Development of an Educational Wind Turbine Troubleshooting and Safety Simulator
Keywords : Virtual Reality, Workforce Development, Wind Energy, Troubleshooting Training, Software Development
This project is developing a web-based, interactive 3D simulator for community college wind energy technician training programs. Directly contributing to the current project are two previous wind energy projects: “Wind Tech TV,” a 2010 NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) project that compiled a library of online training materials for wind turbine technician training, and “Mixed Reality Simulators for Wind Energy Education,” a U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) project that produced a series of simulators for wind energy educators and students to provide hands-on experiences and promote critical thinking. The new simulator is designed to teach troubleshooting and safety strategies, promote critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and enhance the transfer of knowledge from classrooms to real-world situations. Learner immersion in a simulated environment and progression through numerous troubleshooting scenarios is expected to provide a better-prepared and more skilled workforce for the wind energy industry. Multiple community colleges, a wind energy company, two NSF ATE Centers, and a university research center comprise the multi-disciplinary team working on this project. Community colleges are leading the curriculum and educational module design and implementation, industry collaborators are advising on needed skills and recommended activities, and the university research center is developing the software. Data from implementation in one community college so far show a 10% score increase for students using the simulator compared to traditional instruction alone .
Associate Research Engineer at the Center for Innovation through Visualization, 5 published papers on topics revolving around game-based training and Virtual Reality (VR) applications. Fields of expertise and study are game development and algorithms, cutting-edge VR hardware and application, and electrical systems. Currently graduated from Purdue University Northwest with a Master's of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with undergraduate focuses in control systems, computer science, and applied mathematics.
John Moreland is Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation at Purdue University Northwest. He has over 50 technical publications in the areas of simulation and visualization for education and design.
Dr. Chenn Zhou is the founding Director of the Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS), established in 2009, and the Steel Manufacturing Simulation and Visualization Consortium (SMSVC), established in 2006. She is the Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University Northwest, and also Professor by Courtesy at Purdue University West Lafayette. Dr. Zhou received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in power engineering from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, USA. She joined Purdue University Northwest in 1994 after three years of industrial experience.
Dr. Zhou has more than 38 years of experience in the areas of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), combustion, energy, multiphase reacting flows, and air pollution control. She is on the cutting edge in the integration of computer simulation and virtual reality visualization for solving real world problems. Dr. Zhou has conducted a large number of funded research projects totaling over $25 million and collaborated with many experts from over 140 organizations including academia, K-12 schools, national laboratories, and various industries (e.g. aluminum, glass, refinery, and steel). More than 1000 students have been involved in these projects which have resulted in more than $40 million savings or cost avoidance for steel companies. In January 2016, she and her industrial collaborators established the SMSVC for developing and applying advanced computer simulation and visualization technologies to ensure a competitive advantage for US steel manufacturing.
Dr. Zhou has given more than 140 invited talks and published more than 430 technical papers and abstracts, five copyrighted CFD codes, two patents, and 8 book editing and contributions. She has received numerous awards including the R&D 100 Award in 2004, the AISI Medal Award in 2005, the AIST J. Keith Brimacombe Memorial Lecture Award in 2010, and She and her co-authors also received the AIST Josef S. Kapitan Award in 2005 and 2016, the AIST Computer Applications Best Paper award in 2006. She was awarded 2017 Outstanding Faculty in Engagement by Purdue University Northwest and Gerald I. Lamkin Fellow for Innovation & Service by the Society of Innovators. Dr. Zhou has been a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers since 2003. She has been very active in professional societies. She has served in various boards and committees such as the AIST Foundation Board of Trustees.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7797-9996
Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation, Purdue University
[biography]
Anusree is a graduate student of Computer Science at Purdue University Calumet. She is working as the Research Assistant at CIVS(Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation), the research department of Purdue University.
Fangzhou Zhang received the degree of master of science in electrical and computer engineering in 2019 from Purdue University Northwest, Indiana. She is currently working for the Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS).
