text:
Articles | Volume 5, issue 3
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 983–996, 2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Special issue: Wind Energy Science Conference 2019
Research article 03 Aug 2020
Research article | 03 Aug 2020
New strategies for optimized structural monitoring of wind farms: experimental campaign
João Pacheco et al.
Related subject area
Design methods, reliability and uncertainty modellingAeroelastic loads on a 10 MW turbine exposed to extreme events selected from a year-long large-eddy simulation over the North SeaOptimal scheduling of the next preventive maintenance activity for a wind farmA method for preliminary rotor design – Part 1: Radially Independent Actuator Disc modelA method for preliminary rotor design – Part 2: Wind turbine Optimization with Radial IndependenceWind farm layout optimization using pseudo-gradientsOn the scaling of wind turbine rotorsReducing cost uncertainty in the drivetrain design decision with a focus on the operational phaseFeature selection techniques for modelling tower fatigue loads of a wind turbine with neural networksWind tunnel comparison of four VAWT configurations to test load-limiting concept and CFD validationRedesign of an upwind rotor for a downwind configuration: design changes and cost evaluationFatigue lifetime calculation of wind turbine blade bearings considering blade-dependent load distributionReliability analysis of offshore wind turbine foundations under lateral cyclic loadingOperational-based annual energy production uncertainty: are its components actually uncorrelated?Change-point detection in wind turbine SCADA data for robust condition monitoring with normal behaviour modelsAugmented Kalman filter with a reduced mechanical model to estimate tower loads on a land-based wind turbine: a step towards digital-twin simulationsA surrogate model approach for associating wind farm load variations with turbine failuresDifferences in damping of edgewise whirl modes operating an upwind turbine in a downwind configurationAssessment of a rotor blade extension retrofit as a supplement to the lifetime extension of wind turbinesIs the Blade Element Momentum theory overestimating wind turbine loads? – An aeroelastic comparison between OpenFAST's AeroDyn and QBlade's Lifting-Line Free Vortex Wake methodDevelopment and feasibility study of segment blade test methodologyAnalytical model for the power–yaw sensitivity of wind turbines operating in full wakeWake steering optimization under uncertaintyRadar-derived precipitation climatology for wind turbine blade leading edge erosionWESgraph: a graph database for the wind farm domainReliability-based design optimization of offshore wind turbine support structures using analytical sensitivities and factorized uncertainty modelingOptimal relationship between power and design-driving loads for wind turbine rotors using 1-D modelsDigitalization of scanning lidar measurement campaign planningMassive simplification of the wind farm layout optimization problemSystem-level design studies for large rotorsSensitivity analysis of the effect of wind characteristics and turbine properties on wind turbine loadsPerformance of non-intrusive uncertainty quantification in the aeroservoelastic simulation of wind turbinesPolynomial chaos to efficiently compute the annual energy production in wind farm layout optimizationMultipoint high-fidelity CFD-based aerodynamic shape optimization of a 10 MW wind turbineComparison between upwind and downwind designs of a 10 MW wind turbine rotorCoupled wind turbine design and layout optimization with nonhomogeneous wind turbinesAutomatic measurement and characterization of the dynamic properties of tethered membrane wingsA comparison study on jacket substructures for offshore wind turbines based on optimizationComparison of planetary bearing load-sharing characteristics in wind turbine gearboxesReducing the number of load cases for fatigue damage assessment of offshore wind turbine support structures using a simple severity-based sampling methodFrom wind to loads: wind turbine site-specific load estimation with surrogate models trained on high-fidelity load databasesA systematic approach to offshore wind turbine jacket predesign and optimization: geometry, cost, and surrogate structural code check modelsAdaptive stratified importance sampling: hybridization of extrapolation and importance sampling Monte Carlo methods for estimation of wind turbine extreme loadsGenerating wind power scenarios for probabilistic ramp event prediction using multivariate statistical post-processingEstablishing a robust testing approach for displacement measurement on a rotating horizontal-axis wind turbineApplication of a Monte Carlo procedure for probabilistic fatigue design of floating offshore wind turbinesEffects of defects in composite wind turbine blades – Part 3: A framework for treating defects as uncertainty variables for blade analysisThe risks of extreme load extrapolationMonitoring offshore wind farm power performance with SCADA data and an advanced wake modelNacelle power curve measurement with spinner anemometer and uncertainty evaluationCombined preliminary–detailed design of wind turbines
Gerard Schepers, Pim van Dorp, Remco Verzijlbergh, Peter Baas, and Harmen Jonker
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 983–996,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-983-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-983-2021, 2021
Short summary
In this article the aeroelastic loads on a 10 MW turbine in response to unconventional wind conditions selected from a year-long large-eddy simulation on a site at the North Sea are evaluated. Thereto an assessment is made of the practical importance of these wind conditions within an aeroelastic context based on high-fidelity wind modelling. Moreover the accuracy of BEM-based methods for modelling such wind conditions is assessed.
