Wind energy the topic of Science Café lecture

Last year set a record for wind-energy installations in Canada and the US at an enormous: an average 100 MW terrestrial wind farm requires a $250-million investment. Wind farm owners are naturally keen to ensure that their machines operate efficiently, and that’s where Rupp Carriveau comes in.

An associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Windsor, and director of the UWindsor EnerSmart Research Partnership, Dr. Carriveau is working with a team to develop control architecture that minimizes damage and optimizes the performance of individual wind turbines based on a model of real-time economic risk. Over time, the machines accumulate intelligence and the ability to adjust their operation to operate for the most profitable service life.

He will discuss these smart turbines—and an innovative underwater system to store the resulting energy—in a free public lecture Wednesday, November 21, at Canada South Science City. The event, part of the Science Café series, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Faculty of Science, the series offers discussion of important science research for the general public.

Canada South Science City is located at 930 Marion Avenue.