Catch the wind: Optimizing wind turbine power generation by addressing wind veer effects.

Wind direction variability with height, known as "wind veer," results in power losses for wind turbines (WTs) that rely on single-point wind measurements at the turbine nacelles. To address this challenge, we introduce a yaw control strategy designed to optimize turbine alignment by adjusting the yaw angle based on specific wind veer conditions, thereby boosting power generation efficiency. This strategy integrates modest yaw offset angles into the existing turbine control systems via a yaw-bias-look-up table, which correlates the adjustments with wind speed, and wind veer data.

Interface Energy-Level Reorganization for Efficient Perovskite γ-Ray Detectors.

Metal halide perovskites are promising candidates for gamma-ray (γ-ray) spectrum detectors. However, achieving high-resolution energy spectra in single-photon pulse-height analysis mode remains challenging, due to the inevitable leakage currents degrade the recognizable fingerprint energies which is critical for resolving γ-ray spectroscopy. We demonstrate under high bias voltage, a deficient contact barrier can lead to excessive surface charge injection, thereby increasing leakage current from electrodes to perovskites.

Wind turbine icing characteristics and icing-induced power losses to utility-scale wind turbines.

A field campaign was carried out to investigate ice accretion features on large turbine blades (50 m in length) and to assess power output losses of utility-scale wind turbines induced by ice accretion. After a 30-h icing incident, a high-resolution digital camera carried by an unmanned aircraft system was used to capture photographs of iced turbine blades. Based on the obtained pictures of the frozen blades, the ice layer thickness accreted along the blades' leading edges was determined quantitatively.

Aerosol generation from different wind instruments.

The potential airborne transmission of COVID-19 has raised significant concerns regarding the safety of musical activities involving wind instruments. However, currently, there is a lack of systematic study and quantitative information of the aerosol generation during these instruments, which is crucial for offering risk assessment and the corresponding mitigation strategies for the reopening of these activities. Collaborating with 15 musicians from the Minnesota Orchestra, we conduct a systematic study of the aerosol generation from a large variety of wind instruments under different music dynamic levels and articulation patterns.