October 15, 2024

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WESEP: Wind Energy Science, Engineering, and Policy

Level 1: Introductory Courses

We have designed two new interdisciplinary courses that all WESEP students will take as early as possible in their programs. The objective of these courses are to expose students to the full spectrum of science, engineering, and policy issues that pertain to wind energy. These courses have only a calculus-based undergraduate curriculum as pre-requisite and are therefore accessible to WESEP fellows from all disciplines.

WESEP 501. Wind energy resources.

Catalog description: WESEP 501 Wind Energy Resources (3-0) Cr. 3. Prereq: Graduate standing and calculus/physics background. Mesoscale meteorology, forecasting and electricity market applications, wind farm modeling, atmospheric boundary layer wind measurement and analysis, site placement, aerodynamics of wind turbines, mechanics and dynamics, wind turbine materials and components.

Prerequisite knowledge for the course:  the equivalent of two years of calculus, covering differential and integral calculus, multivariable and vector calculus, and differential equations, and one year of physics, covering mechanics, thermodynamics, electric circuits, electromagnetics, and optics.

Wind Energy 502. Wind energy systems. 

Catalog description: WESEP 502 Wind Energy Systems (3-0) Cr. 3. Prereq: Graduate standing and calculus/physics background. Systems approach to wind turbine design, manufacturing, installation, construction practices, wind turbine control, power generation technologies, power electronic topologies used in wind energy conversion, collection circuits, and grid operation with high wind penetration; sensing and inspection technologies used in monitoring wind farm health; wind economics, environmental impacts, and policy issues.

Prerequisite knowledge for the course:  the equivalent of two years of calculus, covering differential and integral calculus, multivariable and vector calculus, and differential equations, and one year of physics, covering mechanics, thermodynamics, electric circuits, electromagnetics, and optics.