2009 Annual Report
Including information on the 40th anniversary
Texas Tech University
www.wind.ttu.edu
Dear Alumni, Faculty, Staff, Students and Friends of WISE:
We invite you to participate in the Celebration of the 40th Anniversary, which will be on May
7 and 8. To assist in your preparations for your visit, we have included the Celebration
Program, information about hotel accommodations, maps and directions, as well as
instructions to register (there is no registration fee). The Annual Report follows.
The Program and venues for the celebration. Note two items:
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2.
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Friday evening is informal networking.
There is no registration fee.
Registration form; please respond by April 22.
Hotel information for your use. Discount rates have deadlines, although you can
reserve later as well.
Please respond to the poster request (whether you plan to participate or not) by April 15. Your
fellow alumni would like to know your background and what you are doing.
Founding faculty, Drs. Minor, McDonald, Peterson, Mehta, Kiesling, Haragan, and Norville
are looking forward to seeing you.
If you need additional information or have questions, please see www.wind.ttu.edu or contact
Carolann.stanley@ttu.edu
MAY 7-8, 2010 ARE D-DAYS!!!
Bob Bailey, Chair of 40th Anniversary Celebration
and
Kishor Mehta, Co-Chair
2
WISE 40th ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM
May 7 & 8, 2010
Texas Tech University
May 7 (Friday)
6:00-9:00 pm - Informal gathering for families including registration, heavy hors
d’oeuvres, and drinks (beer, wine and soft drinks); continuous run of videos and slides.
Venue: Frazier Alumni Pavilion on Tech Campus. Moderator: Joe Minor.
• Basilio Lakas, Tim Marshall, Marc Levitan, Vinu Abraham, Pat Lea,
Ronaldo Vega, Doug Smith and John Schroeder
May 8 (Saturday)
8:00 am - REGISTRATION and coffee and rolls
Venue: International Cultural Center on Tech Campus.
8:30-10:00 am - IMPACT OF WIND PROGRAM
Venue: International Cultural Center. Moderator: Scott Norville.
• Impact on Institution by Don Haragan
• Impact on Wind Engineering by Jim McDonald
• Impact on Engineering Profession by Kishor Mehta
• Impact on Society by Ernie Kiesling
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-12:00 pm - PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES OF ALUMNI
Venue: International Cultural Center. Moderator: Richard Peterson.
• Paneer Selvam, Rebecca Fagan, Kevin Walter, Bob Bailey, Jianming Yin,
Jay Khayrattee, Barry Allen
12:00-12:30 pm - Travel from campus to Reese Technology Center (nine miles).
12:30-2:00 pm - LUNCH at Reese Technology Center (see map for directions)
Venue: Building 250. Moderator: Andy Swift.
Celebrate 10th Anniversary of West Texas Mesonet
• Recognition of land owners by John Schroeder and Wes Burgett.
2:00-4:30 pm - DEMONSTRATION OF FACILTIES at Reese (field site, debris
impact, VorTECH, radars, stick-net etc.) and alumni, student, and faculty posters.
OPEN TO PUBLIC.
4:30 pm - Adjourn
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International Cultural Center
Frazier Pavilion
4
Reese Center
Texas Tech University campus
Directions to Reese Technology Center:
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Take 19th street WEST to Research Blvd (approx 8 miles).
Turn RIGHT on Research Blvd.
Turn LEFT into Reese Technology Center.
Take another LEFT on to Gilbert.
Take Gilbert around to 11th Drive and take a RIGHT on to 11th Drive.
Parking available on your RIGHT.
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Physical address: 9713 11th Drive, Lubbock, TX 79416 (for input to GPS devices)
5
Hotel Information for the 40th Anniversary:
Note: The City of Lubbock has completely renovated the area of town bordering 19th
to University to 4th and Avenue Q (also known in former times as “the ghetto”). It is not what
it used to be in any way. The Overton Hotel is a brand new conference hotel built for visitors,
and the Staybridge Suites are a well known national chain. (Both hotels are within easy
driving distance of the anniversary locations).
Overton Hotel
Tel: (806) 776-7000
2322 Mac Davis Lane, Lubbock, TX 79401 (see map)
Josh Henegar, Director of Sales: Joshhenegar@overtonhotel.com
Reserved 25 rooms at $129.00 plus taxes (estimated total: $145.77)
Group name: WISE 40th.
Book before April 9th for the special rate.
Website: http://overtonhotel.com/
Staybridge Suites
Tel: (806) 765-8900
2515 19th Street (19th and University Avenue), Lubbock, TX 79410 (see map)
Jennifer Melcher, Sales Director
Reserved 30 rooms at $89.00 plus taxes (estimated total: $100)
Group name: WISE 40th.
Book before April 16th for the special rate.
Website: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/sb/1/en/hotel/lbbsb?&
To register at the TTU WISE website:
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Go to www.wind.ttu.edu
Click on 40th Anniversary logo on front page
RSVP at the top of the next page above the logo
Complete form and submit
Any questions, please call WISE at (806) 742-3476 or email
Elizabeth.paulk@ttu.edu
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Mission
The Wind Science and Engineering (WISE) Research Center at Texas Tech University
distinguishes itself as an internationally recognized leader in research, education, and knowledge
transfer on the effects of wind on people and the environment.
Vision
The Wind Science and Engineering (WISE) Research Center will continue to perform
advanced and innovative multidisciplinary research to mitigate the deleterious effects of
windstorms on the built environment, people (and their quality of life) and to utilize the
beneficial effects of wind. Through research, we provide educational experiences that prepare
students for technical and leadership roles in private practice, industry, government and
academia. We will be the place of choice for interested students, professionals and industry for
wind-related research, education, outreach and community engagement.
Next year will mark the 40th Anniversary of the Wind Science and Engineering (WISE) Research
Center at Texas Tech University. The Center was established in 1970, following a tornado in Lubbock
that caused 26 fatalities and more than $100 million in damage. Thirty-nine years later, more than five
thousand MW of wind power facilities have been developed in the region – with Lubbock situated at
the geo-center of development and ranking. Texas is first in the nation in wind power capacity.
The WISE Center focuses on research, education and information outreach and offers the only doctoral
program in Wind Science and Engineering in the nation. The comprehensive and multidisciplinary
research program aspires to exploit useful qualities of wind and to mitigate its detrimental effects.
The Center offers a multidisciplinary education in wind science and engineering to develop
professionals who are expert in wind-related research leading to the doctorate in Wind Science and
Engineering. The Center develops information on windstorm disaster mitigation, wind power systems
and other wind-related subjects for both professionals and the public. The WISE Center has twentysix faculty affiliates from twelve academic fields, three research associates, ten professional staff
members, and twenty graduate students. Active research and education funded projects totaled more
than $7.8 million for calendar year 2009.
The accomplishments and success of the Center through the past year are due entirely to the vision,
dedication, hard work and collaborative spirit of our professional staff, faculty affiliates and students.
It is through these combined efforts and commitment that the Center will continue to be successful in
the future.
Andrew Swift, Sc.D., P.E.
Director
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. HIGHLIGHTS
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II. RESEARCH PROJECTS
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III. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
22
IV. VISITING SCHOLARS AND DIGNITARIES
29
V. OUTREACH
31
VI. PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS
34
i. REFEREED JOURNALS, PROCEEDINGS &BOOKS
34
ii. PROCEEDINGS AND PRESENTATIONS
35
iii. REPORTS
39
VII. PROGRAM AREAS, CHARTS AND PERSONNEL
VIII. THESES/DISSERTATIONS COMPLETED
IX. PROPOSALS SUBMITTED
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44
49
X. DEPARTMENTAL STATISTICS
52
XI. STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2009
53
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I. 2009 HIGHLIGHTS
The Wind Science and Engineering Research Center is a multi-disciplinary organization with
twenty-six faculty members from thirteen academic departments from the fields of
engineering, atmospheric sciences, economics, mathematics, architecture, and business
affiliated with the Center during 2009. The Center administers the only Ph.D. degree program
in Wind Science and Engineering in the nation.
•
WISE currently has 20 students in the Ph.D. program, five students who completed
their Ph.D. studies in 2009, and three Research Associates.
•
Dr. Andy Swift, Director of the WISE Research Center, was invited to Washington
D.C. on July 14, 2009, to testify before the Committee on Energy and Environment,
a subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee which has a focus
on legislation to increase federal funding of wind and solar research. (See Figure 1).
Figure 1 - Dr. Andy Swift, Director of WISE, reads his national wind energy research
testimony in front of the Committee on Energy and Environment at the House of
Representatives in July.
•
Eighteen funded proposals for wind-related research were active in 2009 totaling
over $7.8 million; 41 proposals totaling over $65 million were not approved or are
pending.
11
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Faculty members served on sixteen professional committees at the local, regional
and/or national levels.
•
Wind Science and Engineering Center faculty affiliates authored twenty articles
published in refereed journals and books and forty-four presentations and/or
publications in proceedings of conferences.
•
Coy Harris of the American Wind Power Center with WISE co-hosted several wellattended Windsmith hands-on training sessions this past year. The sessions included a
docent tour of the Center, a safety briefing and a tower climb on the Vestas 660kW
turbine. There were approximately 22 participants.
•
WISE, with the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, co-hosted a wind energy luncheon
focusing on opportunities that will be created by the wind power industry for non-wind
power related businesses. The keynote speaker was Mr. Greg Wortham, Mayor of
Sweetwater, and Director of the West Texas Wind Power Consortium.
Figure 2 – One of the two Ka-band mobile Doppler pulse compression radar system trucks
that are used as part of a national multi-disciplinary, multi-university research project on
hurricane research. (Photo: Jerry Guynes)
•
Work has been completed on the two Ka-band mobile Doppler pulse compression
radar systems and both are fully operational. (See Figure 2.)
12
Figure 3 – The 2009 WISE faculty, staff and students standing in front of the TTU campus
seal.
Figure 4 – (L-R) Current WISE Ph.D. candidates Karen Tarara and Kyla Kersh stand inside
the VORTECH tornado simulator at the Reese Technology Center.
13
Figure 5 – One of the West Texas Mesonet stations [this one at the Reese location] located
across the Plains region of Texas and New Mexico which provide accurate meteorological
data for a variety of interests to include the Weather Service, agricultural and the wind power
industries throughout the area.
Figure 6 - The official logo of Team Mesonet.