Quanjiang Yu, Michael Patriksson, and Serik Sagitov
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 949–959,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-949-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-949-2021, 2021
Short summary
There are two ways to maintain a multi-component system: corrective maintenance, when a broken component is replaced with a new one, and preventive maintenance (PM), when some components are replaced in a planned manner before they break down. This article proposes a mathematical model for finding an optimal time to perform the next PM activity and selecting the components which should be replaced. The model is fast to solve, and it can be used as a key module in a maintenance scheduling app.
Kenneth Loenbaek, Christian Bak, Jens I. Madsen, and Michael McWilliam
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 903–915,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-903-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-903-2021, 2021
Short summary
We present a model for assessing the aerodynamic performance of a wind turbine rotor through a different parametrization of the classical blade element momentum model. The model establishes an analytical relationship between the loading in the flow direction and the power along the rotor span. The main benefit of the model is the ease with which it can be applied for rotor optimization and especially load constraint power optimization.
Kenneth Loenbaek, Christian Bak, and Michael McWilliam
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 917–933,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-917-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-917-2021, 2021
Short summary
A novel wind turbine rotor optimization methodology is presented. Using an assumption of radial independence it is possible to obtain the Pareto-optimal relationship between power and loads through the use of KKT multipliers, leaving an optimization problem that can be solved at each radial station independently. Combining it with a simple cost function it is possible to analytically solve for the optimal power per cost with given inputs for the aerodynamics and the cost function.
Erik Quaeghebeur, René Bos, and Michiel B. Zaaijer
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 815–839,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-815-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-815-2021, 2021
Short summary
We present a technique to support the optimal layout (placement) of wind turbines in a wind farm. It efficiently determines good directions and distances for moving turbines. An improved layout reduces production losses and so makes the farm project economically more attractive. Compared to most existing techniques, our approach requires less time. This allows wind farm designers to explore more alternatives and provides the flexibility to adapt the layout to site-specific requirements.
Helena Canet, Pietro Bortolotti, and Carlo L. Bottasso
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 601–626,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-601-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-601-2021, 2021
Short summary
The paper analyzes in detail the problem of scaling, considering both the steady-state and transient response cases, including the effects of aerodynamics, elasticity, inertia, gravity, and actuation. After a general theoretical analysis of the problem, the article considers two alternative ways of designing a scaled rotor. The two methods are then applied to the scaling of a 10 MW turbine of 180 m in diameter down to three different sizes (54, 27, and 2.8 m).
Freia Harzendorf, Ralf Schelenz, and Georg Jacobs
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 571–584,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-571-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-571-2021, 2021
Short summary
Making wind turbines more reliable over their lifetime is an important goal for improving wind turbine technology. The wind turbine drivetrain has a major influence on turbine reliability. This paper presents an approach that will help to identify holistically better drivetrain concepts in an early product design phase from an operational perspective as it is able to estimate and assess drivetrain-concept-specific inherent risks in the operational phase.
Artur Movsessian, Marcel Schedat, and Torsten Faber
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 539–554,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-539-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-539-2021, 2021
Short summary
The assessment of the structural condition and technical lifetime extension of a wind turbine is challenging due to lack of information for the estimation of fatigue loads. This paper demonstrates the modelling of damage-equivalent loads of the fore–aft bending moments of a wind turbine tower, highlighting the advantage of using the neighbourhood component analysis. This feature selection technique is compared to correlation analysis, stepwise regression, and principal component analysis.
