Storm Mata
- Program Year: 2
- Academic Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Field of Study: Wind Energy and Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics
- Academic Advisor: Michael Howland
- Practicum(s): Practicum Not Yet Completed
- Degree(s):
A.B. Engineering Sciences, Dartmouth College, 2019
Summary of Research
Wind power is a crucial component in the decarbonization of electricity production. Some climate models predict that wind intensity will shift unevenly across the globe in the next century. Due to the rapid proliferation of wind energy in recent decades, any future effects of climate change on wind power potential have strong implications for energy grid resiliency. However, the spatial and temporal resolution of global climate models is not alone sufficient to estimate potential effects on wind power generation. Therefore, a major challenge in the expansion of wind energy will be accurately forecasting how localized changes in wind patterns may affect current and future wind installations. My work seeks to address the uncertainty in the future resilience of wind energy to climate change by 1) analyzing wind power modeling techniques and examining the atmospheric determinants of power output variability to derive a physics-based power model, 2) using downscaling techniques and reanalysis data to predict the potential effects of climate change on wind power potential, and 3) coupling the enhanced wind turbine power model and future wind speed predictions from objectives 1 and 2 to propose a framework to guide siting and design of future wind farm projects to maximize performance.Publications
S. Mata, J. J. Pena Martinez, J. Bas Quesada, F. Palou Larranaga, N. Yadav, J. Chawla, V. Sivaram, and M. Howland, "Modeling the effect of wind speed and direction shear on utility-scale wind turbine power production," (in review) 2023.R. Buchli, S. Buchli, E. Henshaw, S. Mata, R. VanGundy, J. Collard, E. Judd, W. Hildebrand, and J. Smith, "Characterization and quantification of soluble HLA molecules in human plasma," in ASHI 43rd Annual Meeting, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.humimm.2017.06.158.
Awards
Gates Millennium Scholarship, 2015 - Pres.Vice Chancellor's Inclusive Excellence Award, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2021
Chevron Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Scholarship, 2021
Science Post Graduate Scholarship, US Department of the Interior, 2021
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDoT) Scholarship, 2021
Barbara T. Sleepeck (1941) Endowed Scholarship, Dartmouth College, 2015-2019
Barrett All-Round Achievement Cup, Dartmouth College, 2019
Henry Weiss '60 Award, Dartmouth College, 2019
John L. Murphy Research Grant, Dartmouth College, 2017
National Merit Scholarship Finalist, 2015