Biographical Sketch
John Roudebush
TITLE: PROGRAM CHAIR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
Ivy Tech Community College
Lafayette, IN
A. Professional Preparation:
Emergency Medical Technician Greater Lafayette Health Services Certified, 2000
Indiana University, Indianapolis IN Liberal Arts A.A., 2002
Indiana University, Indianapolis IN Labor Studies-H.D. A.S., 2003
Indiana University, Indianapolis IN General Studies B.G.S., 2003
Ivy Tech Community College, Lafayette IN Electrical Science A.A.S., 2008
United States Department of Labor-LEJATC IBEW-5-year Apprenticeship Electrician, 2009
Capital Safety Wind Energy Competent Rescue Certified, 2009
B. Appointments:
2012-present Co-PI Grant 1601707-ATE NSF- Troubleshooting and Safety Simulator for Wind
Turbine Technician Education
2012-present Program Chair Energy Technology, Ivy Tech Community College, Lafayette, IN.
2009-2012 Wind Turbine Tower Wiring Foreman, Henkel’s and McCoy, Blue Bell, PA.
2007-2009 Industrial Maintenance, Long Electric/Caterpillar Contract, Lafayette, IN.
2005-2007 Electrician, Twin City Electric, Lafayette, IN.
2004-2005 Utility Locator, Reliant Services, Crawfordville, IN
C. Products (0)
D. Synergistic Activities:
1) ATE National Science Foundation 3 year grant award, “Wind Turbine Safety and Troubleshooting Simulator”. Duration of Grant: July 2015-present. CO-PI and key consultant on simulator development and academic curriculum.
2) Dept. of Education FIPSE Comprehensive Program. Mixed Reality Simulators for Wind Energy Education. Duration of funding: January 2011-Jun 2015. Role: Volunteer Advisor
3) Craig Porter Energy Center. Directed the construction of Craig Porter Energy Laboratory. Technology in place: Multiple Wind Turbines, Solar systems, Home Automation systems, Geothermal, Solar Thermal, Grid monitoring, Net Metering, Battery Back up, electric vehicle car charging stations, a variety of demonstrators and trainers, etc. Role: Principle Investigator
4) Energy Technology Program Ivy Tech Community College. Creation of new laboratory facilities and development of the following Ivy Tech College level courses: SUST 101: Wind Power, SUST 111: Wind Mechanical I, SUST 211: Wind Mechanical II, SUST 102: Solar, Wind, and Geothermal, SUST 280: Sustainable Energy Internship Program, ENRG 111: Smart Grid Home Integration, ENRG 112: Electrical Power Distribution, ENRG 113: Energy Storage, ENRG 114: Smart Grid Controls Infrastructure and Networking, ENRG 202: Photovoltaic System Installation, INDT 125: Industrial Wiring, INDT 204: Electrical Circuits, IMTC 122: Electrical Wiring Fundamental/NEC Code. INDT 113: Basic Electricity Role: Program Chair
5) Energy Day 2014. Directed the first Energy Day on the Ivy Tech Campus that brought 500 K-12 level students to Ivy Tech. The event also included up to an estimated 1,000 Ivy Tech students and public participants. During that day tours of multiple facilities and renewable energy systems we demonstrated, including but not limited to the Dept. of Education FIPSE Mixed Reality Simulators for Wind Energy Education. Role: Director
6) Henkel’s and McCoy Midwest Wind Division. Oversaw all electrical work (Wiring, underground, fiber optics, grounding, sensors, PLCs, controls, lighting, power, generation, troubleshooting, commissioning, etc.) and participated initially in the original construction of a variety of Industrial Sized Wind Turbines and Wind Farms, including, but not limited to Meadow Lake Wind Farm: 47 2.1 MW Suzlon Wind Turbines; 121 Vestas V82 1.65 MW Wind Turbines; 69 General Electric 1.5 MW Wind Turbines. Pioneer Trail Wind Farm: 94 GE 1.6 MW Wind Turbines. Settlers Trail: 94 GE 1.6 MW. Gratiot Wind Farm: 69 GE 1.6 Wind Turbines. Laurel Mountain Wind Farm: 61 GE 1.6 MW Wind Turbines. Bishop Hill Wind Farm: 134 GE 1.85 MW and 1.5 SLE MW Wind Turbines.
Role: Wind Turbine Tower Wiring Foreman
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