Jan Wiśniewski, Krzysztof Rogowski, Konrad Gumowski, and Jacek Szumbarski
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 287–294,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-287-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-287-2021, 2021
Short summary
The article describes results of experimental wind tunnel and CFD testing of four different straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine model configurations. The experiment tested a novel concept of vertically dividing and azimuthally shifting a turbine rotor into two parts with a specific uneven height division in order to limit cycle amplitudes and average cycle values of bending moments at the bottom of the turbine shaft to increase product lifetime, especially for industrial-scale turbines.
Gesine Wanke, Leonardo Bergami, Frederik Zahle, and David Robert Verelst
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 203–220,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-203-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-203-2021, 2021
Short summary
This article regards a rotor redesign for a wind turbine in upwind and in downwind rotor configurations. A simple optimization tool is used to estimate the aerodynamic planform, as well as the structural mass distribution of the rotor blade. The designs are evaluated in full load base calculations according to the IEC standard with the aeroelastic tool HAWC2. A scaling model is used to scale turbine and energy costs from the design loads and compare the costs for the turbine configurations.
Oliver Menck, Matthias Stammler, and Florian Schleich
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1743–1754,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1743-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1743-2020, 2020
Short summary
Blade bearings of wind turbines experience unusual loads compared to bearings in other industrial applications, which adds some difficulty to the application of otherwise well-established calculation methods, like fatigue lifetime. As a result, different methods for such calculations can be found in the literature. This paper compares three approaches of varying complexity and comes to the conclusion that the simplest of the methods is very inaccurate compared to the more complex methods.
Gianluca Zorzi, Amol Mankar, Joey Velarde, John D. Sørensen, Patrick Arnold, and Fabian Kirsch
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1521–1535,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1521-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1521-2020, 2020
Short summary
Storms, typhoons or seismic actions are likely to cause permanent rotation of offshore wind turbine foundations. Excessive rotation jeopardizes the operation of the wind turbine. In this study geotechnical, loads and probabilistic modelling are used to develop a reliability framework for predicting the rotation of the foundation under cyclic lateral loading.
Nicola Bodini and Mike Optis
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1435–1448,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1435-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1435-2020, 2020
Short summary
Calculations of annual energy production (AEP) and its uncertainty are critical for wind farm financial transactions. Standard industry practice assumes that different uncertainty categories within an AEP calculation are uncorrelated and can therefore be combined through a sum of squares approach. In this project, we show the limits of this assumption by performing operational AEP estimates for over 470 wind farms in the United States and propose a more accurate way to combine uncertainties.
Simon Letzgus
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1375–1397,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1375-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1375-2020, 2020
Short summary
One of the major challenges when working with wind turbine sensor data in practice is the presence of systematic changes in signal behaviour induced by malfunctions or maintenance actions. We found that approximately every third signal is affected by such change points and introduce an algorithm which reliably detects them in a highly automated fashion. The algorithm enables the application of data-driven techniques to monitor wind turbine components using data from commonly installed sensors.
Emmanuel Branlard, Dylan Giardina, and Cameron S. D. Brown
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1155–1167,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1155-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1155-2020, 2020
Short summary
The paper presents an application of the Kalman filtering technique to estimate loads on a wind turbine. The approach combines a mechanical model and a set of measurements to estimate signals that are not available in the measurements, such as wind speed, thrust, tower position, and tower loads. The model is severalfold faster than real time and is intended to be run online, for instance, to evaluate real-time fatigue life consumption of a field turbine using a digital twin.
Laura Schröder, Nikolay Krasimirov Dimitrov, and David Robert Verelst
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1007–1022,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1007-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1007-2020, 2020
Short summary
We suggest a methodology for correlating loads with component reliability of turbines in wind farms by combining physical modeling with machine learning. The suggested approach is demonstrated on an offshore wind farm for comparing performance, loads and lifetime estimations against recorded main bearing failures from maintenance reports. It is found that turbines positioned at the border of the wind farm with a higher expected AEP are estimated to experience earlier main bearing failures.