14
Figure 7 – The map of the growing TTU Mesonet network showing the location of each
station. Source: http://www.mesonet.ttu.edu/site_info.html
•
The West Texas Mesonet is a network of real-time weather monitoring stations in
collaboration with the Atmospheric Science group and the Wind Science and
Engineering Research Center (WISE) at Texas Tech University. The network has now
grown to 58 stations covering 39 counties in the Texas Panhandle region. The West
Texas Mesonet’s website received a record number of hits during the month of
October of 2.46 million hits (an average of 79,400 hits/day) with 9,500 unique visitors.
Website: www.mesonet.ttu.edu.
15
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The Atmospheric Science group now has 24 mobile StickNet probes. The goal is to
have 48 mobile Stick-Nets. These are 2.5 m rapid-deployment observing platforms
designed to collect high-resolution meteorological data within super-cell
thunderstorms. In 2009, the StickNets were deployed in Hurricane Ida and also played
an important role in the VORTEX2 project, which covered the southern, central and
northern plains. (See the “Rewards and Recognition” section for more information on
the VORTEX2 project.)
•
National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA) headquarters are located within the TTU
WISE Center under the direction of Dr. Ernst Kiesling.
•
There were 67 NSSA members in 2009. A new “Media Partnership” membership
category was voted in after the Board of Directors met at the NSSA Annual meeting in
April of 2009. The category is available for those who wish to contribute toward
promoting safety and enhancing quality in the shelter industry.
•
The ICC/NSSA Standards for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters were
approved by ANSI and are now available for distribution through the International
Code Council and NSSA for a minimal cost.
Figure 8 - The NSSA logo received its official trademark registration on December 22, 2009.
The registration is good for 10 years with periodic filings of “Declaration of Use” during the
10 year period.
•
Doug A. Smith was invited to conduct reconnaissance research concerning the May 6
collapse of the Dallas Cowboys air-supported roof structure during a training practice.
Twelve people were injured. The research trip was sponsored by a grant from the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
•
Fifteen Debris Impact Tests were conducted with visiting groups including DIY-TV,
Olton High School, Southcrest Christian School, Estacado High School JROTC,
Coleman ISD, Run on the Wind Summer Camp, Osher LifeLong Learners group, the
University of Applied Science at Wilhelmshaven, Germany and Texas Senator Kay
Bailey Hutchison’s Legislative staff (see Figure 10).
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The Texas Tech University Hurricane Research Team (HRT), the Wind Science and
Engineering Research Center (WISE) and the Mesonet Team now have a presence on
the social media network, Facebook.
Figure 9 – Kelly Havens, a technician with the WISE research group, prepares to
demonstrate the debris impact cannon for a tour group.
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Two senior staff members from U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s office visited WISE to
learn more about the WISE Center’s research. (See Figure 10.)
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Figure 10 - During a recent tour, Legislative Aides Jaime Moore and Chad Heflin (blue
shirts in the middle row) stand in WISE’s Building 250 at the Reese Technology Center
surrounded by staff, faculty and students of WISE.
Figure 11 - Chris Pattison, WISE Ph.D. candidate, teaches elementary school students about
sustainable energy and wind power at Nat Williams Elementary School in Lubbock.
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The TTU Hurricane Research Team (HRT) was deployed to Tropical Storm Ida which made
landfall near Dauphin Island, AL, on November 10. This marked the first deployment of
WISE’s new Ka-Band mobile Doppler radar system into a landfalling tropical cyclone. The
TTU HRT consisted of Jerry Guynes, Ian Giammanco, Tanya Brown and Brian Hirth.
Figure 12- Members of Team Zorro prepare for battle during the “Go Game”, a large teambuilding exercise that took place just before the fall semester started. It helped the new Ph.D.
students and staff get to know each other and promoted collaboration and cooperation
between team members. Photo courtesy of The Go Game ™
Figure 13 – Academic Program Coordinator Kelsey Seger and WISE Ph.D. student Tanya
Brown learn how to use a wind sailor on the runways at Reese Technology Center. Dr. Swift
is in the background giving further instruction.
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RESEARCH PROJECTS
The following is a summary of projects active during all or part of calendar year 2009. See the
WISE website, http://www.wind.ttu.edu, for links to additional information.
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
Directors:
6495-TxDOT and Electric Power Transmission Lines
Texas Department of Transportation
$96,683
P. Nash, D.A. Smith, R. P. Walker
Title:
Texas Wind Energy Institute
Sponsor: Department of Labor/Texas Workforce Commission
Amount: $1.4 million
Directors: S. Basu, J. Chapman, B. Ewing, M. G. Giesselmann, X.L. Gilliam, R. McComb,
K. Mehta, J. Schroeder, A. Swift (Lead PI), D. Zuo.
Title:
Great Plains Wind Power Test Facility FY 08
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy
Amount: $1,968,000
Directors: S. Basu, J. Chapman, X. Chen, D. DeSilva, B. Ewing, M. G. Giesselmann,
X.L. Gilliam, W.A. Jackson, D. James, D. Liang, R, McComb, A.Morse,
P. Nash, K. Rainwater, J. Schroeder, D.A. Smith, A. Swift, C. Weiss, D. Zuo.
Title:
Supplement: Project VORTEX2: Investigation of Storm-Scale Baroclinity
Using Fine-Scale Observations and Numerical Models
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Amount: $713,630
Directors: C. Weiss
Title:
Dallas Cowboys Practice Facility Collapse Reconnaissance – Expert Peer
Review
Sponsor: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Amount: $2,950
Directors: K. Mehta, D.A. Smith
Title:
Summer Merit Program: Wind Energy and STEM Education
Sponsor: Texas Workforce Commission
Amount: $54,225
Directors: A. Swift
Title:
Documentation of Hurricane Wind Fields: RMS
Sponsor: Risk Management Solutions
Amount: $45,000
Directors: J. Schroeder
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Title:
ARCADIS: Hurricane Wind Awards
Sponsor: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/ARCADIS
Amount: $99,000
Directors: J. Schroeder
Title:
Sunshine to Petrol
Sponsor: Sandia National Laboratories
Amount: $62,196
Directors: D. James
Title:
Wind Resource Measurements in Support of Integrated Wind-Water Systems
and Education/Training Applications
Sponsor: State Energy Conservation Office
Amount: $12,500
Directors: D. Zuo
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
Directors:
Documentation of Hurricane Wind Fields
Risk Management Solutions
$45,000
J. Schroeder
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
Directors:
Documentation of Hurricane Wind Fields
State Farm Insurance
$99,000
J. Schroeder
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
Directors:
Hurricane Wind Speeds
Arcadis Corporation
$11,187
J. Schroeder
Title:
Sponsor:
Sign Tests in the Field and in the Wind Tunnel
International Sign Association and the Outdoor Advertising Association of
America
Amount: $61,257
Directors: D. Smith, K. Mehta, D. Zuo
Title:
Sponsor:
Amount:
Director:
Seminole Wind-Water Desalination project
ORCA/TEDB
$100,000
J. Chapman (lead PI)
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Title:
Development of a Practical Model for Wind and Rain-Wind-Induced Stay
Cable
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Amount: $150,529
Directors: D. Zuo
Title:
Great Plains Wind Power Test Facility FY 09
Sponsor: Congressionally Directed Appropriation
Amount: $1,903,000
Director: A. Swift
Title:
Innovative Technologies to Investigate Fine-Scale Atmospheric Motions and
their Impact
Sponsor: TTU Vice President of Research
Amount: $1,000,000
Directors: J. Schroeder (PI)
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Awards/Recognition
• E. Kiesling, Professor and Executive Director of NSSA, was recognized for his
contributions to the development of the “safe room” concept by the organization,
FLASH (Federal Alliance for Safe Homes) (See Figure 17 page 25).
• K. Mehta was appointed to the ASCE Infrastructure and Research Policy Committee;
he has been a Distinguished Member of the ASCE since 2001 and a member of the
National Academy of Engineering since 2003.
• The National Science Foundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research
Trainee (IGERT) website (www.igert.org) released a highlight on the TTU wind
science and engineering doctoral program. The program began in 2003 with the
impetus of the IGERT grant. The site highlighted our program’s recent review by the
TTU Graduate School wherein the program was assessed on several features such as
quality of faculty, quality and quantity of graduate students and graduates, curriculum
offerings and program options, as well as adequacy of program facilities. Overall, the
Graduate School rated our program as “very good”. For more information, refer to the
IGERT website: www.igert.org/highlights/137.
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Figure 14 – WISE Ph.D. students and WISE student office assistants are all smiles at the
Christmas Student Appreciation Luncheon held in December. (L-R Back row) – Richard
Krupar, Andrew Widmer, Jason McNeill, Scott Cunningham. (L-R Front row) – Chaitanya
Bhave, Amit Pisat, Karen Tarara, Kuangmin Gong, Srinivasa Rao, Richard P. Walker.
Figure 15 – Dr. Andy Swift, Director of the Wind Science and Engineering Research Center,
and students receive a generous check from representatives of State Farm insurance
company.
23
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The VORTEX2 Project (Verification of the Origin of Rotation in Tornadoes
Experiment) is a two-year, $12 million project sponsored by both the National Science
Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It
involves more than 100 scientists and more than 40 science and support vehicles from
universities across the nation, including TTU. The first of two phases occurred
between May 10-June 13, 2009, with the second phase scheduled for May 1-June 15,
2010. It has received national and international media attention. For more information
on the project, please see www.vortex2.org. Teams from both the Atmospheric
Sciences group and the Wind Science and Engineering Research Center are involved.
WISE students involved included Patrick Skinner, Ian Giammanco, Tanya Brown,
Chris Pattison, Frank Lombardo, and Candace Cyrek, along with students from the
Atmospheric Sciences group including Brian Hirth, Jeff Beck, Trevor Boucher, Chris
Burling, Sarah Dillingham, Joel Dreesen, Scott Gunter, Amanda Thibault, and
Danielle Turner.
Figure 16 – Two of the student VORTEX2 team members set up a StickNet to measure
inclement weather. (L-R) WISE Ph.D. candidates Frank Lombardo and Ian Giammanco work
in the field. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Dillingham.)
•
South Plains Association of Governments (SPAG) processed applications and awarded
funding through a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for 210 storm shelter
installations. The grant provided 50% of the shelter cost up to $2,500.
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E. Kiesling, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was appointed to an
advisory committee for “Designing for Disaster,” an exhibit to be held at the National
Building Museum in Washington D.C. The exhibit is designed to bring attention to the
strategies and technologies that today’s engineers, designers, planners, and
communities are investigating and adopting to diminish the impact of natural disasters.
Figure 17 – Dr. Ernst Kiesling, Professor and Executive Director of NSSA, stands by his
plethora of awards given to him by the organization, FLASH (Federal Alliance for Safe
Homes).
