WiscWind is a student organization at University of Wisconsin - Madison participating in the U.S. Department of Energy Collegiate Wind Competition.

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Collegiate Wind Competition 2016-2017

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The 2017 Collegiate Wind Competition Technical Challenge is an opportunity for the 12 institutions that participated in the May 2016 Collegiate Wind Competition to capture the spirit of team collaboration and apply the acquired skills and knowledge to the 2017 challenge. Additionally, while structured as a competition, this event will include an emphasis on wind energy education for all teams and information sharing for prospective teams.

 

The competition challenges interdisciplinary teams of undergraduate students from a variety of academic programs to offer unique solutions to complex wind-energy-related problems. To fulfill the requirements, each team must perform the following multifaceted tasks:

 

• Design, build, and present a unique, wind-driven power system

• Document the design of the turbine and load in a technical report

• Present on the design and report to a panel of judges

• Participate in a bonus, educationally focused siting challenge.

 

The 2017 Collegiate Wind Competition Technical Challenge focuses on testing a small-scale wind turbine in a wind tunnel. This year’s competition adds the challenge of testing a turbine in yawed inflow. It simplifies the contest from the 2016 competition by removing the link to a market turbine and eliminates the business plan and deployment strategy. Specifically, for testing in the wind tunnel, competition participants will need to design and build:

 

• A turbine that is able to yaw, to address changing wind directions; that is safe, reliable, and effective; using sound electrical, mechanical, and aerodynamic practices

• A load system that can match the power being generated.

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Collegiate Wind Competition 2015-2016

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The Collegiate Wind Competition challenges interdisciplinary teams of undergraduate students to develop a unique wind-powered system that addresses a real-world need. The competition consists of three tasks:

 

• Develop a business plan supported by market research to guide the design and marketability of a wind power system.

• Formulate a deployment strategy for the system from production to implementation.

• Design and build a prototype wind turbine and load, to be tested during the three day competition in May 2016.

 

Further information on the 2016 Collegiate Wind Competition can be found here. The Collegiate Wind Competition 2016 was held in New Orleans, LA at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Conference and Exhibition, May 23-26, 2016. Information on this event can be found here.