Gesine Wanke, Leonardo Bergami, and David Robert Verelst
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 929–944,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-929-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-929-2020, 2020
Short summary
Converting an upwind wind turbine into a downwind configuration is shown to come with higher edgewise loads due to lower edgewise damping. The study shows from modal displacements of a reduced-order turbine model that the interaction between the forces on the rotor, the rotor motion, and the tower torsion is the main reason for the observed damping decrease.
Malo Rosemeier and Matthias Saathoff
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 897–909,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-897-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-897-2020, 2020
Short summary
A huge number of wind turbines have reached their designated lifetime of 20 years. Most of the turbines installed were overdesigned. In practice, these turbines could potentially operate longer to increase the energy yield. For the use case turbine considered in this work, a simple lifetime extension of 8.7 years increases the energy yield by 43.5 %. When the swept rotor area is increased by means of a blade tip extension, the yield is increased by an additional 2.3 %.
Sebastian Perez-Becker, Francesco Papi, Joseph Saverin, David Marten, Alessandro Bianchini, and Christian Oliver Paschereit
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 721–743,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-721-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-721-2020, 2020
Short summary
Aeroelastic design load calculations play a key role in determining the design loads of the different wind turbine components. This study compares load estimations from calculations using a Blade Element Momentum aerodynamic model with estimations from calculations using a higher-order Lifting-Line Free Vortex Wake aerodynamic model. The paper finds and explains the differences in fatigue and extreme turbine loads for power production simulations that cover a wide range of turbulent wind speeds.
Kwangtae Ha, Moritz Bätge, David Melcher, and Steffen Czichon
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 591–599,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-591-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-591-2020, 2020
Short summary
This paper outlines a novel segment test methodology for wind turbine rotor blades. It mainly aims at improving the efficiency of the fatigue test as a future test method at Fraunhofer IWES. The numerical simulation reveals that this method has a significant time savings of up to 43 % and 52 % for 60 and 90 m blades, while improving test quality within an acceptable range of overload. This test methodology could be a technical solution for future offshore rotor blades longer than 100 m.
Jaime Liew, Albert M. Urbán, and Søren Juhl Andersen
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 427–437,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-427-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-427-2020, 2020
Short summary
In wind farms, the interaction between neighboring turbines can cause notable power losses. The focus of the paper is on how the combination of turbine yaw misalignment and wake effects influences the power loss in a wind turbine. The results of the paper show a more notable power loss due to turbine misalignment when turbines are closely spaced. The presented conclusions enable better predictions of a turbine's power production, which can assist the wind farm design process.
Julian Quick, Jennifer King, Ryan N. King, Peter E. Hamlington, and Katherine Dykes
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 413–426,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-413-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-413-2020, 2020
Short summary
We investigate the trade-offs in optimization of wake steering strategies, where upstream turbines are positioned to deflect wakes away from downstream turbines, with a probabilistic perspective. We identify inputs that are sensitive to uncertainty and demonstrate a realistic optimization under uncertainty for a wind power plant control strategy. Designing explicitly around uncertainty yielded control strategies that were generally less aggressive and more robust to the uncertain input.
Frederick Letson, Rebecca J. Barthelmie, and Sara C. Pryor
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 331–347,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-331-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-331-2020, 2020
Short summary
Wind turbine blade leading edge erosion (LEE) is potentially a significant source of energy loss and expense for wind farm operators. This study presents a novel approach to characterizing LEE potential from precipitation across the contiguous USA based on publicly available National Weather Service dual-polarization RADAR data. The approach is described in detail and illustrated using six locations distributed across parts of the USA that have substantial wind turbine deployments.
Erik Quaeghebeur, Sebastian Sanchez Perez-Moreno, and Michiel B. Zaaijer
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 259–284,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-259-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-259-2020, 2020
Short summary
The design and management of an offshore wind farm involve expertise in many disciplines. It is hard for a single person to maintain the overview needed. Therefore, we have created WESgraph, a knowledge base for the wind farm domain, implemented as a graph database. It stores descriptions of the multitude of domain concepts and their various interconnections. It allows users to explore the domain and search for relationships within and across disciplines, enabling various applications.
