U. to build wind energy centers on campus, Jersey Shore

On January 12, Rutgers announced a research center dedicated to finding advancements in offshore wind energy turbines, according to a press release.

The project includes the creation of a research center on the University's New Brunswick campus supported by the School of Engineering, the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the School of Arts and Sciences, as well as a larger center near the Jersey Shore which will be used for testing.

It was selected as a part of Rutgers—New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway's Chancellor Challenge program and will receive $1.1 million in funding.

While the larger test facility requires more resources to test the large wind turbines, the smaller facility will test smaller versions of the turbines. This effort will aim to include students, eventually developing a course and modules for them. 

Onur Bilgen, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, said the centers provide an opportunity for research to be conducted on wind energy turbines in the ocean, which have been historically more expensive than land turbines.

The research center also aims to examine how to make building offshore wind turbines more cost-effective by implementing engineering techniques and utilizing different materials, Bilgen said. While studying larger wind turbines can pose multiple challenges, these turbines produce more power and are more efficient, he added. 

"Apart from their increasing size, they may also have to be located in deeper waters, away from the shoreline to benefit from steady and stronger winds, and to minimize impact to coastal communities," Bilgen said.