Faculty Service
• Digital Hurricane Consortium, Member: J. Schroeder
• American Meteorological Society, Reviewer, Journal Articles: J. Schroeder
• 11th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering, Session Chair: J. Schroeder
• Texas Department of Transportation, Technical Advisory Panel 2, Transportation
Planning: P. Nash
• ExCEEd Teaching Workshop, Member: A. Morse
• IEEE IAS Industrial Drives Committee, Member: M. Giesselmann
• American Wind Energy Association: Service on the board of directors and as the
industry-elected President: J. Chapman
• U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Sandia:
Program Review and Planning panels: J. Chapman
• The Open Atmospheric Science Journal, Editorial Board member: S. Basu
• Understanding of Land-Atmosphere Interactions with Models and Observations,
American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall meeting 2009, Co-Covener: S. Basu
• American Meteorological Society, Chairperson, Boston, MA conference: C. Weiss
• National Science Foundation, grant reviewer: C. Weiss
• WxChallenge Advisory Board Member: C. Weiss
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American Meteorological Society, Journal Article Reviewer: C. Weiss
IEEE IAS Industrial Drives Committee, Member: M. Giesselmann
ASCE 7 Wind Load Subcommittee, Member: D. Smith
Consulting Projects
• D. Smith consulted on various matters related to the insurance industry concerning
Hurricanes Ike, Katrina and Ivan
Damage Surveys
• K. Mehta and D.A. Smith reviewed the Dallas Cowboys Practice Facility Report
produced when the roof collapsed unexpectedly during a thunderstorm. The collapse
of the air-supported structure left 12 people injured, according to authorities.
Debris Impact Demonstrations
• DIY-TV
• Olton High School (See Figure 18)
• Southcrest Christian School
• Estacado High School JROTC group
• Coleman ISD
• Run on the Wind Summer Camp
• Osher LifeLong Learners group
• The University of Applied Science at Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Figure 18 - Olton High School students along with students from Southcrest Christian School
pose for a photo during their tour of the WISE research facilities at the Reese Technology
Center.
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Meeting Participation
Basu, Sukanta
• American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 14-18.
• 10th Annual Weather Research and Forecasting system (WRF) Users’ Workshop,
Boulder, CO, June 13-26.
• 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Orlando, FL, January 5-8.
Chapman, Jamie:
• American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) conference, Chicago. IL, May 4-7.
• 2009 US-Korea Conference on Science, Technology and Entrepreneurship, Raleigh,
NC, July 16-19.
DeSilva, Dakshina:
• International Academy of Business and Economics meeting, Las Vegas, NV,
October 5-7.
Giesselman, Michael:
• IEEE Energy Conversion Congress, San Jose, CA, September 20-24.
Kiesling, Ernst
• 31st Annual National Hurricane Conference (in conjunction with the National Storm
Shelter Association's annual meeting), Austin, TX, April 6-8.
• FLASH (Federal Alliance for Safe Homes) Board of Directors “Storm Struck”
Outreach Program, Orlando, FL, August 19-21.
• 11th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 18-28.
• Governor's Office of Emergency Management Mitigation Division (committee to rank
applications for proposed projects-Hurricane Ike), Austin, TX, May 20-21.
• URS (United Research Services) FEMA workshop for Emergency Managers,
Oklahoma City, OK, May 6-7.
McComb, Robert
• Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association conference, Austin, TX, November
8-10.
Mehta, Kishor
• The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas meeting, Austin, TX,
January 8-10.
• International Forum on Tornado Risk Reduction for Bangladesh in Dhaka,
Bangladesh, December 11-12.
• Annual Meeting of the Indian Academy of Engineering (INAE) where he was
inducted as Foreign Fellow, December 17-18.
• NSF IGERT meeting, Washington DC, May 18-20.
• Structural Mechanics in Radiation Technology, SMiRT20 Conference in Espoo,
Finland, August 11-14.
27
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•
•
Tokyo Polytechnic University Advisory Group and CADRR meeting in Tokyo,
Japan, March 2-7.
Disaster Medicine Symposium, University of Oklahoma Medical Campus, Tulsa,
OK, March 30-31.
Structural Engineering Institute/ASCE Congress, Austin, TX, April 28-May 1.
Schroeder, John
• 11th America’s Conference on Wind Engineering, American Association for Wind
Engineering, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 22-26.
• Texas Homeland Security Conference, Governor’s Division of Emergency
Management, San Antonio, TX, March 23-26.
• UCAR Annual Members’ Meeting, University Corporation of Atmospheric Research,
Boulder, CA, October 12-14.
• Digital Hurricane Consortium, National Hurricane Center, Miami, FL, March 9.
• 63rd Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference, Office of the Federal Coordinator for
Meteorological Services, Tampa, FL, March 2-5
• AMS National Meeting, American Meteorological Society, Phoenix, AZ, January
10-15.
• Digital Hurricane Symposium, Baton Rouge, LA, January 5-6.
Smith, Doug A.
• 11th America’s Conference on Wind Engineering, American Association for Wind
Engineering, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 22-26.
Swift, Andy
• A. Swift gave testimony on the latest research before the Committee on Science and
Technology, Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment, U.S. House of
Representatives, Washington, D.C., July 14.
• American Wind Power Association conference, Chicago, IL, May 4-7.
Weiss, Chris
• UCAR Annual Member’s Meeting, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research,
Boulder, CO, October 12-14.
• Annual Meeting, American Meteorological Society Conference, Phoenix, AZ,
January 10-15.
Womble, Arn
• ASCE 5th Congress on Forensic Engineering, Washington, DC, November 12.
(Invited Plenary Speaker).
• 7th International Workshop on Remote Sensing for Disaster Management Applications,
University of Texas, Austin, TX, October 22-23.
• 11th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 22-26.
• ASCE/SEI Structures Congress, Austin, TX, April 30-May 2.
• Digital Hurricane Symposium: Constructing a Digital Hurricane, Digital Hurricane
Consortium, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, January 5-6.
28
VISITING SCHOLARS AND DIGNITARIES
•
•
•
•
Legislative Aides Jamie Moore and Chad Heflin ,who work in the office of Senator
Kay Bailey Hutchison, visited the WISE Research Facilities on August 26.
The Deans of the four colleges at TTU visited the WISE Research Facilities to learn
more about the numerous research projects being conducted. Guests included Dr.
Lawrence Schovanec (Arts and Sciences), Dr. Fred Hartmister (Graduate School), Dr.
Matt Baker and Dr. Patrick Hughes (University College) and Interim Dean Dr. Jon
Strauss (Engineering).
TTU President Guy Bailey and his staff toured the WISE Research facilities with Drs.
Mehta, Peterson and Swift. WISE Ph.D. students Chris Pattison, Ian Giammanco and
Tanya Brown explained the various pieces of equipment and gave a short speech
describing each of their research projects. (See Figure 19.)
The McDonald-Mehta Endowed Lecture Series continued with the following expert
speakers:
o Dr. Bill Hooke (American Meteorological Society, Washington, DC)
o Dr. Michael C. Robinson (NREL’s National Wind Technology Center, Golden,
CO)
o Mr. Mike Hightower (Energy Security Center, Sandia National Laboratories,
Albuquerque, NM)
o Dr. Kevin Simmons (Austin College and TTU alumni)
o Dr. Dennis E. Wenger (National Science Foundation)
o Dr. Charles Meneveau (Johns Hopkins University)
Dr. Bill Hooke, Director
and Sr. Policy Fellow,
American Meteorological
Society, Washington DC.
Dr. Michael C. “Mike”
Robinson, Acting
Center Director,
National Wind
Technology Center,
NREL, Golden, CO.
29
Mr. Mike Hightower,
Distinguished Member
of Technical Staff in
Energy Security
Center, Sandia
National Laboratories,
Albuquerque, NM.
McDonald-Mehta Endowed Lecture Series speakers continued:
Dr. Kevin M. Williams,
Department Chair,
Economics and Business
Administration, Austin
College.
Dr. Dennis E. Wenger,
Division of Civil,
Mechanical and
Manufacturing
Innovation, National
Science Foundation.
Dr. Charles Meneveau, Louis M.
Sardella Professor of Mechanical
Engineering and Director,
Environmental and Applied Fluid
Mechanics, Johns Hopkins University.
Figure 19 - The President of Texas Tech University, Dr. Guy Bailey, tours the WISE research
facility at Reese Technology Center. (L-R): Dr. Kishor Mehta, Associate Vice President
External Relations Mary Larson Diaz, Dr. Richard Peterson, WISE Ph.D candidate Chris
Pattison, Chief of Staff to the President Grace Hernandez, WISE Ph.D. candidates Ian
Giammanco and Tanya Brown, President Guy Bailey, and WISE Director Dr. Andy Swift.
30
V. OUTREACH
Print Media
• The June 12 issue of the Daily Toreador featured a substantial article about the
VORTEX2 team members (See below for more information on Vortex2 media
coverage.)
• L. Tanner was featured in a Dallas Morning News article on the severe DFW weather
season.
• Popular Mechanics magazine referred to the TTU Wind Science and Engineering
Center (WISE) in their “10 Future-Proof Jobs You Can Get Right Now”. Number
seven is “wind explorer”.
• The Journal of Business Valuation and Economic Loss Analysis had a special issue on
measurable economic losses associated with Hurricane Katrina. B. Ewing helped to
co-edit this edition.
• Tanya Brown (WISE) and Brian Hirth (ATMO) were both pictured on the front page
of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal for an article that focused on the VORTEX2
project.
• K. Mehta was quoted in an article about the Dallas Cowboys’ facility collapse in the
Fort Worth Star Telegram in May 2009.
• Stayton Bonner, former WISE Research Associate, published an article about
renewable energy and how it affects lesser prairie chickens in the October 2009 edition
of Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Figure 20 –WISE Ph.D. graduates
Hector Cruzado, Kirsten Orwig and
Kevin Walter stand in front of the
200 m instrumented tower at the
Reese Field Site (Photo courtesy of
Artie Limmer.)
31
TV/Radio
• DIY-TV filmed a series on building safe rooms in new construction.
• There was significant coverage of the multi-state, multi-university Vortex2 project.
For more details, refer to www.vortex2.org. Media, both print and electronic, reported
this story including New Scientist, Scientific American, NPR, Washington Post,
Weather Channel, Meteorological Technology International, USA Today, and others.
The project is funded by the NSF and the NOAA.
• J. Schroeder was interviewed in May on severe weather events for multiple
interviews by KCBD-TV in Lubbock .
• C. Weiss was featured in an interview with the Weather Channel (May 1).
Figure 21 – Dr, Chris Weiss (left) was being interviewed in a series for the DIY-TV at the
WISE research facility on August 4.
