First centre to study wind turbine vibrations established

The University of Windsor is establishing a Centre for Excellence for studying the low frequency noise and vibrations from wind turbines, including their blades, and their gearboxes.

The Wind and Renewable Energies Research Centre of Expertise is the first such centre of excellence in North America.

The new centre will include a large scale wind turbine model and will be located in the Industrial Courtyard a $112-million Centre for Engineering Innovation that is currently being constructed on the university campus.

Bruel & Jjaer (B&K), which manufactures apparatus to measure sound and vibrations is a partner in the centre, will move into the space along with university researchers later this year.

Assistant Professor Colin Novak, who will lead the graduate course studying the turbines at the University, says: “If we carefully monitor the vibration and noise wind turbines generate we are well-positioned to minimize their impact on people.” He says they want to find ways to monitor the conditions inside the turbine gearboxes with the goal of making them more efficient. “It is also important to find efficiencies in the shape and function of turbine towers and blades,” he says.