Lars Einar S. Stieng and Michael Muskulus
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 171–198,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-171-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-171-2020, 2020
Short summary
We present a framework for reducing the cost of support structures for offshore wind turbines that takes into account the many uncertainties that go into the design process. The results demonstrate how an efficient new approach, tailored for support structure design, allows the state of the art for design without uncertainties to be used within a framework that does include these uncertainties. This allows more realistic, and less conservative, design methods to be used for practical design.
Kenneth Loenbaek, Christian Bak, Jens I. Madsen, and Bjarke Dam
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 155–170,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-155-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-155-2020, 2020
Short summary
From the basic aerodynamic theory of wind turbine rotors, it is a well-known fact that there is a relationship between the loading of the rotor and power efficiency. It shows that there is a loading that maximizes the power efficiency, and it is common to target this maximum when designing rotors. But in this paper it is found that for rotors constrained by a load, the maximum power is found by decreasing the loading and increasing the rotor radius. Max power efficiency is therefore not optimal.
Nikola Vasiljević, Andrea Vignaroli, Andreas Bechmann, and Rozenn Wagner
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 73–87,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-73-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-73-2020, 2020
Short summary
A WindScanner system consisting of two synchronized scanning lidars potentially represents a cost-effective solution for multipoint measurements. However, the lidar limitations and the site limitations are detrimental to the installation of lidars and number and location of measurement positions. To simplify the process of finding suitable measurement positions and lidar installation locations, a campaign planning workflow was devised. The paper describes the workflow and how it was digitalized.
Andrew P. J. Stanley and Andrew Ning
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 663–676,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-663-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-663-2019, 2019
Short summary
When designing a wind farm, one crucial step is finding the correct location or optimizing the location of the wind turbines to maximize power production. In the past, optimizing the turbine layout of large wind farms has been difficult because of the large number of interacting variables. In this paper, we present the boundary-grid parameterization method, which defines the layout of any wind farm with only five variables, allowing people to study and design wind farms regardless of the size.
Daniel S. Zalkind, Gavin K. Ananda, Mayank Chetan, Dana P. Martin, Christopher J. Bay, Kathryn E. Johnson, Eric Loth, D. Todd Griffith, Michael S. Selig, and Lucy Y. Pao
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 595–618,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-595-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-595-2019, 2019
Short summary
We present a model that both (1) reduces the computational effort involved in analyzing design trade-offs and (2) provides a qualitative understanding of the root cause of fatigue and extreme structural loads for wind turbine components from the blades to the tower base. We use this model in conjunction with design loads from high-fidelity simulations to analyze and compare the trade-offs between power capture and structural loading for large rotor concepts.
Amy N. Robertson, Kelsey Shaler, Latha Sethuraman, and Jason Jonkman
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 479–513,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-479-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-479-2019, 2019
Short summary
This paper identifies the most sensitive parameters for the load response of a 5 MW wind turbine. Two sets of parameters are examined: one set relating to the wind excitation characteristics and a second related to the physical properties of the wind turbine. The two sensitivity analyses are done separately, and the top most-sensitive parameters are identified for different load outputs throughout the structure. The findings will guide future validation campaigns and measurement needs.
Pietro Bortolotti, Helena Canet, Carlo L. Bottasso, and Jaikumar Loganathan
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 397–406,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-397-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-397-2019, 2019
Short summary
The paper studies the effects of uncertainties in aeroservoelastic wind turbine models. Uncertainties are associated with the wind inflow characteristics and the blade surface state, and they are propagated by means of two non-intrusive methods throughout the aeroservoelastic model of a large conceptual offshore wind turbine. Results are compared with a brute-force extensive Monte Carlo sampling to assess the convergence characteristics of the non-intrusive approaches.
Andrés Santiago Padrón, Jared Thomas, Andrew P. J. Stanley, Juan J. Alonso, and Andrew Ning
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 211–231,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-211-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-211-2019, 2019
Short summary
We propose the use of a new method to efficiently compute the annual energy production (AEP) of a wind farm by properly handling the uncertainties in the wind direction and wind speed. We apply the new ideas to the layout optimization of a large wind farm. We show significant computational savings by reducing the number of simulations required to accurately compute and optimize the AEP of different wind farms.