Online and Phone
• ScienceLive.com had a section called “Tornado Research: It’s not like in the movies”
focused on C. Weiss and his role in the VORTEX2 tornado study. The series is a
collaboration between the NSF and LiveScience.com.
• WISE Ph.D. student Tanya Brown wrote a series of six articles for LiveScience.com
focusing on the wind research efforts of TTU WISE students and faculty members.
This number of articles in the series is a record-breaking amount for LiveScience to
produce for one organization, let alone a research center within one university. Ian
Giammanco was also featured on LiveScience.com.
32
•
•
•
WISE was featured in an article covering the $28 million wind project with Pantex on
The BioEnergy site in May 2009: www.bioenergysite.com. It was also mentioned on
the Renewable Energy Sources site: www.renewable-energy-sources.com.
The WISE/TWEI “Run on the Wind” camp for high schoolers was featured in a
February 27 edition of the AgriScribe website
http://agriscribe.com/disp_article.php?aid=912
The WISE website was the most common avenue for people to get information about
the WISE program.
Exhibits
•
•
The interactive exhibit, “StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes” opened at the EPCOT
Center at Disney World in Florida to teach audiences about severe weather awareness
and safety. E. Kiesling was part of a committee of national experts involved in the
development of this exhibit. (See http:://www.stormstruck.org/ for more info.)
E. Kiesling was also appointed to an advisory committee for a “Designing for
Disaster” exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. The exhibit is
designed to alert visitors to the strategies and technologies that today’s engineers,
designers, planners and communities are investigating and adopting to diminish the
impact of natural disasters.
Response to Programs Offered by the Texas Wind Energy Institute
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
WISE had 212 inquiries concerning the Ph.D. program in 2009, with the most popular
access being through the website followed up by email.
WISE had seven new Ph.D. students for the Fall WISE program, which equals the
largest incoming Ph.D. class since the NSF IGERT program began in 2003.
WISE had 17 Ph.D. applicants for Fall 2009 and interviewed nine of those applicants.
For the academic year 2010-2011 WISE Ph.D. program, there were a record-breaking
37 applicants.
The Texas Wind Energy Institute (TWEI) received 452 inquiries concerning various
course offerings ranging from Technician Training to wind energy short courses.
The most popular inquiries into the TWEI courses concerned the TSTC/TWEI
Technician Training course.
Sixty students completed the Wind Energy short course in 2009, and 19 students
completed the Technician Training course, graduating in December 2009, according
to TSTC.
33
PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS FROM WISE PROJECTS
REFEREED JOURNALS, PROCEEDINGS, AND BOOKS
Aguilar, T.A., Schroeder, J. (2009). Near-Surface Wind Flow Characteristics of a
Thunderstorm Outflow Event. Williamsburg, Virginia: 34th Conference on Radar
Meteorology, Proceedings.
Basu, S. (2009). Can the Dynamic Eddy-Viscosity class of Subgrid-scale models capture the
inertial-range properties of Burgers turbulence?, Journal of Turbulence 10, 1-6.
Beravides, M., Simonton, J., Waters, N., Ng, E, Chaivichitmalakil, S., Chiu-Wei, C., Altintas,
P., Nash, P., Barroso, L., Moon, P. (2009). The Concept of a Regional Maintenance Center,
Journal of Public Transportation, Volume 12, No. 3.
De Silva, D., Kruse, J.B., Sutter, D. (2009). An Economic Analysis of Wind Resistant
Construction. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 97(3-4) 113-119.
Giammanco, I.M., Brown, T.M., Schroeder, J. (2009). Texas Tech University’s Hurricanes at
Landfall Project 2008. Puerto Rico: 11th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering,
Proceedings.
Giammanco, I.M., Schroeder, J., Powell, M.D., Smith, D. (2009). Observations of Tropical
Cyclone Low-Level Wind Maxima. Puerto Rico, 11th Americas Conference on Wind
Engineering, Proceedings.
Hirth, B., Schroeder, J. (2009). Examination of the Coastal Transition Zone of Hurricane
Frances. Puerto Rico: 11th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering, Proceedings.
Orwig, K.D., Schroeder, J. (2009). Full-Scale Strong Winds from a Time-Varying Perspective.
Puerto Rico, 11th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering, Proceedings.
Schiller, A., De Silva, D., McComb, R., Moh, Y., and Vargas, A. (2009). The Effect of
Migration on Wages: Evidence from a National Experiment, American Economic Review
(Papers and Proceedings), 100 (2).
Schroeder, J., Edwards, B.P., Giammanco, I.M. (2009). Observed Cyclone Wind Flow
Characteristics, Wind and Structures, 12(4), 349-382.
Technopress.kaist.ac.kr/?journal=was&subpage=7
Schroeder, J., Weiss, C., Guynes, J. (2009). Innovative Technologies to Investigate Fine-Scale
Atmospheric Motions and their Impact. 11th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering,
Puerto Rico, Proceedings.
34
Swift, A., (2009). New Roadmaps for Wind and Solar Research and Development. Published
and transcribed testimony before the Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee
on Energy and the Environment, U.S. House of Representatives, July 14, 2009, published by
Office of the Clerk, HSY195.200
Walker, R., Swift, A. (2009). Filling the Wind Industry Need for Trained Professionals,
Presented as a poster at American Wind Energy Association, Wind Power 2009, Chicago, Il,
May.
Walter, K., Weiss, C., Swift, A., Chapman, J., and Walter, N.K. (2009) Speed and Direction
Shear in the Stable Nocturnal Boundary Layer, Journal of Solar Energy Engineering,
February 2009, Vol. 131 / 011013- pgs. 1 to 7.
Weiss, C., Schroeder, J., Guynes, J., Skinner, P., Beck, J. (2009). The TTUKa Mobile Doppler
Radar: Coordinated Radar and In Situ Measurements of Supercell Thunderstorms During
Project VORTEX2. 34th Conference on Radar Meteorology, Williamsburg, VA. Preprint.
Womble, J., Smith, D., Schroeder, J., Liang, D., Brown, T.M., Mehta, K. (2009). ImageBased Wind Damage Functions. 7th International Workshop on Remote Sensing for Disaster
Management Applications, Austin, Texas. Proceedings.
Zachry, B.C., Letchford, C.C., Zuo, D., Schroeder, J., Kennedy, A.B. (2009). Surface Drag
Coefficient Behavior During Hurricane Ike. 11th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering,
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 15pp. Proceedings.
Zachry, B.C., Letchford, C.C., Zuo, D., Schroeder, J., Kennedy, A.B. (2009). Surface Drag
Coefficient Behavior during Hurricane Ike: Implications for the ASCE Wind Load Standard
and Hurricane Storm Surge Forecasting. Hurricane Hugo 20th Anniversary Symposium,
Charleston, SC. Proceedings.
PROCEEDINGS AND PRESENTATIONS
Basu, S. (2009). “Addressing a few emergent challenges in wind power meteorology”, Vishor
Lecture, Department of Geography, University of Indiana, Bloomington, IN.
Basu, S. (Presenter), Bosveld, F.C. , Holtslag, A.A.M. (2009). “Stable Boundary Layers with
Low-Level Jets: What did we learn from the LES Comparison with GABLS?” American
Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 14-18.
Basu, S. (Presenter) (2009). GABLS 3rd LES intercomparison Study”, GABLS Workshop,
Boulder, CO, June 26-27.
Basu, S., Holtslag, A.A.M. (2009). “Solving the mysteries of decoupling, run-away surface
cooling and crashing in stable atmospheric boundary layer model studies,” GABLS Workshop,
Boulder, CO, June 26-27.
35
Brown, T.M., Liang, D., Womble, J.A. (2009). “Development of a Statistical Relationship
between Ground-based and Remotely-Sensed Damage in Windstorms,” 7th International
Workshop on Remote Sensing for Disaster Management Applications, University of Texas,
Austin, TX, October 22-23.
Carter, R.R., Smith, D.A. (2009). “Parapet Effects on Full-Scale Wind-Induced Pressures,”
11th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 21-25.
Chapman, J. (2009). “Modern Wind Technology,” US-Korea Conference on Science,
Technology and Entrepreneurship, Raleigh, NC, July 16-19.
Chapman, J. (2009). “Wind Energy Issues,” 1st Annual IEEE Green Technology Conference,
Lubbock, TX, April 16-17.
Correa, A.C., Hill, G., McComb, R., Swift, A., and Zak. J. (2009). Panel presentation at
“Green Campus Action Plan: Good Stewardship, Good Citizenship, Good Business,” Texas
Tech University, Lubbock, TX, April 15.
De-Silva, D. (2009). “Minority Subcontracting Goals in Government Procurement Auctions,”
INFORMS, San Diego, CA, October 11-14.
De-Silva, D. (2009). “Minority Subcontracting Goals in Government Procurement Auctions,”
International Academy of Business and Economics, Las Vegas, NV, October 14-16.
De-Silva, D. (2009). “Minority Subcontracting Goals in Government Procurement Auctions,”
International Industrial Organization conference, Boston, MA, April 3-5.
Gowda, P.H., Howell, T.A., Hartogensis, O., Basu, S., Scanlon, B.R. (2009). “Effect of
Scintillometer Height on Structure Parameter of the Refractive Index of Air Measurements,”
American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 14-18.
Harshan, S., Basu, S. (Presenter), Ruiz Columbie, A. (2009). “Evaluating the performance of
the WRF model in representing the Antarctic boundary layer,” 10th WRF Users’ Workshop,
Boulder, CO, June 23-26.
Ho, C., Gilliam, X., Basu. S. (2009). “Detecting intermittent turbulence using advanced signal
processing techniques,” 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Orlando, FL, January 5-8.
Ilston, B.G., Basara, J.B., Voss, M., Weiss, C. (2009). “An Overview of the WxChallenge
forecasting competition and its use as an educational tool.” American Meteorological Society,
Phoenix, AZ, January 12-16.
Kersh, K.L., Gowda, P.H., Basu, S., Howell, T.A., O’Shaugnessy, S., Rajan, N., Akasheh,
O.Z. (2009). “Vegetation Fraction Mapping with Artificial Neural Network and High
36
Resolution Multispectral Aerial Imagery Acquired During BEAREX07,” American
Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 14-18.
Kiesling, E. W., Levitan, M. L., and Vega, R.E. (2009). “Introducing the ICC/NSSA Standard
for Design and Construction of Storm Shelters,” 11th Americas Conference on Wind
Engineering, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 21-25.
Levitan, M. L. and Kiesling, E.W. (2009). “Design and Construction of Storm Shelters –
Introducing the New ICC/NSSA Standard,” Pre-Congress Seminar, 2009 Structures
Congress, Austin, TX, April 30-May 2.
