/NWI
Ph.D. students Scott Gunter and Richard Krupar III.
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(L-R): WiSE/NWI Ph.D. student Rich Krupar III, TTU ATMO grad Dr. Sylvia Lorsolo, NWI Director Dr. John
Schroeder, WiSE/NWI grad Dr. Ian Giammanco, ATMO grad Dr. Brian Hirth, ATMO grad Dr. Brian Zachary,
and WiSE/NWI grad Tim Marshall at the AMS Hurricane Conference. (Thanks to Tim Marshall for the photo.)
•
NWI and ATMO had a strong attendance at the 2012 American Meteorological Society Hurricane
Conference at Ponte Verde Beach, FL. This was the 30th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical
Meteorology and was held from 15-20 April.
(Right) - One of the participants takes a break
while working on a project at the 2011 “Run on
the Wind” summer camp. The camp is a
collaborative effort between NWI and TTU’s
Institute for the Development and Enrichment of
Advanced Learners (IDEAL). The camp explores
the power of the wind and the means by which it
may be harnessed and helps to support TTU’s
STEM initiative.
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•
Progress has been made on the wind/water RO research project being constructed in conjunction with
the City of Seminole and other partners. Researchers from both the NWI and TTU’s Water Resources
Center (WRC) have teamed up to address the continuing depletion of the Ogalalla aquifer, the current
principal source of potable groundwater for much of West Texas and northward through Kansas. WRC
Director Dr. Ken Rainwater, Mr. Phil Nash (CE/EE) and Dr. John Schroeder, NWI Director, are the main
collaborators on this project.
Titled “The Seminole Integrated Wind-Water Demonstration System,” this project is funded by the State
Energy Conservation Office, the Texas Department of Agriculture (formerly Rural Affairs), the Texas
Water Development Board, the U.S. Department of Energy (through TTU), and the City of Seminole.
The City of Seminole is interested in developing new water supply capacity from the brackish Santa Rosa
aquifer in the Dockum formation below the relatively fresh Ogallala, which is declining and contains
arsenic and fluoride above current drinking water standards. The demonstration project includes an
1800-ft. deep well and pumping system, along with a reverse osmosis (RO) treatment system.
Renewable local electricity from an on-site 50-kW wind turbine will displace electricity required from
the local power grid when wind conditions are sufficient. Construction of the wind turbine and the site
infrastructure that supports the RO system should be completed by the summer of 2013, and the
demonstration will commence soon afterward. The results are expected to be applicable to many other
arid and semi-arid regions in the future, and have the potential to address water shortages across the
world.
(Left) – Construction continued on the joint
project between the City of Seminole and TTU
NWI and the TTU Water Resource Center. The
infrastructure is now mostly completed and
commissioning is expected to happen in Summer
2013.
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(Above) - Dr. Kishor Mehta and Dr. Jim McDonald, co-founders of the original Wind Science and Research
Engineering Center (WiSE) and the McDonald-Mehta Lecture Series.
THE McDONALD-MEHTA LECTURE SERIES 2012
Dr. Lance Manuel,
Professor and Fluor
Centennial Teaching
Fellow in
Engineering, the
University of Texas
at Austin.
Dr. William
Devenport, Professor
and Department Head
for Laboratory
Facilities and Director
of the Stability Wind
Tunnel, Virginia Tech.
Dr. Partha Sarkar,
Professor and
Director of Wind
Simulation and
Testing Laboratory,
Iowa State
University and
President, AAWE.
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(Above) - It’s a packed house at the inaugural lecture of the McDonald-Mehta Lecture Series of
2012. The Lecture Series is a prestigious avenue to bring world-renowned wind-related researchers
and scholars to the Lubbock campus.
(Above) – NWI Research Associate and WiSE/NWI alum Dr. Brian Hirth and WiSE/NWI Ph.D.
student Everett Perry stand in front of a piece of research equipment at Reese Technology Center.
