At EWEC 2007, the European Wind Energy Conference in Milan, ECN scientist Herman Snel was presented with the European Academy of Wind Energy’s Outstanding Scientific Award.

Snel received the award for his major contribution to theory formulation and the modelling of wind-turbine rotors. In particular, he has investigated the three-dimensional air flows around rotor blades and the instabilities associated with stall flows. Knowledge of both of these aspects is the key to understanding and quantifying blade performance and loading throughout the operational zone. Snel’s work in this field has made a major contribution to the development of more efficient, and hence cheaper, wind-generated power.

 
Herman Snel receives the Outstanding Scientific Award from Takis Chavioropoulos, President of the European Academy of Wind Energy. (Photograph: Chris Westra.)

Suspecting that his age was one reason for his nomination, Snel alluded to ECN’s mission in his acceptance speech to the several hundred conference delegates. Since he believes that it will still be many years before everyone has access to affordable sustainable energy, he has decided to carry on with his research long past the age at which most Dutch people retire.

Herman Snel began his impressive international career in aerodynamics at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and NASA, before joining ECN in 1985. He has worked here every since, except for a break between 1994 and 1996 when he served as visiting professor at ITCR, the Instituto Tecnólogico de Costa Rica. A passionate advocate of sustainable energy, he used that opportunity to enhance his knowledge of small-scale hydroelectric power generation and lecture on the subject in Costa Rica and Colombia, as well as to advise on water supply and thermal solar energy.

Snel is the inaugural recipient of the Outstanding Scientific Award of the European Academy of Wind Energy. An alliance of universities and research institutes in seven European countries, the academy’s aim is to promote education and long-term research in the field of wind-energy technology. The award was presented by its President, Dr Takis Chavioropoulos of the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources (CRES) in Greece. ECN is very proud that Herman Snel is the very first person to receive this honour.

Contact:
Jos Beurskens
ECN Wind Energy
Tel. +31 224 564184
beurskens@remove-this-part-ecn.nl