June 16, 2021
K-State Collegiate Wind Competition team recognized in national event
The U.S. Department of Energy has joined universities and wind energy experts from across the country to announce the winners of the 2021 Collegiate Wind Competition. A team from Kansas State University was on that list as winner of the turbine prototype contest.
Over the course of the academic year, 13 previously selected teams designed, built and tested model wind turbines; developed project plans; collaborated with industry experts; and engaged with their local communities all in preparation for careers in the growing wind and renewable energy workforce.
Each year the Collegiate Wind Competition integrates a new challenge into the contest that reflects real-world wind industry needs. Taking the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat of supply chain disruptions into account, the 2021 challenge tasked teams with developing projects for deployment in highly uncertain times, with a significant degree of unknown risks and delays.
The late Warren White, associate professor in the Alan Levin Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, and Hongyu Wu, assistant professor in the Mike Wiegers Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, were the 2021 Wildcat Wind Power team advisers. They worked with students from their respective departments as well as industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, and the College of Business Administration in preparation for the virtual 2021 DOE wind competition that was held June 7-10.
Earlier this year the U.S. DOE had announced the Kansas State University Wildcat Wind Power team as one of 11 groups selected to participate in the 2022 Collegiate Wind Competition May 16-19, 2022, at the American Clean Power Association's CLEANPOWER 2022 Conference and Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas.
Since 2014 the DOE Collegiate Wind Competition has provided college students the opportunity to interact with wind industry experts, and build the skills and connections that will help them find jobs in the industry. The Kansas State University team has been selected to compete in seven of the past eight years.