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Characterization and Simulation of Inhomogeneous and NonStationary Turbulent Wind Fields for Assessment of Wind Turbine
Reliability
Jason McNeill, Ph.D. (2012).
ABSTRACT:
Wind turbines are designed to withstand turbulent inflows that are modeled as stationary Gaussian fields, a
general assumption frequently made in wind engineering practice that is partly done out of convenience and
partly out of our inadequate understanding of the wind itself. While the reliability of wind turbines continues to
improve, it also continues to be unsatisfactory. This necessitates a re-examination of some key assumptions
about the wind field and how they relate to structural reliability. Using measurements from a 200 m
meteorological tower at Texas Tech University, the statistical characteristics of representative wind fields are
analyzed and many characteristics of these wind fields are shown to deviate from those specified in international
wind turbine design standards. In particular, wind fields in the stable boundary layer, especially during low-level
jet events, are often probabilistically inhomogeneous in nature, with turbulent winds described by different
probability distributions at different heights, while conditions during thunderstorm events are seen to be both
inhomogeneous and non-stationary.
Due to these differences between the observed characteristics of wind fields and the assumptions made in
design standards, a method that is capable of simulating inhomogeneous wind fields is presented. The method
allows the simulation of wind turbine inflow fields that match the first fourmoments of local turbulence
probability distributions and is combined with conditional simulation to assimilate a subset of measured data
points within the field. Effects on wind turbine response and fatigue due to inhomogeneous turbulence, wind
speed shear and direction shear seen during low-level jet events are investigated using the wind turbine
simulation software FAST. The results are compared to simulations conducted according to the International
Technical Commission’s IEC 61400-1 wind turbine design guidelines. The outcome of the study suggests that
generally the fatigue damage resulting from non-Gaussian inflows are lower than that induced by Gaussian
inflows. The Gaussian wind fields simulated according to IEC guidelines, with much higher turbulence intensities,
produce conservative estimates of fatigue damage compared to inhomogeneous winds with realistic turbulence
intensities seen during LLJ events. However at higher turbulence intensities, small increases (~1%) in fatigue due
were noted for inhomogeneous inflows and inflows using constant positive skewness and kurtosis. At the same
time, however, these inflows are found to be correlated with increased peak loading. Wind fields simulated with
direction shear are shown to increase fatigue substantially (11-60 %) compared to those simulated without
direction shear.
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The Collapse of Transitioning Mesoscale Convective Systems off the
Coast of West Africa and Links to Downstream Tropical
Cyclogenesis.
Amber Elizabeth Emory, Ph.D. (2012).
ABSTRACT:
While most MCSs dissipate upon approaching the coast of West Africa and transitioning to the East Atlantic, a few
cases have been shown to strengthen, such as Hurricane Cindy (1999). A better understanding of how some MCSs
decay is essential for identifying other MCSs that go on to play a role in tropical cyclogenesis. A six-year (2000-2006)
climatology of TRMM PR data were used to construct CFADs of three regimes (continental, transition, and oceanic)
in the region of West Africa and the Eastern Atlantic. After establishing the differences between MCSs in these
three regimes, datasets from the NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (2006) field campaign were
used to investigate the environments of transitioning MCSs as well as small-scale factors contributing to localized
convection.
The results show that MCSs that initiate over the continent of West Africa and transition unsuccessfully into the
East Atlantic are fundamentally different from subsequent convection associated with tropical cyclogenesis
downstream due to changes in updraft structure supporting additional convection. These results should prove
useful for incorporation into tropical cyclone models with domains including regions east of the Cape Verde Islands.
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15
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SCHOLARSHIP
Refereed Journals
Ancell, B. (2012). Examination of Analysis and Forecast Errors of High-Resolution Assimilation, Bias Removal,
and Digital Filter Initialization with an Ensemble Kalman Filter. Monthly Weather Review/American
Meteorological Society, 140(12), 3992-4004.
Brown, T., D. Liang, and J. A. Womble (2012). Predicting Ground-Based Damage States from Remote-Sensing
Imagery. Wind and Structures, 15(5).
