1 October 2009
Hej! I am Hiram Mechling, a University of Washington (UW) Graduate Student studying in the structural engineering program in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. I received a Valle Scholarship to research and study wind energy in Scandinavia at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) (www.dtu.dk). DTU is located about 14 km north of Copenhagen in a town called Lyngby. With the help of former Valle Scholar, Jeff Gabster, I found a nice room in Vedbaek, which is on the Whiskey Belt of the Island of Sjaelland.
At DTU, I am a guest student in the Wind Energy Program. I am currently taking two courses with one called Wind Turbine Technology and Aerodynamics, and the other called Integration of Wind Power in the Power System. I plan to take another course in January called Planning and Development of Wind Farms. I have also setup a Special Projects course with a Professor at DTU that will progress during my entire stay in Denmark. Under the guidance of the professor in the Fluid Mechanics section, I am learning the wind resources software called WAsP – the Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program. WAsP was developed at Riso DTU and you can read more about it here: www.wasp.dk. In the Special Project course I am interested in learning more about wind characteristics and using this knowledge and WAsP to plan, site, and model wind farms with different terrains and topographies.
The second week in Denmark I attended the Introduction Week at DTU. The most striking part of the event was how international the guest and MSc student body was. It was amazing meeting people from all over the world and getting to know them. It was interesting to be the only one from a country whose native language was English. I must say that most everyone spoke English very well.
Since being in Denmark, I participated in the DTU – Climate Change Conference, which was provocative and also a lot of fun. The conference was the last of a series of workshops arranged by DTU that gave people an opportunity to learn about what is on the forefront of climate technology. The conference will also present a conference statement to the Danish Government, who is the host of the United Nations Copenhagen Climate Change Conference (COP15) in December.
Norrebro - A section of Copenhagen
(Photograph by Kristin Kennedy)
Denmark is a wonderful and mystical place with attractions like Deer Park and Tivoli. Flying into Copenhagen was very cool because the first thing I saw was an offshore wind farm. Copenhagen is a city of bicycles, canals, and beautiful architecture. Having a bike in Denmark is not only convenient, but also almost necessary. The bike trails are pretty much everywhere and once you find where you are going, everything is close! Of course, I have been lost quite a bit, but I feel like I am figuring out my new surroundings. The Danes are very kind and hospitable. For instance, I was working on my bike (that I inherited from Jeff) and having some difficulty. I called a local shop that used to fix bikes, but now only fixes lawnmowers, and the owner of the shop, Jesper, said it was fine if I passed by. He was very helpful and patient while I tooled around with my bike and finally fixed it. I just want to note that he is the third generation in his family to own and run the shop. People are always willing to give a helping hand in Denmark, especially when asking for directions. My experience so far has been terrific, and I am looking forward to more fantastic days.
I want to thank the Valle Scholarship and Dr. Dorothy Reed for making this a reality. The Valle Scholarship and Scandinavian Exchange Program is a vehicle for understanding and exploring, and I am sincerely appreciative of the opportunity it is provided for me.
Anyone who would like to contact me, please feel free to do so anytime. Tak.
Med Venlig Hilsen/Best Regards,