McDonald, J.R., Mehta, K.C., Smith, D.A., Womble, J.A. (2009). “The Enhanced Fujita
Scale: Development and Implementation,” Proceedings, 5th Congress on Forensic
Engineering, Washington D.C., November 10-15.
McDonald, J., Mehta, K. (2009). “Tornadic Loads and their Influence on Nuclear Reactor
Facilities,” Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology International Conference, Helsinki,
Finland, August 9-14.
Mehta, K. (2009). “Engineering for Tornadoes: Past, Present and Future,” United States
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, November 11.
Mehta, K. (2009). “Development and Implementation of EF Scale,” ASCE 5th Congress of
Forensic Engineering, Washington, D.C., November 12.
Parameswaran, S., Maxwell, T., Thyageswaran, S. (2009). Held a technical three-day
workshop at Future Trends in Sustainable Surface Transportation, jointly sponsored by the
department of Mechanical Engineering at TTU and the Coimbatore Institute of Technology in
India, March 17-19.
Rajan, N., Gowda, P.H., Maas, S.J., Basu, S., Nair, S.S. (2009). “Vegetation cover mapping at
multiple scales using MODIS, Landsat, RapidEye, and Aircraft Imageries in the Texas High
Plains,” American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 14-18.
Ruiz Columbie, A., Basu, S., Skinner, P.S., Gowda, P.H., Harshan, S. (2009). “Observational
and Modeling Studies of Evening Transitional Boundary Layers,” American Geophysical
Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 14-18.
Ruiz Columbie, A., Basu, S., Harshan,S. (2009). “How does the WRF model capture the
intrinsic features of evening transitional boundary layers?” 10th WRF Users’ Workshop,
Boulder, CO, June 23-26.
Schroeder, J. (Presenter and Author), Biggerstaff, M. (Author), Cecil, D. (Author), Gurley, K.
(Author), Kennedy, A. (Author), Levitan, M. (Author), Masters, F. (Author), Powell, M.
(Author), Wurman, J. (Author). (2009). “The Digital Hurricane Consortium”. Fifty-Ninth
37
Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference, Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology,
Tampa, FL, Proceedings, March 5.
Schroeder, J. (Presenter and Author). (2009). “Measuring the Storm: How We Do It,” Texas
Homeland Defense Conference, Governor’s Division of Emergency Management, San
Antonio, TX, March 25.
Schroeder, J. (Presenter only). (2009). “Weather Radar Basics,” Digital Hurricane
Consortium, Baton Rouge, LA., January 5-6.
Schroeder, J. (Presenter only). (2009). “WEMITE and StickNet Platforms,” Digital Hurricane
Consortium, Baton Rouge, LA, January 5-6.
Sim, C., Basu, S., Manuel, L. (2009). “The influence of stable boundary layer flows on wind
turbine fatigue loads,” 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Orlando, FL, January 5-8.
Sim, C., Manual, L., Basu, S. (Presenter) (2009). “Simulation and Analysis of Wind Turbine
Loads for Neutrally Stable Inflow Turbulence,” American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting,
San Francisco, CA, December 14-18.
Skinner, P., Basu, S. (2009). “Observing the Great Plains Low-Level Jet Using the Aircraft
Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS): A Comparison with Boundary
Layer Profiler Observations,” American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA,
December 14-18.
Swift, A. (2009). “Wind Power Systems,” IEEE Green Technology Conference Short Course,
Lubbock, April 16-17.
Swift, A. (2009). “Wind Energy and Wind Turbines,” American Society of Agricultural and
Biological Engineers, Bellevue, WA, October 11-14.
Swift, A. (2009). “Wind Energy Programs at Universities,” California Energy Commission’s
Wind Energy Collaborative, U.C. Davis, March 4.
Weiss, C. (2009). “Tornado Genesis and Structure: What we know and what we are learning,”
Pacific Northwest Association of College Physics, Auburn, WA, April 4.
Womble, A. (2009). “Forensic Wind Engineering: Techniques and Myths,” ASCE 5th
Congress of Forensic Engineering, Washington, D.C., November 12. Plenary session.
Womble, A., Smith, D., Mehta, K., McDonald, J. (2009). “The EF Scale: For use beyond
tornadoes?” ASCE 5th Congress of Forensic Engineering, Washington, D.C., November 12.
Womble, J.A., Smith, D.A., Schroeder, J.L., Liang, D., Brown, T.M., Mehta, K.C. (2009).
“Image-Based Wind Damage Functions,” 7th International Workshop on Remote Sensing for
38
Disaster Management Applications, University of Texas, Austin, TX, October 22-23.
Proceedings and presentation.
Womble, J.A., Smith, D.A., Mehta, K.C., McDonald, J.R. (2009). “Intended Use and Misuse
of the EF Scale,” 11th Americas Conference on Wind Engineering, San Juan, Puerto Rico,
June 22-26. Publication and presentation.
Womble, J.A., Smith, D.A. (2009). “Mythbusters for Wind Versus Water Damage,” 11th
Americas Conference on Wind Engineering, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 22-26. Publication
and presentation.
REPORTS
•
Chapman, J. (2009). “Renewable Energy Futures,” contributor to the study on the
potential of wind power and other renewable energy systems to supply 80% of the
nation's electrical energy needs by 2050, National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
•
Chapman, J. (2009). “Wind Power and Water Desalination - Technology Integration,”
with others, US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, July 2009.
•
Newhouse, C., Bole, S., Burkett, W., Nash, P., El-Shami, M. (2009). “Study of
Elastomeric Bearings for Superelevated U-Beam Bridges,” Final Report, Research
Project 0-5834-1, Texas Department of Transportation, October.
•
Swift, A., Rainwater, K., Chapman, J., Noll, D., Jackson, A., Ewing, B., Song, L.,
Ganesan, G., Marshall, R., Doon, V., Nash, P. (2009). “Desalination and Water
Purification Research and Development Program Report No. 146, Wind Power and
Water Desalination Technology Integration.” Final Report, Bureau of Reclamation,
July.
•
Weiss, C. (2009). “The Verification of the Origin of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment
2: 2009 Field Phase.” Department of Geosciences newsletter, TTU.
•
E. Kiesling and L. Tanner’s contribution in revising the FEMA 320 publication“Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room for your Home or Small
Business” (Third Edition) and FEMA 361 publication – “Design and Construction
Guidance for Community Safe Rooms,” (Second Edition) have been completed and are
now available for download or ordering through the FEMA website.
•
Dr. Kishor Mehta, Horn Professor in WISE, was a member of the Task Committee on
Structural Loadings of electrical transmission structures for the ACSE and their
manual on ASCE Engineering Practice No. 74. The manual was finally completed by
the end of the year and a copy is in the WISE Library or may be ordered through the
ASCE website.
39
PROGRAM AREAS, ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS AND PERSONNEL
Program Areas
Boundary Layer
Atmospheric Science
Wind
Effects on
Civil Structures
Economics
and
Risk Management
Wind
Power
Systems
Publications
Inputs to State & National Policy
Assessment
Academic Organization Chart
Graduate
Council
Graduate Dean
Research Organization Chart
V.P.
of
Research
Deans
Council
Deans
Council
•Engineering (Chair)
•Arts & Sciences
•Architecture
External
Advisory
Board
•Engineering (Chair)
•Arts & Sciences
•Architecture
Internal
Advisory
Board
Center
Director
External
Advisory
Board
Leadership
Council
Unit
Manager
Faculty
Affiliates
Students
Unit
Manager
Professional
Staff
Academic
Program
Assoc. Dir.
Internal
Advisory
Board
Center
Director
Faculty
Affiliates
Senior
Faculty
Advisors
Leadership
Council
Program
Area
Associate
Directors
Students
Academic
Coordinator
Mar08
40
FACULTY AFFILIATES – WIND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sukanta Basu, Assistant Professor of Geosciences (Atmospheric Science)
Mario Beruvides, Professor of Industrial Engineering
Jamie Chapman, Senior Research Faculty of Wind Science and Engineering
Xinzhong Chen, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
Dakshina De Silva, Assistant Professor of Economics and Geography
Brad Ewing, Rawls Professor and Director, Center for Professional
Development/Executive Education, Rawls College of Business
Michael Giesselmann, Professor of Electrical Engineering
Xiaoning Li (Kathleen) Gilliam, Instructor of Mathematics
Jerry Guynes, Senior Research Faculty
Saif Haq, Associate Professor of Architecture
Glenn Hill, Associate Academic Dean of Architecture
Darryl James, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Ernst Kiesling, Professor of Civil Engineering and Executive Director, NSSA
Daan Liang, Assistant Professor of Engineering Technology
Robert McComb, Associate Professor of Economics and Geography
Kishor Mehta, Horn Professor of Civil Engineering
Stephen Morse, Instructor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Kevin Mulligan, Associate Professor for the Center of Geospatial Technology,
Department of Economics and Geography
Phil Nash, Instructor of Civil Engineering
H. Scott Norville, Department Chair of Civil Engineering
Stephen Ekwaro-Osire, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Siva Parameswaran, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Richard Peterson, Professor of Geosciences (Atmospheric Science) (retired)
John Schroeder, Associate Professor of Geosciences (Atmospheric Science)
Doug Smith, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
Andrew Swift, Director of the Wind Science and Engineering Research Center,
Professor of Civil Engineering
Larry Tanner, Instructor of Civil Engineering
Christopher Weiss, Assistant Professor of Geosciences (Atmospheric Science)
Arn Womble, Instructor of Civil Engineering
Delong Zuo, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
WISE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (INTERNAL ADVISORY BOARD)
• Jamie Chapman
• Brad Ewing
• Ernst Kiesling
• Kishor Mehta
• Robert McComb
• Richard Peterson
41
•
•
•
John Schroeder
Doug Smith
Andrew Swift
RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
• Wesley Burgett
• Brian Hirth
• Patrick Skinner
• Richard Walker
STAFF
• Glenn Allen, Senior Technician
• Cynthia Barbosa, Administrative Business Assistant for NSSA
• Patricia Bela, Senior Business Assistant
• Jerry Guynes, Research Faculty
• Kelly Havens, Senior Technician
• Liz Inskip-Paulk, Writer
• Jeff Livingston, Unit Manager
• Kelsey Seger, Academic Coordinator
• Susan Sechrist, Senior Business Assistant
• Carol Ann Stanley, Unit Manager
• James R. Williamson, Technician
Ph.D. STUDENTS IN WIND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (WISE)
• Candace Cyrek
• Kuangmin Gong
• Wiley Haydon
• Anant Jain
• Kyla Kersh
• Richard Krupar
• Patrick Skinner
• Karen Tarara
• Richard Walker
• Xinxin Zhan
NSF FELLOWS
• Tanya Brown
• Joseph Dannemiller
• Padriac Fowler
• Ian Giammanco
• Jason McNeill
• Kirsten Orwig
• Martin Christopher Pattison
• Amber Reynolds
42
•
•
Simon Wayne
Andrew Widmer
SUMMER INTERNS:
• Gavin Roy – Valparaiso University, Indiana
STUDENT ASSISTANTS
• Zach Gross
• Scott Cunningham
• Chaitanya Bhave
• Amit Pisat
WISE GRADUATES
(For further information related to WISE graduates, please see page 44.)