Choi, Y., S. L. Kang, J. Hong, S. Grimmond, and K. Davis (2012). A Next-Generation Weather Information
System Engine (WISE) Customized for Urban and Surrounding Rural Areas. Bulletin of American
Meteorology Society. In press .
Ekwaro-Osire, S. (2012). Editorial: User Preferences and Creativity in Design. Journal of Integrated Design
and Process Science, 16(4), 1-2.
Giammanco, I. M., J. Schroeder, and M. D. Powell (2012). Observed Characteristics of Tropical Cyclone
Vertical Wind Profiles. Wind and Structures, 15, 65-86.
Hirth, B., J. Schroeder, W. Gunter and J. Guynes (2012). Measuring a Utility Scale Turbine Wake Using the
TTUKa Mobile Research Radars. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 29, 765-771.
Hirth, B., J. Schroeder, C. Weiss, D. Smith, and M. I. Biggerstaff (2012). Examination of Internal Boundary
Layer Mean Structure at the Coastal Interface during the Landfall of Hurricane Frances (2004). Weather
and Forecasting, 27, 1349-1372.
Karpat, F., S. Ekwaro-Osire, and E. Karpat (2012). A Computer Program for Dynamic Load Simulation of Spur
Gears with Asymmetric and Symmetric Teeth. World Journal of Mechanics, 2(5), 239–245.
Kang, S. L., D. Lenschow, and P. Sullivant (2012). Effects of Mesoscale Surface Thermal Heterogeneity on
Low-level Horizontal Wind Speeds. Boundary-Layer Meteorology. DOI 10.1007/s10546-011-9691-4.
Lacouture, S., K. Lawson, S. Bayne, M. Giesselmann, H. O'Brien, and S. Scozzie (2012). Evaluation of High
Power Experimental SiC SGTO Devices for Pulsed Power Applications. Material Science Forum, 717-720,
1183-1186.
Liang, D., L. Cong, T. Brown, and L. Song (2012). Comparison of Sampling Methods for Post-Hurricane
Damage Survey. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 9(2).
Liu, C., K. Rainwater, and L. Song (2012). Calculation of Energy Consumption for Crossflow RO Desalination
Processes. Desalination and Water Treatment, 42(1-3), 295-303.
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Romero, M. A., A. E. Thal, and S. Ekwaro-Osire (2012). Understanding Barriers to Technology Transfer in a
Federal Laboratory. European Journal of Business and Research, 12(4), 127–132.
Solano, M. A., and S. Ekwaro-Osire (2012). High-Level Fusion for Intelligence Applications Using
Recombinant Cognition Synthesis. Information Fusion, 13(1), 79–98.
Villareal, C., R. Zartman, W. Hudnall, D. Gitz, K. Rainwater, and L. Smith (2012). Spatial Distribution and
Morphology of Sediments in Texas Southern High Plains Wetlands. Texas Water Journal, 3(1), 1-13.
Zuo, D., J. Hua, and D. V.Landuyt (2012). A Model of Pedestrian-Induced Bridge Vibration Based on Full-Scale
Measurement. Engineering Structures, 45, 117-126.
Presentations and Proceedings
Alemayehu, F., and S. Ekwaro-Osire (2012). Uncertainty Considerations in the Dynamics of Gear-Pair.
Houston, TX: ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition. Nov 9–15.
Proceedings.
Alemayehu, F., and S. Ekwaro-Osire (2012). Probabilistic Analysis in Multibody Dynamics. Berlin, Germany:
International Conference on Integrated Design and Process Technology. June 10–14. Proceedings.
Alemayehu, F., and S. Ekwaro-Osire (2012). Uncertainty in the Dynamics of Gear-Pair Fatigue and Fracture.
Costa Mesa, CA: SEM Annual Conference & Exposition. June 11–14. Proceedings
Bhuiyan, A., and S. Ekwaro-Osire (2012). Safety Notions in Introductory Design. Berlin, Germany:
International Conference on Integrated Design and Process Technology. June 10–14. Proceedings.