Mads H. Aa. Madsen, Frederik Zahle, Niels N. Sørensen, and Joaquim R. R. A. Martins
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 163–192,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-163-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-163-2019, 2019
Short summary
The wind energy industry relies heavily on CFD to analyze new designs. This paper investigates a way to utilize CFD further upstream the design process where lower-fidelity methods are used. We present the first comprehensive 3-D CFD adjoint-based shape optimization of a 10 MW modern offshore wind turbine. The present work shows that, with the right tools, we can model the entire geometry, including the root, and optimize modern wind turbine rotors at the cost of a few hundred CFD evaluations.
Pietro Bortolotti, Abhinav Kapila, and Carlo L. Bottasso
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 115–125,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-115-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-115-2019, 2019
Short summary
The paper compares upwind and downwind three-bladed configurations for a 10 MW wind turbine in terms of power and loads. For the downwind case, the study also considers a load-aligned solution with active coning. Results indicate that downwind solutions are slightly more advantageous than upwind ones, although improvements are small. Additionally, pre-alignment is difficult to achieve in practice, and the active coning solution is associated with very significant engineering challenges.
Andrew P. J. Stanley and Andrew Ning
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 99–114,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-99-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-99-2019, 2019
Short summary
We show that optimizing wind turbine design and wind turbine layout at the same time is superior to doing so sequentially. This coupled optimization can reduce the cost of energy by 2–5 % compared to sequential optimization. We also demonstrate that wind farms with closely spaced wind turbines can greatly benefit from different turbine designs throughout the farm. Heterogeneous turbine design can reduce the cost of energy by up to 10 % compared to farms with all identical turbines.
Jan Hummel, Dietmar Göhlich, and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 41–55,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-41-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-41-2019, 2019
Short summary
We describe a tow test setup for the reproducible measurement of aerodynamic, structural dynamic and flight dynamic properties of tethered membrane wings. The test procedure is based on repeatable automated maneuvers with the entire kite system under realistic conditions. The developed measurement method can be used to quantitatively compare different wing designs, to validate and improve simulation models, and to systematically improve kite designs.
Jan Häfele, Cristian G. Gebhardt, and Raimund Rolfes
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 23–40,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-23-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-23-2019, 2019
Short summary
To reduce the levelized costs of offshore wind energy, capital expenses of substructures have to be decreased significantly. Therefore, structural optimization approaches have been proposed in the recent past, mainly to improve the design of jackets. This work proposes a holistic approach to jacket optimization, which addresses some problems arising from methods that were presented in the literature.
Jonathan Keller, Yi Guo, Zhiwei Zhang, and Doug Lucas
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 947–960,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-947-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-947-2018, 2018
Short summary
The US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and industry partners successfully demonstrated a new gearbox design using preloaded tapered roller bearings in the planetary section. The new gearbox design demonstrated improved planetary load-sharing characteristics in the presence of rotor pitch and yaw moments, resulting in a predicted gearbox lifetime that is 3.5 times greater than the previous conventional design with cylindrical roller bearings.
Lars Einar S. Stieng and Michael Muskulus
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 805–818,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-805-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-805-2018, 2018
Short summary
This study was done in order to simplify the analysis needed for the assessment of safety criteria that offshore wind turbine support structures must satisfy. The work was done via simulations of the system and computations and analyses of the resulting data. The results show that the proposed methodology has great potential for simplifying the assessment procedure while retaining acceptable accuracy compared to the full analysis. There are several applications within both research and industry.
Nikolay Dimitrov, Mark C. Kelly, Andrea Vignaroli, and Jacob Berg
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 767–790,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-767-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-767-2018, 2018
Short summary
Wind energy site suitability assessment procedures often require estimating the loads a wind turbine will be subject to when installed. The estimation is often time-consuming and requires several iterations. We have developed a procedure for quick and accurate estimation of site-specific wind turbine loads. Our approach employs computationally efficient parametric models that are calibrated to high-fidelity load simulations. The result is a significant reduction in computation efforts.
