Jan 22 2009
Goodrich Corporation's (NYSE: GR) Sensors and Integrated Systems team in Burnsville, Minn. has donated an icing wind tunnel to Iowa State University. The tunnel will be the university's first wind tunnel to be able to perform icing physics research and will be housed in Iowa State's wind simulation and testing (WiST) laboratory.
The WiST lab is a state-of-the-art experimental facility for conducting research, education, consulting, and outreach for applications in wind engineering, aeronautics, and industrial aerodynamics. The Goodrich icing wind tunnel will be used to study, among other things, icing effects on alternative energy generators such as wind turbines.
"This new icing wind tunnel will help our one-of-a-kind wind research facility continue to attract the best and brightest minds," said James Bernard, interim dean of the Iowa State College of Engineering. "It is an important addition to our college as we conduct cutting-edge research and educate tomorrow's innovators and leaders to address such critical challenges as diminishing resources and rising environmental threats. To build an equivalent facility would cost close to $500,000, and we are grateful to Goodrich Corporation for this valuable contribution to the College of Engineering."
Phil Rosnik, vice president and general manager for Goodrich Sensors and Integrated Systems, said, "Donating the wind tunnel to enhance Iowa State's icing research program is our way of giving back to the university for all the engineering talent we've received from them. They're one of Goodrich's key recruiting schools, and we look forward to working with them in educating the young talent who will advance aerodynamics and promote clean energy in the future."
Goodrich currently works with Iowa State scientists on other environmentally-focused technologies such as optimized gas turbine engine fuel burn for clean combustion.