With 106 independently controlled fans and hundreds of flow modifiers in 3D space, the WindEEE Dome enables scientists to recreate complex wind systems such as tornadoes, downbursts and hurricanes. Photo by Darryl Lahteenmaa
With 106 independently controlled fans and hundreds of flow modifiers in 3D space, the WindEEE Dome enables scientists to recreate complex wind systems such as tornadoes, downbursts and hurricanes. Photo by Darryl Lahteenmaa - Our changing climate is affecting the timing, location and might of hurricanes, tornadoes and other extreme weather events, and Western University is at the forefront of international research into how to build structures and cities strong enough to withstand the blows. The university's WindEEE Dome , a vast hexagonal space where 3-D printed models of buildings and other structures are tested for their resilience against controlled blasts of wind, recently received a multi-million-dollar investment from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and WindEEE director Girma Bitsuamlak wasted no time in locking down commitments and collaborations with international partners for research projects at the facility. Girma Bitsuamlak "My goal is to maintain and fortify Western's leadership in wind engineering internationally," said Bitsuamlak, a Western engineering professor. "We are already recognized for our wind engineering research and scientific experimentation, but I want the WindEEE Dome to be considered as an important and vital partner for researchers around the world and an essential indicator for advancing wind engineering projects from concept to reality." This fall, Bitsuamlak was a presenter at the European-African Conference on Wind Engineering in Bucharest and returned with academic and industry research projects from new partners in England, Germany and Romania enabled through Horizon Infrastructure project form European Commission.
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