Bruning, E., and R. J. Thompson (2012). Fractal-Based Lightning Channel Length Estimation from Convex
Hulls of VHF Sources. San Francisco, CA: Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union. December 3.
Proceedings.
Cong, L., B. Nutter, and D. Liang (2012). Estimation of Oil Thickness and Aging from Hyperspectral Signature.
Santa Fe, NM: IEEE Southwest Symposium on Image Analysis and Interpretation. April 22-24.
Proceedings.
Dowell, D. C., C. Weiss, A. E. Reinhart, and P. S. Skinner (2012). Baroclinity and Mesocyclogenesis in a
Simulation of the VORTEX2 18 May 2010 Dumas, Texas Supercell (vol. 26th Conference on Severe Local
Storms, pp. 13.5). Nashville, TN: American Meteorological Society. November 5-8.
Edwards, B. P., and J. Schroeder (2012). Effect of Averaging Duration on Differences Observed between Gust
Factors from Tropical and Extratropical Winds. Miami, Florida: ATC-SEI Advances in Hurricane
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Engineering Conference. October 24-26.
Freedman, J., S. Benjamin, J. Wilczak, M. Marquiz, C. Clark, J. Zack, J. Manobiano, I. Flores, J. Schroeder, B.
Ancell, K. Brewster, S. Basu, K. Orwig, and V. Bununarayanan (2012). The Wind Forecasting
Improvement Project: Description and Results from the Southern Study Region. Lisbon, Portugal: 11th
International Workshop on Large-Scale Integration of Wind Power into Power Systems. November 1315.
Freedman, J. M., D. Hanley, J. Zack, J. Manobianco, C. D'Annunzio, J. Wilczak, J. Schroeder, B. Ancell, K.
Brewster, S. Basu, V. Banunarayanan, and K. Orwig (2012). The Wind Forecasting Improvement Project
(WFIP): Description, Goals, and Preliminary Results from the Southern Study Area. New Orleans, LA:
Third Conference on Weather, Climate and the New Energy Economy. January 22-26.
Giammanco, I. M., J. A. Balderrama, J. Schroeder, F. J. Masters, and P. J. Vickery (2012). Observed NearSurface Wind Flow Characteristics of Gulf Coast Hurricanes: 2004-2008. Ponte Vedra Beach, FL: 30th
Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology. April 15-20.
Guillermo, A., L. Castillo, A. Ruiz-Columbie, J. Schroeder, and S. Basu (2012). On the Similarities of the
Engineering and Atmospheric Boundary Layers. Boston, MA: 20th Symposium on Boundary Layers and
Turbulence Conference. July 9-13.
Gunter, W. S., and J. Schroeder (2012). High-Resolution Full-Scale Observations of Thunderstorm Outflow
Winds. Hyannis, MA: 3rd Annual AAWE Workshop. August 12-14.
Gunter, W. S., and J. Schroeder (2012). High-Resolution Full-Scale Observations of Thunderstorm Outflow
Winds. Nashville, TN: 26th Conference on Severe Local Storms. November 5-8.
Hastings, R. M., Y. P. Richardson, P. M. Markowski, J. Wurman, and C. Weiss (2012). Mergers in Supercell
Environments. Part I: Conceptual Models of Mechanisms Governing Merger Outcomes (vol. 26th
Conference on Severe Local Storms, pp. 11B.6). Nashville, TN: American Meteorological Society.
November 5-8.
Hirth, B. D., and J. Schroeder (2012). Examination of the Coastal Transition Zone of Hurricane Frances
(2004). Ponte Vedra Beach, FL: 30th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology. April 15-20.
Hirth, B. D., and J. Schroeder (2012). Measurements of Utility-Scale Turbine Wakes using the Texas Tech
University Ka-band Mobile Research Radars. Hyannis, MA: 3rd Annual AAWE Workshop. August 12-14.
Hua, J., and D. Zuo (2012). Wind-Induced Vibration of Mast Arm Traffic Signal Support Structure of Various
Configurations. Hyannis, MA: 3rd American Association for Wind Engineering Workshop. August 12-14.
