Currently, I am studying for a master's of science in renewable energy systems at the Technical University of Berlin. The major focuses include solar energy, wind energy, grid integration, and energy storage. This master's program has helped me expand on the knowledge that I gained through my bachelor's in mechanical engineering as well as apply knowledge from my bachelor's to analyze and design renewable energy systems such as small wind turbine installations and rooftop solar systems.
The most rewarding work that I have been a part of at TU Berlin so far has been my work as a studentischer Mitarbeiter with the university. During my time in this position I have worked on two different projects: building a Hugh Piggott wind turbine and testing its aerodynamic performance and working as a tutor for the master's class Wind Energy Laboratory.
The most rewarding work that I have been a part of at TU Berlin so far has been my work as a studentischer Mitarbeiter with the university. During my time in this position I have worked on two different projects: building a Hugh Piggott wind turbine and testing its aerodynamic performance and working as a tutor for the master's class Wind Energy Laboratory.
Construction and Testing of Small Wind Turbine
The Hugh Piggott wind turbine was built over a week-long workshop in September 2018 with a team of 15 students. The turbine has a rotor diameter as well as a tower height of 2 m. The turbine design is the same design as the small wind turbine at the mobile Fahrradwerkstatt at Tempelhofer Feld.
The goal of this wind turbine build project is to create a new lecture at TU Berlin for students. In this new course students will conduct a measurement campaign on the small wind turbine. The aerodynamic characteristics and performance metrics of the turbine will be measured and analyzed by students in order for them to gain a deeper understanding of wind turbine theory.
The goal of this wind turbine build project is to create a new lecture at TU Berlin for students. In this new course students will conduct a measurement campaign on the small wind turbine. The aerodynamic characteristics and performance metrics of the turbine will be measured and analyzed by students in order for them to gain a deeper understanding of wind turbine theory.
Position as Tutor for Wind Energy Laboratory
As a tutor for the master's course Wind Energy Laboratory during the 2018/19 winter semester at TU Berlin I had the opportunity to teach other students how to use the software QBlade. QBlade is a wind turbine simulation software developed by TU Berlin. With this program it is possible to generate polars for different airfoils at varying Reynolds numbers, create different blade designs, simulate the flow and power output of turbines in specific wind fields, and analyze the structural integrity of the simulated turbines. During my time as a tutor for this class I worked with my colleagues to develop exercises for the students to understand the fundamentals of wind turbine theory through hand calculations and then apply this gained knowledge in the software realm. With QBlade the students would then run simulations on turbines which would reinforce the theory that was gained through the lecture and hand calculations.