Students with Mr. Michael Dudley’s Engineering II class recently completed their first “Windstorm Challenge” tests at the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center’s Alfond W2 Ocean Engineering Lab, in preparation for competition in the Simmons Windstorm Challenge on May 13, 2022.
The Matthew R. Simmons Windstorm Challenge requires teams to independently design and construct a floating platform for a 1:100 scale wind turbine, based on a 285 foot tall full-scale 5 MW turbine. The completed scale model would be a turbine tower with a height (to hub and not including blade length) of 33 inches. Designs should maximize stability under various wind and wave conditions. Judges will also score an oral presentation.
John Bapst is sending three teams, with all competing teams comprised of four or fewer students. Members of the top qualifying team will be offered an internship at the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center, contingent upon their enrollment at the University of Maine, valued at more than $20,000.
Additonal information may be found in the 2022 Windstorm Challenge Guidebook.