The first of what is hoped to be many Franklin wind turbines has been installed on Wayne State University’s campus.
Franklin Wind Energy Group is using the university’s Engineering Technology Building in Midtown as the base for the 30-foot wind turbine. The Franklin-based start-up was founded by David Koyle, an adjunct professor of engineering at Wayne State.
The 5kW Franklin Vertical Axis Wind Turbine will produce electricity for the building’s computer lab. Students and faculty will monitor its production and use it as a learning tool. The turbine can take wind from any direction, operates at low RPM with no vibration, and emits little noise
“It’s an excellent opportunity to study real-time wind energy,” Koyle says.
They will also study how it reacts to certain aspects of its environment, such as its close proximity to the Lodge Freeway and surrounding buildings.
Source: David Koyle, president of Franklin Wind Energy Group
Writer: Jon Zemke
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