Wind Turbine Drivetrain Test Center Doubles as Grid Simulator
The construction of the SCE&G Innovation Center, Clemson University's wind turbine drivetrain test facility in North Charleston, S.C., couldn't have proved more challenging, considering the site chosen for the building. As James Tuten with Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI), the project owner, told ENR Southeast: "We had heavy loads on muck in a seismic area with flooding potential and high wind loads due to hurricanes on a brownfield site."
Located within a decommissioned U.S. Navy warehouse atop a rehabilitated brownfield site, the 82,300-sq-ft facility supports the testing of offshore wind turbines by giving manufacturers the opportunity to simulate 20 years of field conditions in just a few months.