Karpat, F., S. Ekwaro-Osire, and E. Karpat (2012). A Virtual Tool for Wear Simulation of Standard and NonStandard Spur Gears. Houston, TX: ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition.
November 9–15. Proceedings.
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Knupp, K. R., P. Ray, S. K. Kimball, and J. Schroeder (2012). Mesoscale Analysis of a Concentrated Heavy Rain
Event Using an Adaptable Mesonet during the Landfall of Tropical Storm Ida. Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
30th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology. April 15-20.
Krupar III, R., and J. Schroeder (2012). An Analysis of the Kinematic Variability within the Hurricane Boundary
Layer using the Coastal WSR-88D Radar Network. Hyannis, MA: 3rd Annual AAWE Workshop. August 1214.
Lawson, K., S. Lacouture, S. Bayne, M. Giesselmann, T. Vollmer, H. O'Brien, and S. Scozzie (2012). Design of
an Automated Test Bed for Experimental Si and SiC SGTO Devices. San Diego, CA: IEEE International
Power Modulator and High Voltage Conference (IPMHVC). June 3-7.
McNeill, J., and D. Zuo (2012). Low-Level Jet Characterization and Implications for Wind Turbine Inflow
Simulation. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: 14th International Conference on Wind Engineering. July 1015.
Metzger, R. S., C. Weiss, and A. E. Reinhart (2012). An Examination of the Structure of Two Tornadoes
Observed by Texas Tech Ka-band Radars During VORTEX2 (vol. 26th Conference on Severe Local Storms,
pp. 165). Nashville, TN: American Meteorological Society. November 5-8.
Pickering, K. E., M. C. Barth, K.Cummings, E. J. Bucsela, D. J. Allen, A. J. Weinheimer, T. B. Ryerson,
H. Huntrieser, E. Bruning, D. R. MacGorman, M. I. Biggerstaff, P. R. Krehbiel, R. J. Thomas, S. A. Rutledge,
W. J. Koshak, and L. D. Carey (2012). An Overview of the Lightning – Atmospheric Chemistry Aspects of
the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) Experiment. San Francisco, CA: 2012 Fall Meeting,
American Geophysical Union. December 3. Proceedings.
Rainwater, K., G. Ganesan, D. Gitz, R. Zartman, W. Hudnall, and L. Smith (2012). Comparison of Seepage
Rates in Playa Lakes in Grassland and Cropland Basins. Omaha, NE: “Texas High Plains Conference on
Great Plains Aquifers: Beyond the Ogallala”, National Ground Water Association. October 25.
Reinhart, A. E., C. Weiss, and D. C. Dowell (2012). High-Resolution in situ Verification of Simulated Supercell
Cold Pools (vol. 26th Conference on Severe Local Storms, pp. 14.3). Nashville, TN: American
Meteorological Society. November 5-8.
Reinhart, A. E., C. C. Snyder, G. Romine, and C. Weiss (2012). The Effects of Digital Filter Initialization on
Convection Initiation in a WRF-DART Mesoscale Ensemble Analysis (vol. 26th Conference on Severe Local
Storms, pp. 95). Nashville, TN: American Meteorological Society. November 5-8.
Richardson, Y. P., P. M. Markowski, J. N. Marquis, J. Wurman, K. A. Kosiba, P. Robinson, D. W. Burgess, and
C. Weiss (2012). Tornado maintenance and demise in the Goshen County, Wyoming supercell of 5 June
2009 intercepted by VORTEX2 (vol. 26th Conference on Severe Local Storms, pp. 13.3). Nashville, TN:
American Meteorological Society. November 5-8.
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Romero, M. A., A. E. Thal, and S. Ekwaro-Osire (2012). Understanding Barriers to Technology Transfer in a
Federal Laboratory. Las Vegas, NV: International Academy of Business and Economics Annual
Conference. Oct 14–17. Proceedings.
