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TTU Home WiSE SWiFT Project Progress Report - April 2013 (Updated 04/03/13)

SWiFT Project Progress Report - April 2013 (Updated 04/03/13)

Progress is taking place in the preparation for the commissioning of the SWiFT Facility, a new research project involving TTU with collaborative partners from the Department of Energy, Sandia National Laboratories, Vestas, and Group NIRE.

Ground was recently ceremonially broken on July 17th to celebrate the official start of the project.

The SWiFT Facility will allow participating partners to investigate turbine-to-turbine interactions and innovative rotor technologies. Other areas for research include aero-acoustics and structural health monitoring of turbines using embedded sensor systems.

The site will start with two small turbines (V27) deployed by Sandia National Laboratories, and a third V27 belonging to Vestas, a leading wind turbine manufacturer in the United States.

By using the state-of-the-art facilities and cutting edge theory, the SWiFT partners will learn how to create more efficient, smart wind farms. Thus, wind energy will be more likely to be implemented as a preferred energy source. Research in this field is imperative as industry, academia, and the government focus on reducing costs to make wind energy more appealing to the business sector.

For more information about the SWiFT project, click here.

For a featured slide show of DOE test facilities (including SWiFT): Energy.gov website

For the complete U.S. government report: 20% Wind Energy by 2030

For photos to see earlier construction progress for the SWiFT project (August-December 2012 and early 2013), please click here.



April 2013

A set of turbine blades await lifting into their final spot in the next few weeks.

(Above) A set of turbine blades await lifting into their final spot in the next few weeks.

A view inside the turbine tower looking upwards.

(Above) A view inside the turbine tower looking upwards.

Two turbines stand patiently ready for the addition of the blades prior to commissioning.

(Above) Two turbines stand patiently ready for the addition of the blades prior to commissioning.

A birds-eye view of the SWiFT project construction from the 200 m met tower at Reese.

(Above) A birds-eye view of the SWiFT project construction from the 200 m met tower at Reese. The blades awaiting further action are on the ground to the left of the turbines.

Looking out across the Reese research site showing the vast openness which makes this region attractive for projects such as SWiFT.

(Above) Looking out across the Reese research site showing the vast openness which makes this region attractive for projects such as SWiFT.

Photo Credit: Liz Inskip-Paulk (WiSE), Jeff Livingston (WiSE), Anna Thomas Young (WiSE) and Jon White (SNL).