NEWS

Rachael Coquilla presents paper to new scientific track at AWEA Conference in Los Angeles

Rachael Coquilla, Associate Engineer at Otech Engineering, Inc. presented a paper on "Anemometer Calibration Uncertainty" in the new scientific track presentations at AWEA 2007 in Los Angeles. This American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) conference was attended by over 7,000 participants from all over the world, reflecting, growing interest in the wind energy market. Scientific track papers must be reviewed prior to presentation and are later submitted for journal publication.

Current anemometer calibration test reporting practices only report uncertainty in the wind speed measured in a wind tunnel. Ms. Coquilla presented a scientifically rigorous method of expanding the uncertainty calculations to include reading the anemometer signal and use of the linear regression equation to estimate wind speeds. The presentation showed how to use information provided in calibration test reports to calculate the expanded uncertainty.

NRG Systems, Inc. to calibrate 100% NRG#40

NRG Systems Inc. of Hinesburg, VT, announced that they will begin calibrating all NRG #40 anemometers used for wind energy assessment studies by August 1, 2007.  The announcement printed in the Tuesday edition of Windpower 2007 Show Daily quoted Barton Merle-Smith, NRG’s director of marketing and sales “It makes sense for NRG Systems to manufacturer and distribute only one version of the wind industry standard NRG #40 anemometer.  Moving to all calibrated #40C anemometers speaks directly to what we have been hearing over the past several years at conferences and workshops – the industry must drive uncertainty lower wherever possible.”    

Otech Engineering, Inc. of Davis, CA provides wind tunnel calibration services to NRG Systems in support of this change.  The announcement was made at the American Wind Energy Association AWEA 2007 meeting in Los Angeles, CA.

Otech Engineering, Inc. installs an additional wind tunnel

Otech Engineering, Inc. installed a new wind tunnel at their test laboratory in Davis, California. This is the second wind tunnel designed and built by Engineering Laboratory Design, Inc. of Lake City, Minnesota. The new tunnel is a suction type with an enclosed test section of size 0.61 m x 1.22 m (2' x 2' x 4'). The new tunnel incorporates design features unique to the requirements of a high precision calibration test laboratory and will expand Otech Engineering's test capacity significantly.

New ISO Cup Anemometer Standard

The ISO (The International Organization for Standardization) has released a new rotating anemometer test standard. ISO 17713-1:2007 (E), "Meteorology - Wind Measurements - Part 1: Wind Tunnel test methods for rotating anemometer performance". This standard is an update to and extension of the earlier ASTM D 5096-02, "Standard Test Method for Determining the Performance of a Cup Anemometer or Propeller Anemometer".

Otech Engineering, Inc. is evaluating the standard in view of instrument testing for wind energy applications. The new standard may be purchased through the ISO store: http://www.iso.org.