Schroeder, J. (2012). Innovative Technologies to Investigate Fine-Scale Wind Flow. Sydney, Australia: 15th
Australian Wind Engineering Society Workshop. February 23-24.
Schroeder, J., and B. Hirth (2012). Examination of the Coastal Transition Zone of Hurricane Frances (2004).
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL: 30th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology. April 15-20
Skinner, P. S., C. Weiss, W. S. Gunter, and J. Schroeder (2012). Near-Surface Turbulence Characteristics of
Thunderstorm Outflow in Texas Tech University Ka-band Mobile Doppler Radar Observations. Hyannis,
MA: 3rd Annual AAWE Workshop. August 12-14.
Skinner, P. S., C. Weiss, W. S. Gunter, and J. Schroeder (2012). Near-Surface Turbulence Characteristics of
Thunderstorm Outflow in Texas Tech University Ka-band Mobile Doppler Radar Observations. Hyannis,
MA: 3rd Annual AAWE Workshop. August 12-14.
Skinner, P. S., C. Weiss, W. S. Gunter, and J. Schroeder (2012). Near-Surface Thunderstorm Outflow
Characteristics Observed by the TTUKa Mobile Doppler Radars (vol. 26th Conference on Severe Local
Storms, pp. 50). Nashville, TN: American Meteorological Society. November 5-8. Presentation and
proceedings.
Smith, D., D. Zuo, and K. C. Mehta (2012). Wind-Induced Force and Torque on a Sign Measured in Full Scale
in the Field. Miami, FL: Applied Technology Council & Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE. October
24-26.
Weiss, C., D. C. Dowell, P. S. Skinner, and A. E. Reinhart (2012). An Assessment of Buoyancy and Baroclinity
within Select VORTEX2 Storms (vol. 26th Conference on Severe Local Storms, pp. 13.4). Nashville, TN:
American Meteorological Society. November 5-8.
Zachry, B. C., A. B. Kennedy, J. Schroeder, J. J. Westerink, and C. W. Letchford (2012).
A Case Study of
Nearshore Drag Coefficient Behavior during Hurricane Ike (2008). Ponte Vedra Beach, FL: 30th
Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology. April 15-20.
Ziegler, C. L., M. I. Biggerstaff, L. J. Wicker, D. W. Burgess, E. R. Mansell, C. M. Schwarz, , P. M. Markowski,
Y. P. Richardson, and C. Weiss (2012). Cold Pool Forcing of the 9 June 2009 Greensburg, KS, Supercell
During VORTEX2 (vol. 26th Conference on Severe Local Storms, pp. 14.4). Nashville, TN: American
Meteorological Society. November 5-8.
Zuo, D., and J. Hua (2012). Full-Scale Measurement of Wind Pressure on the Surface of a Circular Pipe.
Shanghai, China: 7th International Colloquium on Bluff Body Aerodynamics and Application. September
2-6.
21
Zuo, D., K. Mehta, and D. Smith (2012). Benchmark Wind Tunnel Study of Wind Loading on Rectangular Sign
Structures. Shanghai, China: 7th International Colloquium on Bluff Body Aerodynamics and Application.
September 2-6.
Zuo, D., and J. Xiao (2012). Characteristics of Wind in Stable Boundary Layers. Hyannis, MA: 3rd American
Association for Wind Engineering Workshop. August 12-14.
Book or Chapter in Scholarly Book
Ancell, B., and L. A. McMurdie (2012). Ensemble Adaptive Data Assimilation Techniques Applied to LandFalling North American Cyclones. In Liang Xu (Ed.), Data Assimilation Volume 2 (vol. 2). Springer.
Gragg, J., J. Yang, and D. Liang (2012). Probabilistic and Simulation-Based Methods for Study of Slips, Trips
and Falls-State of the Art. In Vincent G . Duffy (Ed.), Advances in Applied Human Modeling and
Simulation (pp. 23 -32). CRC Press 2012.
