HESBURGH LECTURE SERIES 2012 Program - Alumni Association ...

Robert Charles Nelson ’64, ’66 M.S.
Professor, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Biography
Robert Nelson received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in aerospace engineering from the University
of Notre Dame (1964, 1966) and his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Pennsylvania
State University (1974). Before joining Notre Dame, Nelson was an instructor of aerospace
engineering at Pennsylvania State University and later worked as an engineer at the U.S. Air
Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory (AFFDL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In 1975,
Nelson joined the faculty at Notre Dame and has been active in research that focuses on the
aerodynamics and flight mechanics of aircraft.
His present research interest focuses on improving large wind turbine performance. In his time
at Notre Dame, he has had more than 45 research grants sponsored by NASA, NSF, AFOSR,
ARO, ONR, the Institute for Aerospace Research in Canada, and the McDonnell Douglas
Corporation. Nelson has directed 25 master’s and 10 Ph.D. students, and was the co-advisor for
five other Ph.D. students. He has published more than 150 journal and conference papers, and
he has received one national and four department and University teaching awards. Nelson is a
member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Institute
of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). In 1997, he was elected to the grade of fellow of the AIAA.
Lecture
Categories
Wind Turbine Research at Notre Dame—Developing a Better Energy Source
Engineering, Notre Dame
Wind energy is a renewable energy resource that has the potential to provide 20 percent or more of the total electrical needs
of the U.S. This lecture includes a simple overview of how wind turbines extract energy from the wind, a brief history of wind
turbines, the issues and challenges of developing wind energy in the U.S., and a discussion of how the technology being developed
at Notre Dame will help improve the next generation wind turbines. The presentation includes visual aids in the form of pictures
and short video clips to highlight the major points of the talk.
The Hesburgh Lecture Series, 2012 Program 79