On March 4th, our team took the next step toward gathering the necessary data to start drawing conclusions regarding the specifications and feasibility of our planned data center. Recently, we purchased, received, and assembled an anemometer, a common instrument used in weather stations. The device will collect wind speed data from a perch on top of UCI’s Engineering Tower. This data will be essential for determining what role wind power will play in our final project design. Additionally, it will be integral to determining whether or not a data center that relies on wind power could operate in an ecosystem like ours.

When the anemometer was finally complete, we obtained permission to mount the device on the Engineering Tower’s rooftop, where it will be able to measure wind speed without the interference of ground level obstructions. It is capable of storing enough data for one measurement per minute to be taken over the course of several days, which will provide plenty of insight into the fluctuations in wind speed that our campus goes through over time.

By Blake Lane, Fuel Cell