Jan Häfele, Rick R. Damiani, Ryan N. King, Cristian G. Gebhardt, and Raimund Rolfes
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 553–572,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-553-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-553-2018, 2018
Short summary
The present work provides a technical basis for the design of jacket structures used as substructures for offshore wind turbines. This involves models for the geometry, costs, and structural design code checks. An example application is shown in this paper, in which three different structural designs are compared. This work may lead to improved design approaches and finally to a cost reduction of offshore substructures.
Peter Graf, Katherine Dykes, Rick Damiani, Jason Jonkman, and Paul Veers
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 475–487,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-475-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-475-2018, 2018
Short summary
Current approaches to wind turbine extreme load estimation are insufficient to routinely and reliably make required estimates over 50-year return periods. Our work hybridizes the two main approaches and casts the problem as stochastic optimization. However, the extreme variability in turbine response implies even an optimal sampling strategy needs unrealistic computing resources. We therefore conclude that further improvement requires better understanding of the underlying causes of loads.
Rochelle P. Worsnop, Michael Scheuerer, Thomas M. Hamill, and Julie K. Lundquist
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 371–393,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-371-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-371-2018, 2018
Short summary
This paper uses four statistical methods to generate probabilistic wind speed and power ramp forecasts from the High Resolution Rapid Refresh model. The results show that these methods can provide necessary uncertainty information of power ramp forecasts. These probabilistic forecasts can aid in decisions regarding power production and grid integration of wind power.
Nadia Najafi and Allan Vesth
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 301–311,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-301-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-301-2018, 2018
Short summary
This paper presents a well-defined procedure for measuring the displacement on a HAWT via stereo photometry. The method is demonstrated by measuring displacement during operation of a scaled down turbine model. The method is developed in (1) camera calibration and (2) tracking algorithm. We introduce an efficient, easy and practical calibration method for measurement in the large field of views that is always a challenge. Tracking algorithm also tracks the markers during rotation successfully.
Kolja Müller and Po Wen Cheng
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 149–162,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-149-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-149-2018, 2018
Short summary
An efficient and accurate Monte Carlo approach is presented to assess the lifetime fatigue loading on a floating offshore wind turbine accurately. This is typically challenging in simulation effort due to the many different combinations of relevant environmental conditions which need to be considered. The applied method uses quasi-random Sobol sequences and shows promising performance with respect to convergence and accuracy.
Trey W. Riddle, Jared W. Nelson, and Douglas S. Cairns
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 107–120,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-107-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-107-2018, 2018
Short summary
The Department of Energy sponsored, Sandia National Laboratory led Blade Reliability Collaborative was formed to address wind turbine blade reliability. Utilizing the results of characterization and mechanical testing studies, probabilistic models were developed to assess the reliability of a wind blade with known defects. By treating defects as random variables, the results indicate that characterization of defects and reduction of design uncertainty is possible for wind turbine blades.
Stefan F. van Eijk, René Bos, and Wim A. A. M. Bierbooms
Wind Energ. Sci., 2, 377–386,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2-377-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2-377-2017, 2017
Short summary
Predicting the 50-year extreme loads for wind turbines requires a tremendous computational effort. Therefore, designers often have to extrapolate from relatively small data sets and have to settle for some degree of uncertainty. We investigated the impact of this uncertainty on practical design problems by drawing subsets from a 96-year load data set and using a crude Monte Carlo method to find the 50-year load. The results show that designers have to be careful with selecting sample sizes.
Niko Mittelmeier, Tomas Blodau, and Martin Kühn
Wind Energ. Sci., 2, 175–187,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2-175-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2-175-2017, 2017
Short summary
Efficient detection of wind turbines operating below their expected power output and immediate corrections help maximize asset value. The method presented estimates the environmental conditions from turbine states and uses pre-calculated power lookup tables from a numeric wake model to predict the expected power output. Deviations between the expected and the measured power output are an indication of underperformance. A demonstration of the method's ability to detect underperformance is given.
