National Wind Institute

Welcome to the Texas Tech National Wind Institute (NWI) where faculty and students research how to efficiently harvest wind energy and mitigate wind-related damage.

NOTE: Formerly called the Wind Science and Engineering (WiSE) Research Center, the NWI is in the process of integrating WiSE with the Texas Wind Energy Institute (TWEI) which will encompass All Things Wind for Texas Tech University. More updates coming soon.

Currently, the National Wind Institute has developed (or is developing):

• The SWiFT project: a new wind research facility in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, Sandia, Vestas, and Group NIRE. (For construction progress, please check menu on right in brown column.)
• A 200 m meteorological tower to document the wind through hub height and gain fundamental knowledge about low-level jets and other atmospheric events of interest
• Two state-of-the-art Ka-band mobile research radars designed to enhance sensitivity and resolution and observe fine-scale atmospheric motions
• The West Texas Mesonet: a growing network of 10 m atmospheric monitoring stations to provide up to the minute weather reports for agricultural, wind energy and other needs
• Comprehensive FEMA adopted regulations on household and community storm shelters to protect life in severe wind storms
• The Enhanced Fujita Scale to estimate tornado wind speeds
• Student-designed, state-of-the-art field equipment StickNets to locally monitor wind storms as they happen and relay information in real-time to decision makers
• Newly renovated and re-located, the TTU Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel is a closed-circuit wind tunnel used for research on wind effects on structures and bridges
• One of the world's largest tornado vortex simulators to study the impact of tornadoes on structures
• The Texas Tech University Hurricane Research Team travels widely to document severe weather events

NWI provides student support, world-renowned faculty, experienced staff, and technologically-advanced research facilities. If you have a passion for wind, you can develop your innovative idea into reality at Texas Tech University.

Sponsors and Partners include:

Announcements

• Director's Welcome
• How to Support WiSE
• WiSE Research Spotlight - Relocation/ Renovation of Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel
• Free Android app for WT Mesonet now on Google Play
• NEW! SWiFT project makes progress - Updated April 03 2013
• NWI e-newsletter edition #73 released
• WiSE/NWI co-founder and Horn Professor pays a visit to TTU
• McDonald-Mehta Lecture Series #3: Dr. Walter Gillis Peacock (TAMU)
• U.S. Congressman Neugebauer visits NWI research facilities to promote wind bill