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The Grand Valley State University Wind Sentinel wind data buoy was deployed to Lake Michigan from its initial Muskegon Lake location on November 4, and is now located four miles southwest of the Muskegon pierhead. With on-board power supplied by solar panels, a wind turbine, battery bank storage and a diesel generator (if needed), real time data is transmitted in ten-minute intervals to a dedicated computer server at the GVSU Padnos College of Engineering. Wind velocities are being measured at 55, 60, 90,110 and 120 meters at one second intervals. A sample reading indicates that at noon on November 17, wind velocities were respectively 9.8, 9.8, 10.6, 11.1, 10.6, and 10.5 meters per second. Data on thermo-fluid characteristics, wave and atmospheric conditions, as well as the presence of bird/bat activity are also being collected. The buoy will remain “on station” until mid-December when it will be brought to shore for winter storage. The Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Assessment Project continues to struggle with a funding shortfall caused by a court decision on MPSC grants, and future deployment remains uncertain.
© 2012 Varnum LLPAbout the Author