Long, J., Z. Lei, J. Yang, and D. Liang (2012). Helmet Risk Assessment for Top and Side Impact in Construction
Sectors. In Vincent G . Duffy (Ed.), Advances in Applied Human Modeling and Simulation (pp. 33 -42).
CRC Press 2012.
Zou, Q., J. Yang, and D. Liang (2012). Stochastic Optimization Applications for Robotics and Human
Modeling. In Vincent G. Duffy (Ed.), Advances in Applied Human Modeling and Simulation (pp. 43 -54).
CRC Press 2012.
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
Grantsmanship
The following is a summary of projects active during all or part of calendar year 2012.
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Alstom-Grid Integration
Alstom Power Inc.
$136,762
S. Bayne, V. Rao
22
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s);
Documenting the Engineering-Relevant Aspects of Extreme Thunderstorm
Winds
National Science Foundation
$279,500
J. Schroeder
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Fash Foundation Research Support – WISE
Fash Foundation
$5,000
J. Schroeder
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
GRI for 21P161 Workshop: Windfarms Underperformance and the National
Wind Resource Center
Various
$3,270
L. Castillo
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
ETF – Renewable Energy Initiative
Texas Emerging Technology Fund
$2,500,000
L. Castillo
Title:
Understanding Stratification and Wake Evolution due to Thermal Fields for
Wind-Turbine Array over a Rough-Terrain
National Science Foundation/University of Texas San Antonio
$12,686
L. Castillo
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Numerical Experiments and Observational Network Design for the
Improvement of the Representation of the Urban Atmospheric Boundary
Layer
National Institute of Meteorological Research
$100,000
S. L. Kang
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
IPA Hazard Mitigation and Structural Engineering
National Science Foundation
$168,018
K. Mehta
Title:
GRDS SUPPLEMENT: MRI-Development of Real Time Simulator for Smart Grid
Systems Integrated with Distributed Renewable Energy Sources
National Science Foundation
$41,000
V. Rao
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
23
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
REU SUPPLEMENT: MRI-Development of Real Time Simulator for Smart Grid
Systems Integrated with Distributed Renewable Energy Sources
National Science Foundation
$6,000
V. Rao
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Documentation of Hurricane Wind Fields – State Farm
State Farm Insurance Companies
$25,000
J. Schroeder
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Documentation of Hurricane Wind Fields – RMS
Risk Management Solutions
$15,000
J. Schroeder
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
National Mesonet Pilot Project – West Texas Mesonet
Earth Networks, Inc.
$191,585
J. Schroeder
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
SUPPLEMENT: MRI RAPID: Acquisition of a Field Spectroposcopy
Environmental Analysis System for Gulf Oil Spell Research
National Science Foundation
$1,999
D. Liang
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
SNL/TTU Experimental Wind Farm
DOE/Sandia Labs
$355,109
J. Schroeder
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Sandia National Laboratory: Support on the Development of a Non-Intrusive
Measurement System
Sandia National Laboratories
$25,000
J. Schroeder
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Sandia National Laboratory: Building 350 Update
DOE/Sandia National Laboratories
$48,756
J. Schroeder
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
SUPPLEMENT: Building 350 Renovations: Amendment for Keypad Lock
DOE/Sandia National Laboratories
$2,168
J. Schroeder
24
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Sandia National Laboratories: SWiFT Vehicle Support
Sandia National Laboratories
$17,305
J. Schroeder
Title:
CAREER: Quantifying Inadvertent Weather Modification and Education
through Museum Programs
National Science Foundation
$800,000
B. Ancell
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Title:
Integration of Forecast Sensitivity into the NWS Forecasting Process to
Improve Predictability of High-Impact Weather
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
$51,944
B. Ancell
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Testing of Alternative Support Materials for Portable Roll-Up Signs Used in
Maintenance Work Zones
Texas Department of Transportation
$32,923
S. W. Bae
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Technology Solution for Wind Integration
Center for Commercialization of Electric Technologies (TTU)
$150,472
S. Bayne
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Energy-Aware Aerial Systems for Persistent Sampling and Surveillance
AFOSR/University of Colorado
$223,026 +
C. Weiss
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
An Exploratory Study for Retrofitting Tilt Towers for PTC Systems
Western Towers
$15,500
D. A. Smith, S. Morse, D. Zuo
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Investigation of Wind-Induced Vibration on a Tubular Guyed-V Transmission
Structure
NV Energy
$183,327
D. A. Smith, S. Morse, D. Zuo
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Limited Management Services
National Storm Shelter Association
$76,474
E. Kiesling
25
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Title:
Task A-4: Alstom: Correlating Low-Level Atmospheric Wind Measurements
with Wind Turbine Performance
Alstom Power, Inc.