• Frank Lombardo
• Brian Zachary
• Anita Schiller
• Rebecca Paulsen-Edwards
• Maribel Martinez
Figure 22 – ATMO Research Associate Brian Hirth adjusts the instrumentation on one of the
StickNets used in the field.
43
VIII. THESES/DISSERTATIONS COMPLETED
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE TORNADO IMPACT
UPON TWO COMMUNITIES
Maribel Martinez, Ph.D. (2009)
ABSTRACT:
The aftermath of the tornadoes of Moore, Oklahoma (1999) and Greensburg, Kansas (2007),
remind us of not only the power such systems can contain but of the great human loss, social and
emotional effects, economic loss, infrastructural damage, and political and environmental impacts such
storms carry with them. Although the number of people killed by all disasters has been generally
decreasing due to better warning dissemination, the number of people affected by disasters and costs
incurred by them remains high and continues to increase.
Tornado damage does produce a negative effect on some business operations; however, direct
damage is only one of several factors that can contribute to business loss. Disruption of utilities,
transportation, reduced traffic, and reduced employee productivity can all additionally incur loss that
may be as large as physical losses. But questions rise as to whether positive gain is also experienced.
Research on the short-term and long-term economic effects after a tornadic event is sparse for small
communities, yet it is these communities that are often hit and struggle. These communities often lack
the political and economic influence of larger cities when it comes to preparing and recovering from an
event. Although large metropolitans may have more population at risk, large urban areas often have
the resources, training, and funds to deal with hazards and disasters.
The study focuses on the impact placed on the communities of Clovis, New Mexico and Tulia,
Texas after tornadoes hit on March 23, 2007 and April 21, 2007 respectively. A collective and
multidisciplinary investigation will help to define the impact induced on the communities and provide
insight on questions such as which industries suffer the most/least and the overall negative and positive
economic effects. More accurate economic estimates would be available to federal and state officials
who decide the amount of funds to disperse to a community suffering from a disastrous event.
Additionally, local officials will be able to determine where to exert these funds in a way that would be
more economically feasible, paving the way towards a faster recovery and leading towards greater
local sustainability.
44
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF NON-STATIONARY
WIND FLOW AND ITS EFFECTS ON A BLUFF BODY
Franklin T. Lombardo, Ph.D. (2009)
ABSTRACT:
The engineering properties of wind, no matter the source, are homogenous. The idea that
“wind is wind” allows statistics for wind and wind-induced pressure currently collected in wind
tunnels to be used in wind load standards. Statistics collected in wind tunnels are based on data that
inherently display steady mean and variance, known as stationary data. Wind tunnel results are
validated with full-scale data that is stationary within the boundary layer (SBL). Contrarily, some of
the most extreme, and hence important events for wind loading (e.g. thunderstorms) display wind and
wind-induced pressure of unsteady mean and variance and are referred to as non-stationary.
Thunderstorms are therefore assumed to have the same statistical and physical properties (e.g. vertical
profiles, turbulence) as SBL events in wind load standards. A number of non-stationary thunderstorm
wind and pressure records exist at the Texas Tech Wind Engineering Research Field Laboratory
(WERFL) and were analyzed to determine differences, if any, from that of the SBL.
Vertical wind profiles were shown to have differing structures than SBL events in a gust
sense, while mean profiles showed both similarities and differences to SBL events. Vertical angle of
attack showed no significant differences in comparison to the SBL. The presence of interesting
periodicities and horizontal-vertical wind speed correlations in thunderstorm wind records was also
noted.
A time-varying mean wind speed at a number of averaging times was used to rid the data of its
non-stationarity. Then, using a stationary segmentation technique, flow parameters such as turbulence
intensity and spectral energy showed resemblance to SBL values while longitudinal integral scale
showed differences at all averaging times. Use of a time-varying mean revealed potential
misconception about current thinking in regards to thunderstorm turbulence and showed a functional
form for gust factors in “ramp-up” thunderstorm events.
An alternative definition of pressure coefficient was constructed using a time varying mean
dynamic pressure. Using this definition, pressure data was transformed and compared with
conventional pressure coefficients calculated at WERFL and those given in the wind load standard.
Pressure coefficients for both types of events were shown to have similar characteristics, even in
microburst or “ramp-up” cases where the presence of ring vortices could alter pressures.
Evolutionary wind features around the WERFL building in “ramp-up” events where strong
changes in wind speed or direction occur may significantly alter bluff body flow. Wavelet analysis
shows that although there are occurrences of higher frequency energy in wind and pressure, on average
there is little energy above what is shown in SBL observations and models.
45
CHARACTERIZATION OF HURRICANE GUST FACTORS
USING OBSERVED AND ANALYTICAL DATA
Rebecca Paulsen-Edwards, Ph.D. (2009)
ABSTRACT:
The nature of turbulence in the hurricane boundary layer has been the subject of much
discussion. Two questions in particular continue to be the source for debate and ongoing research.
The first question is whether or not hurricane gust factors (GFs) exhibit the same behavior as GFs from
winds generated by extratropical systems (thunderstorms excluded). The second question is whether
the structure of the wind, and the resulting gust factors, change at high wind speeds. This study seeks
to address those two questions using a variety of data sources and analysis techniques. Observational
data were collected from both landfalling tropical cyclones and synoptically generated extratropical
wind. Analytical data at a variety of wind speeds were created using an inverse fast Fourier Transform
of the universal spectrum for wind in the perturbed terrain. Gust factors and other parameters were
computed for both types of data and the results assimilated in a data base.
Analysis of these data yielded interesting results. A strong dependence on surface roughness
was noted for gust factors from both observed and analytical data. However, once efforts were made
to control for this dependency, slight differences between the tropical and extratropical gust factor data
remained. Analysis of the artificial data suggest spectral differences between the tropical and
extratropical regimes due to the presence of additional low-frequency energy. A slight decrease of the
gust factor with increasing wind speed was noted in the high-speed analytical data. A similar decrease
was suggested in the tropical data. It was concluded that the low-frequency spectral differences
between the two regimes have less of an effect on the resulting gust factors as the wind speed
increases, resulting in better agreement between the two distributions.
46
HURRICANE KATRINA’S IMPACT ON HOUSTON
Anita Schiller, Ph.D. (2009)
ABSTRACT:
Hurricane Katrina forced the evacuation of an estimated 130,000 persons to Houston, TX,
causing its population to increase by 3% virtually overnight. Most of these evacuees were younger
and less-educated than existing residents and remained in the Houston area for at least a year.
The first objective of this dissertation is to estimate the effect of this massive in-migration on
workers’ earnings in non-tradable goods industries in the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area
(MSA). Using establishment-level data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
(QCEW) and gross sales and use tax receipts from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the
study compares relative earnings per worker within the non-traded goods industries in the Houston and
Dallas-Fort Worth MSAs before and after the Katrina-induced in-migration. Unlike previous studies,
this study controls for the influence of an increase in the demand for local goods and services on the
demand for labor in normally non-tradable goods and services activities. The study finds evidence that
the average payroll per employee in the low-skill non-tradable industries decreased by 3.0% in the
Houston MSA relative to the Dallas-Fort Worth MSA as a result of the Katrina-induced shift in labor
supply. The study finds no evidence of any effect in the set of high-skill non-tradable industries. The
findings also suggest that the failure to control for demand-side influences confounds this effect and
severely underestimates the supply-side effect on wages.
The second objective of this dissertation is to estimate the possible damage that a natural
disaster of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina could cause in the Houston MSA. Using Census-Track
and QCEW data, this study estimates the expected damage, payroll loss, and expected number of
affected employees that could be sustained by the Houston MSA. The storm surge analysis is
conducted using GIS and the hurricane-related damage is estimated using HAZUS-MH. The study
points out the advantages of using GIS to analyze the expected storm surge damage estimation. The
advantage of using the HAZUS-MH is that it provides results for a county-wise breakdown in terms of
affected essential facilities and debris by tonnage. Also, it provides expected building damage by
occupancy type and building type.
47
WIND-WAVE INTERACTION IN THE NEARSHORE
ENVIRONMENT
Brian C. Zachary, Ph.D. (2009)
ABSTRACT:
Momentum exchange at the air-sea interface, described in terms of an aerodynamic drag
coefficient (CD), is required to accurately forecast hurricane storm surge and to define the coastal wind
load standard. Recently, a significant effort has been made to advance our understanding of the
momentum flux in hurricane winds. Most of these data were collected in deep water, and only very
recently have strong winds been included in the datasets. Studies in the nearshore region however,
remain inadequate. Ironically, the coastal region is where the accuracy of hurricane models and
building code provisions are most severely tested. Whether the nearshore drag coefficient differs from
deep water observations or from historic linear formulations with wind speed has yet to be determined
and is the focus of this dissertation.
Nearshore air-sea momentum exchange and air flow interaction/behavior was investigated
using a combination of full scale and laboratory studies. The laboratory work characterized the wind
flow and determined the drag coefficient over fixed, solid wave models using the atmospheric
boundary layer wind tunnel at Texas Tech University (TTU). To gain insight into the problem and
estimate the approximate bounds of the drag coefficient, a pilot wind tunnel study was designed using
sinusoid (lower limit) and half sinusoid (upper limit) wave trains. Half sinusoid waves were oriented
with the sinusoid portion facing both upwind and downwind to simulate onshore and offshore wind
flow regimes, respectively. The feasibility of obtaining results using stationary waves and applying
them to propagating waves was investigated, and indicated that this approach is valid for the wave
shapes studied in this dissertation. The second laboratory experiment investigated aerodynamically
rough flow over a statistically valid train of shoaling wave models. The boundary layer upwind of the
studied wave train was developed over a series of deep water wave shapes to simulate the natural
progression of waves to shallow water. Surface drag coefficients were then evaluated over the shoaling
wave set.
To complement the laboratory results, a joint field campaign during the 2008 Atlantic
Hurricane Season collected valuable nearshore wind and wave data as Hurricane Ike made landfall
near Galveston, TX. Coastal drag coefficient behavior was similar to that found in deep water, where
CD increased with wind speed, reached a limiting value, and decreased thereafter. Crucially, at wind
speeds below the limiting value, drag coefficients were significantly higher than previously measured
deep water values. Based on this analysis, storm surge models using a deep water wind speed
dependent drag coefficient are likely to underestimate hurricane storm surge, and additional
parameterizations are needed. Coastal roughness lengths computed from these data provide evidence
that the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) wind load code should prescribe Exposure D
(smoother) rather than Exposure C (rougher) along hurricane prone coastlines.
48
PROPOSALS SUBMITTED
Departments of PIs and Co-PIs are indicated in parenthesis: Atmo: Atmospheric Science;
BA: Business Administration; CE: Civil Engineering; Econ: Economics; EE: Electrical
Engineering; ETech: Engineering Technology; GS: GeoSciences; MATH: Mathematics; ME:
Mechanical Engineering; WISE: Wind Science and Engineering Research Center
Transformation Technology: Comp. Air Energy storage Initiative, Cal Barnes (GS), submitted
to ARPA-E (DOE), $3 million, pending.
Quantifying the Effects of Large Wind Turbines on Micro-Climate: An Integrative Study,
S. Basu (PI - GS), Department of Energy (Early CAREER). Not approved.
Collaborative Research: On Wind Turbine Loads Assessment for Fatigue and Extreme
Failure Limit States in Contrasting Atmospheric Stability Conditions, S. Basu (GS),
submitted to National Science Foundation, $123,140, pending.
Impact of Large Wind Turbines on local Microclimate, S. Basu (GS), submitted to DOE and
National Institute for Climatic Change Research (NICCR), $125,000.Not approved.
SECO-Crosbyton School Wind, J. Chapman (WISE), submitted to State Energy Conservation
Office, $80,027, pending.
Pantex Research Initiative: Turbine Reliability and Operations, J. Chapman (WISE), J.
Guynes (WISE), A. Swift (WISE), submitted to Department of Energy, $400,000. Not
approved.
ARRA-Innovation Network to Achieve Wind Energy Technology for a low carbon Economy,
J. Chapman (WISE), A. Swift (WISE), S. Ekwaro-Osire (EE), $3.8 million. Not approved.
Gears with Assymmetric Teeth for improving reliability and cost of Wind Turbines,
J. Chapman (WISE), A. Swift (WISE), submitted to Department of Energy, $43,111. Not
approved.
Cost Reduction through Increased Energy/Efficiency/Utilization of Wind-Generated
Electricity in Wind-Water Desalination Systems, J. Chapman (WISE), submitted to
Department of Energy, $100,000. Not approved.
Samsung Prototypes, J. Chapman (Lead-PI, WISE), submitted to Samsung Heavy Industries,
$300,000, pending.
Center for Enhanced Wind Energy Design (E-WIND) – Inflow Topic, several universities, plus
X. Chen (CE), D. Zuo (WISE), A. Swift (WISE), submitted to National Science
Foundation – Engineering Research Centers, $16 million. Not approved.
Wind Loads on Low-Rise Buildings in Extreme Non-Synoptic Winds, X. Chen (CE), K. Mehta
(WISE). D.A. Smith (CE), submitted to National Science Foundation, $193,548, pending.
CAREER: Modeling and Simulation of Structural Performance of Utility-Scale Wind Turbine,
X. Chen (CE0, submitted to National Science Foundation, $71,102. Pending.
Turbine Reliability and Operations: Gears with Asymmetric Teeth, S. Ekwaro-Orise (EE),
A. Swift (WISE), J. Chapman (WISE), submitted to DOE 20% Wind Challenges,
$125,000. Not approved.
Developing an Engineering-economics Based Resiliency Model to Improve Disaster
Mitigation and Recovery, B. Ewing (BA), K. Mehta (WISE), submitted to National
Science Foundation, $96,943. Not approved.
49
Physical Simulation of Tornado-Like Vortices with Fluid-Structure Modeling, D. James (ME),
submitted to the National Science Foundation, $354,898, pending.
Phone Response Services for FEMA, E. Kiesling (WISE), submitted to National Storm Shelter
Association, $2,000, pending.
GRS Hyperspectral Imagery: A New Frontier for Windstorm Damage Assessment, D. Liang
(ETech), submitted to National Science Foundation, $23,694, pending.
ARRA: Develop a Community-Scale Hurricane Resilience Model to Support Disaster
Recovery, D. Liang (ETech), B. Ewing (BA), K. Mehta (WISE), submitted to National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), $405,328. Not approved.
IGERT, K. Mehta (WISE), submitted to National Science Foundation, $2 million. Not
approved.
6404-Design Criteria to Accommodate Oversize Loads, K. Mehta (WISE), D. Zuo (WISE),
submitted to TxDOT, $28,806. Not approved.
Scenic Resources Impact of Wind Turbine Projects in the Coastal Zone, K. Mulligan (Econ),
submitted to Texas Coastal Coordination Council/NOAA, $14,289.24, pending.
Development of a Quantitative Model for Measuring Regional, Economic Resilience to
Hurricanes, D. Liang (ETech), B. Ewing (BA), K. Mehta (WISE), submitted to National
Science Foundation, $498,936. Pending.
Energy: Computational Analysis and Experimental Validation of Wind Farm Fluid
Mechanics, S. Parameswaran (ME), submitted to NIST/ARRA, $1.5 million. Not
approved.
Transformational Technology – Wind Tunnel Turbine Wake Modeling/Chrysler Wind Tunnel,
S. Parameswaran (lead PI – ME), submitted to ARPA-E (DOE), $3 million, pending.
Development of Research Test Bed for Electric Energy Smart Grids, V. Rao, (EE),
J. Chapman (WISE), M. Giesselmann (EE), submitted to NSF Major Research
Instrumentation Program (MRI), $6 million. Not approved.
Digital Hurricane Consortium, Sea grant, State, J. Schroeder (Co-PI), $200,000. Not
approved.
Documenting the Engineering-Relevant Aspects of Extreme Thunderstorm Winds,
J. Schroeder (PI - Atmo), submitted to the National Science Foundation, Federal,
$317,821, pending.
Improving Hurricane Wind Speed Estimates at Landfall, J. Schroeder (PI - Atmo), submitted
to Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program, $103,330. Pending.
Improving Hurricane Wind, Surge, and Wave Intensity, J. Schroeder (Co-PI - Atmo),
submitted to Office of Naval Research, $1,706,194. Not approved.
MR-R2 Consortium: Development of an Integrated Observing System for Landfalling
Hurricanes and their Impacts on Natural and Built Environments, J. Schroeder (Co-PI Atmo), submitted to National Science Foundation, $4,603,234, pending.
The Online Interstate Educational Superhighway: Wind Energy Workforce Education at a
Distance (OIES wind energy), A. Swift (WISE), submitted to Department of Energy,
$79,999. Not approved.
Wind Research Laboratory, A. Swift (WISE), J. Chapman (WISE), and T. Drewell (TTU),
submitted to NIST/ARRA Construction, average of $12 million. Not approved.
Pantex Campus Building Plan, Pantex, M. Ellicot, A. Swift (WISE), submitted to Texas Tech
University, $140 million. Not approved.
50
Development of a Real-Time WRF high-resolution modeling System and Forecast Tools to
Improve Predicability of High-Impact Weather, C. Weiss (PI - GS), submitted to NOAACSTAR, $320,319. Not approved.
Tornado Genesis and Structure as Revealed by High Frequency Mobile Doppler Radar,
C. Weiss (PI - GS), submitted to Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program,
$150,000. Not approved.
Investigating the Structure of Tornadoes and the Near-Tornado Environment Using Mobile
High-frequency Ka-Band Doppler Radar Technology, C. Weiss (GS), submitted to
National Science Foundation, $361,276, pending.
Development of Real-Time NWP and Tools to Improve Predictability, C. Weiss (GS),
submitted to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, $160,159, pending.
The Wind Alliance Consortium, 13 universities/industries, J. Chapman (WISE), A. Swift
(WISE), submitted to Department of Energy, $6 million. Not approved.
Figure 24 - A sunset view of an older wind turbine at the American Wind Power Museum
in Lubbock, Texas.
51
WIND SCIENCE AND RESEARCH ENGINEERING RESEARCH CENTER
Area/Unit specific information
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Federal
$3,362,498
$2,519,870
$649,323
$1,681,806
$2,125,247
$893,502*
State
$506,356
$292,316
$111,000
$1,362,117
$1,432,805
$ 287,161*
Private/Other
$14,738
0
0
$174,034
$489,179
$ 13,004*
Refereed Journals
10
13
23
6
Symposia and Conferences
9
15
39
44
8
15
6
10
Research Expenditures
Publications
Proceedings and Reports
1
Publicity
Presentations
Tours and demonstrations
5
12
18
15
18
10
20
15
10
29
9
3
6
8
15
1
3
3
3
Media
Print
Video
State
National
9
6
2
2
1
International
4
2
0
2
1
Visiting Scholars/Dignitaries
National
3
4
2
8
9
6
International
2
2
1
3
2
0
23
1
16
22
16
Professional Committees
Proposals
Proposals submitted
4
Total funds requested
Funded projects
(These result from previous
years’ proposals)
9
11
9
43
31
41
$2,951,120
$6,560,256
$17,197,652
$6,285,966
$65,588,154
3
3
13
16
18**
*Reporting requirements were changed for the year 2009, thus the difference in numbers.
**Total funding for active research projects: $7.8 million.
NOTE: To maintain a standardized method within the university financial system, 2009 numbers no
longer reflect the calendar year 2009 (i.e. January 1- December 31). Instead, they are now on the fiscal
year (September 01 2008 – August 31 2009.)
52
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WISE 2009
Goal 1: Access and Diversity: Attract faculty, scholars, and students to the
multidisciplinary program.
•
•
•
The Wind Science and Engineering (WISE) Research Center continues to attract
minorities and females to its program. The program currently sponsors one minority
and five female PhD candidates.
The Center hosted the McDonald-Mehta Lecture Series which invited six nationally
renowned wind-research scholars: Dr. Bill Hooke (American Meteorological Society,
Washington, DC), Dr. Michael C. Robinson (NREL’s National Wind Technology
Center, Golden, CO), Mr. Mike Hightower (Energy Security Center, Sandia National
Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM), Dr. Kevin Simmons (Austin College and TTU
alumni), Dr. Dennis E. Wenger (National Science Foundation), and Dr. Charles
Meneveau (Johns Hopkins University). The 2009-2010 series continues into the
Spring of 2010.