$90,000
J. Schroeder, D. Zuo
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Development of Design Guidelines and Mitigation Strategies for Wind-Induced
Traffic Signal Structure Vibrations
Texas Department of Transportation
$70,890
D. Zuo
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Wind Tunnel Comparative Study
National Science Foundation/Colorado State University
$10,000
D. A. Smith, D. Zuo
Title:
PIRE: USA/Europe Partnership for Integrated Research and Education in Wind
Energy Intermittence: From Wind Farm Turbulence to Economic Management
National Science Foundation/Johns Hopkins University
$387,750
J. Schroeder, A, Swift
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Full Scale Testing, Characterization, System Optimization, and Demonstration
of Grid-Connected Wind Turbines and Wind-Powered Water Desalination
Project
Dept. of Energy
$5,871,000
A. Swift, J. Schroeder and multiple co-PIs.
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Weather Forecast Improvement Project
Dept. of Energy
$481,637
J. Schroeder
Title:
Cost of Energy Reduction for Offshore Wind Turbines with Tension Leg
Platform Floating System Through Advanced Control Strategies for Energy
Yield Improvement, Load Mitigation and Stabilization
Dept. of Energy
$474,955
J. Schroeder
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Collaborative Research: Achieving Economic Effectiveness and High Capacity
Factor in Wind Farms to Meet the 2030 Grand Challenge
National Science Foundation
$90,572
J. Schroeder
26
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Title:
EAGER: Collaborative Research: Exploring the Structural Response to Wind
Pressure through Wireless Sensor Networks
National Science Foundation
$61,576
D. A. Smith
Collaborative Research: High-Resolution Observations of the Dryline
Environment (HiRODE)
National Science Foundation
$185,077
C. Weiss
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Predicting Probabilistic Wind Load Effects for Performance-Based Design of
Structures: Integration of Uncertainty and Directionality
National Science Foundation
$144,171
X. Chen
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
TUES: Southwestern University Data Acquisition and Learning Lab
National Science Foundation
$62,394
J. Schroeder
Title:
The Elderly’s Mental Health Service Utilization after a Disaster: An AgentBased Approach
National Institutes of Health
$127,224
D. Liang
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
Evaluation of a Helical Anchor Foundation for Use with Tilt-Up Positive Train
Control Towers
National Science Foundation
$76,624
S. Morse, D. A. Smith, D. Zuo
Web-Based Risk Management System for Assessing and Communication the
Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Communities
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
$150,000
D. Liang
Development of a Human Subject-Specific Simulation Model for Tornado
Evacuation Planning
National Science Foundation
$92,120.50
D. Liang
27
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
U.S. Offshore Wind: Advanced Technology Demonstration Projects
Department of Energy/Texas A&M University
$67,000
L. Castillo, S. Bayne, X. Chen, S. Ekwaro-Osire, S. Morse, D. Zuo
Title:
The Wind Energy Scholar Program (WESP): Education, Mentoring and Guiding
the Wind Energy Workforce of the 21st Century
National Science Foundation
$209,773
L. Castillo, S. Ekwaro-Osire, J. Schroeder
Sponsor:
Amount:
TTU Investigator(s):
TOTAL OF ONGOING PROPOSALS: $13,979,017
•
•
Number of Proposals Submissions for 2012 – 18.9
Total Amount Requested: $3,691,981(in new proposal submissions)
28
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