Other visitors to the center included Legislative Aides Jamie Moore and Chad Heflin
who work in the office of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, the Deans of the different
colleges at TTU (including Dr. Lawrence Schovanec (Arts and Sciences), Dr. Fred
Hartmister (Graduate School), Dr. Matt Baker and Dr. Patrick Hughes (University
College) and Interim Dean of the College of Engineering Dr. Jon Strauss) and the
TTU President Guy Bailey and his assistants.
Goal 2: Research and Academic Excellence: Be a world leader in integrated
multidisciplinary research and education.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
WISE has the only Wind Science and Engineering Ph.D. program focused in wind
science and engineering in the nation. The program was approved by the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board (THECB) in 2007.
WISE currently has twenty students in the Ph.D. program.
Five WISE students completed their Ph.D. studies in 2009, and the Center has three
Research Associates.
Researchers pursued 41 funded wind-related research projects during the year.
Twenty-six faculty members from eleven different academic departments were
affiliated with the Center during 2009, from the fields of engineering, atmospheric
sciences, economics, mathematics, geospatial technology, architecture, and business.
Faculty members were invited to give 44 special presentations and served on 16
professional committees at local, regional, statewide and national levels.
Affiliates in the Wind Science and Engineering Research Center authored 18 articles
published in refereed journals and books, and seven special reports.
WISE hosted one short course focused on the “Introduction to Wind Power Systems
and Economics” reaching approximately 22 participants, many of whom were in
government positions or land owners.
53
•
•
•
•
•
WISE co-hosted (with the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce) a wind energy luncheon
focusing on wind opportunities for non-wind power-related producers that growth in
the wind power industry will create. The keynote speaker was Mr. Greg Wortham,
Mayor of Sweetwater and the Director of the West Texas Wind Power consortium.
The two state-of-the-art Ka-Band Radar mobile Doppler pulse compression radar
trucks were finished in 2009, and are now in use in the field. The first foray was for
Tropical Storm Ida, which made landfall near Dauphin Island, AL, on November 10.
The Center (in collaboration with the TTU Water Resources Center) has partnered
with the city of Seminole to lead the way in cutting-edge wind-driven water
desalination focused on making brackish water available to municipalities for drinking
water.
Fifteen Debris Impact Tests were conducted in collaboration with educational groups
and other interested parties.
The Center has partnered with Texas State Technical College to develop curricula and
a program in Wind Energy Workforce development and education. TSTC reports 19
students completed the certification program in 2009.
Goal 3: Engagement: Build community connections to enhance the quality of life.
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Texas Wind Energy Institute was created through the support of a $1 million
Workforce Investment Act grant from the Texas Workforce Commission. The grant is
being used to develop curricula and to prepare students to meet the workforce needs of
the rapidly growing wind power industry in Texas. The Technician certificate
curricula have been completed by Texas State Technical College. The Texas Wind
Energy Institute is a partnership between TTU and Texas State Technical College
(TSTC). (See Goal #2.)
The Center is collaborating with a local municipality (the City of Seminole) to address
wind-driven water desalination to enhance the dwindling water supply in the region.
(See also Goal #2).
The VORTEX tornado simulator was completed at Reese Technology Center and is
capable of producing 1 m tornado vortex for research and application studies using
wind tunnel models.
The StickNet probes (i.e. rapidly deployable wind/weather instrument platforms)
continue to be deployed to collect high resolution meteorological data within supercell
thunderstorms. In 2009, there were 24 StickNet probes that were designed to be
deployed in large numbers in a short amount of time (three minutes or less) and by a
small number of people.
WISE faculty was invited to conduct reconnaissance research following the May 6
collapse of the Dallas Cowboys air-supported roof during a training practice. Twelve
people were injured in this incident.
Ten tours were conducted at the Reese Research facilities including one for
Legislative aides from the office of Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and also the
upper administrative ranks of Texas Tech University at both the Dean and the
President’s levels.
54
•
•
•
•
The National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA), headquartered within the Center, has
successfully completed the application to trademark the NSSA logo in Texas and with
the Federal registration.
NSSA membership grew to reach 68 NSSA members in 2009.
Ernst Kiesling and Larry Tanner’s contribution in revising the FEMA 320 publication“Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room for your Home or Small
Business” (Third Edition) and FEMA 361 publication – “Design and Construction
Guidance for Community Safe Rooms,”(Second Edition) have been completed and are
now available for download or ordering through the FEMA website.
South Plains Association of Governments continued with the Hazard Mitigation Grant
Program to provide rebates for 50% of the cost up to a total of $2,500 per storm
shelter.
Goal 4: Technology: Use latest technology in research and delivery of information.
•
•
•
The Center has completed the construction of both Ka-Band mobile Doppler pulse
compression radar trucks to gather high resolution wind data. (See also Goal #2.)
WISE Research Center students and staff continue to develop the StickNet project, a
portable network of instruments used to collect atmospheric measurements around
severe thunderstorms and hurricanes. (See also Goal #3.)
The growing Mesonet network now has 58 stations across 39 counties in West Texas
and New Mexico. Additionally, the expanded Mesonet now offers archived data
products in specialized formats available to companies or individuals for purchase, and
averages 41,000 hits a day on its website: www.mesonet.ttu.edu. During the month of
October 2009, the Mesonet’s website received a record number of hits: 130,000 hits
per day during the final week. For the month of October, there were 2.46 million hits
(an average of 79,400 hits/day) with 9,500 unique visitors. Future stations are planned
to be installed at PANTEX, Vernon and Knox City.
Goal 5: Partnerships: Build and enhance strategic alliances with external entities.
•
•
•
•
A collaboration was initiated in 2008 with the International Sign Association and the
Outdoor Advertising Association for America for a $60,000 research project to
determine the wind load capacity of signs, such as the ones in front of restaurants or
gas stations. The research is being conducted due to changes to the 2006 sign code by
the American Society of Civil Engineers which increased the wind load requirement
from the previous year and was continued during 2009.
Dr. Andy Swift, Director of the WISE Research Center, was invited to Washington
D.C. in July to testify before the Committee on Energy and Environment, a
subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee which has a focus on
legislation to increase federal funding of wind and solar research.
A partnership between Texas Tech University and the Texas Workforce Commission
has led to the creation of the Texas Wind Energy Institute through the support of a $2
million Workforce Investment Act grant. (See also Goals #1 and 2.)
WISE faculty has collaborated with State Farm Insurance for further hurricane
research.
55
•
•
•
The Center continues to foster strategic alliances with the National Renewable Energy
Laboratories and with Sandia National Laboratories wind energy programs in the area
of wind turbine performance and reliability.
WISE is a founding member of the Wind Energy Alliance, a collaboration of wind
energy university and industry programs.
The Center, through the Texas Wind Energy Institute, has partnered with the Wind
Coalition, a wind energy advisory group, to validate developing wind energy
curriculum.
Goal 6: Human Resources and Infrastructure: Maintain and enhance faculty and staff,
and experimental facilities and work space.
• Renovations of the Reese facilities have continued during 2009 and will continue into
the future, and the West Texas Mesonet continues to expand (now up to 58 stations in
39 counties).
Goal 7: Tradition and pride: Maintain and enhance national and international
reputation.
•
•
•
•
The Center hosted the McDonald-Mehta Lecture Series which invited six nationally
renowned wind-research scholars: Dr. Bill Hooke (American Meteorological Society,
Washington, DC), Dr. Michael C. Robinson (NREL’s National Wind Technology
Center, Golden, CO), Mr. Mike Hightower (Energy Security Center, Sandia National
Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM), Dr. Kevin Simmons (Austin College and TTU
alumni), Dr. Dennis E. Wenger (National Science Foundation), and Dr. Charles
Meneveau (Johns Hopkins University). The 2009-2010 series continues into the
Spring of 2010. (See Goal #1.)
Other visitors to the center included Legislative Aides Jamie Moore and Chad Heflin
who work in the office of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and who visited the WISE
Research Facilities on August 26; the Deans of the different colleges at TTU also
visited the WISE Research Facilities as a group to learn more about the numerous
research projects being conducted ( including Dr. Lawrence Schovanec (Arts and
Sciences), Dr. Fred Hartmister (Graduate School), Dr. Matt Baker and Dr. Patrick
Hughes (University College) and Interim Dean Dr. Jon Strauss (Engineering) and the
TTU President Guy Bailey and his assistants. (See also Goal #1.)
There was one hurricane deployment to Hurricane Ike involving approximately ten
team members from the Center.
The Center generated at least eight news releases in 2009. There was also coverage of
various events from the local media.
Goal 8: Institutional Advancement and Accountability: Establish fiscal stability.
•
Eighteen funded proposals for wind-related research were active in 2009 totaling
over $7.8 million; 41 proposals totaling over $65 million were not approved or are
pending.
56
Commentary:
The Center continues to build on its strong foundation and 39-year history. This report
illustrates the continued expansion and evolution of the Center providing additional
research thrust areas, such as wind power systems and advanced wind research
capabilities (e.g. Ka Band Doppler pulse compression radar systems, Sticknet etc.)
leading to new research and educational opportunities for students and faculty while
serving the region, state, and the nation. The expanding Ph.D. program is preparing the
next generation of leaders and decision makers in wind-related fields. At the same
time, the program is enhancing our goal of research and academic excellence, while
the formation of the Texas Wind Energy Institute for wind energy workforce
development expands the Center’s commitment to outreach and education.
Implementation Plan:
Facilities and space are presently adequate with offices on campus in the Civil
Engineering building and with space at the Reese Technology Center that includes the
field site and building numbers 250 and 350. The research and education potential in
the area of wind energy is quite large, but to capitalize on these opportunities will
require the hiring of several new faculty. Grants and endowments would facilitate
these hires and are being sought through development and other avenues both internal
and external to the university. Long-term projects and goals require long-term and
stable sources of revenue. Presently, the inflation-adjusted State Line item support for
the Center is decreasing substantially each year.
In addition, Federal Congressionally Directed Projects, an important element in
funding over the past decade, is becoming increasingly unstable and problematic,
adding to future resource uncertainty. Securing longer term, stable funding is a priority
and the Center is actively seeking endowments for scholarships, professorships, and
chairs by working with the Development Office, alumni and corporate partners.
Finally, Center personnel and facility resources continue to provide important support
for the faculty who seek competitive grants and contracts, which remain an important
element in securing resources.
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Figure 25 – A selection of the historical collection of windmills at the American Wind Power
Center in Lubbock, Texas. WISE faculty instruct in a number of programs in collaboration
with the wind power center.
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