Giorgio Demurtas, Troels Friis Pedersen, and Rozenn Wagner
Wind Energ. Sci., 2, 97–114,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2-97-2017,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2-97-2017, 2017
Short summary
In this study we aimed to use the spinner anemometer calibration and nacelle transfer function determined on a reference wind turbine to assess the power performance of a second, identical turbine. An experiment was set up with a met mast and spinner anemometer on each turbine. For each wind turbine, the nacelle power curve agreed with the corresponding power curve within 0.10 % of AEP for the reference wind turbine and within 0.38 % for the second wind turbine, for a mean wind speed of 8 m s−1.
Pietro Bortolotti, Carlo L. Bottasso, and Alessandro Croce
Wind Energ. Sci., 1, 71–88,Short summary
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-1-71-2016,https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-1-71-2016, 2016
Short summary
The paper presents a new method to conduct the holistic optimization of a wind turbine. The proposed approach allows one to define the rotor radius and tower height, while simultaneously performing the detailed sizing of rotor and tower. For the rotor, the procedures perform simultaneously the design both from the aerodynamic and structural points of view. The overall optimization seeks a minimum for the cost of energy, while accounting for a wide range of user-defined design constraints.
Cited articles
Autodesk: Robot Structural Analysis Professional (Version 29.0.05650(x64)), 2016.
EWEA: Wind energy in Europe: Scenarios for 2030, Brussels, Belgium, 2017.
EWEA: Wind in power 2017 – Annual combined onshore and offshore wind energy statistics, Brussels, Belgium, 2018.
Google: Google Maps location of Tocha Wind Farm, Tocha, Cantanhede, Coimbra, Portugal, available at: https://firstname.lastname@example.com,-9.4259083,7.5z, last access: 21 March 2018a.
Google: Google Maps location of Tocha Wind Farm, Tocha, Cantanhede, Coimbra, Portugal, available at: https://firstname.lastname@example.com,-8.8220541,7848m/data=!3m1!1e3, last access: 21 March 2018b.
IEC 61400-13: IEC 61400-13 Wind energy generation systems – Part 13: Measurement of Mechanical Loads, International Electrotechical Commission (IEC), 2015.
Jonkman, J., Butterfield, S., Musial, W., and Scott, G.: Definition of a 5-MW Reference Wind Turbine for Offshore System Development, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 2009.
Loraux, C. and Brühwiler, E.: The use of long term monitoring data for the extension of the service duration of existing wind turbine support structures, J. Phys. Conf. Ser., 753, 1742–6596, 2016.
Loraux, C. T.: Long-term monitoring of existing wind turbine towers and fatigue performance of UHPFRC under compressive stresses, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, 2018.
Magalhães, F. and Cunha, A.: Explaining Operational Modal Analysis with data from an arch bridge, Mech. Syst. Signal Pr., 25, 1431–1450, 2011.
Moutinho, C. and Cunha, A.: Contribution to new solutions of instrumentation of Civil structures for continuous dynamic monitoring, IX ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Smart Structures and Materials (SMART 2019), Paris, France, 2019.
Oliveira, G., Magalhães, F. Cunha, A., and Caetano, E.: Vibration based damage detection in a wind turbine using one year of data, Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 25, e2238, https://doi.org/10.1002/stc.2238, 2018a.
Oliveira, G., Magalhães, F., Cunha, A., and Caetano, E.: Continuous dynamic monitoring of an onshore wind turbine, Eng. Struct., 164, 22–39, 2018b.
Sprague, M., Jonkman, J. M., and Jonkman, B.: FAST Modular Framework for Wind Turbine Simulation: New Algorithms and Numerical Examples, in: Proc. 33rd Wind Energy Symposium, Kissimmee, Florida, 2015.
Weijtjens, W., Verbelen, T., Capello, E., and Devriendt, C.: Vibration based structural health monitoring of the substructures of five offshore wind turbines, Procedia Engineer., 199, 2294–2299, 2017.
Special issue
- Article
- Full-text XML
Short summary
This paper introduces the Tocha wind farm, presents the different layouts adopted in the instrumentation of the wind turbines and shows initial results. At this preliminary stage, the capabilities of the very extensive monitoring layout are demonstrated. The results presented demonstrate the ability of the different monitoring components to track the modal parameters of the system, composed of tower and rotor, and to characterize the internal loads at the tower base and blade roots.
This paper introduces the Tocha wind farm, presents the different layouts adopted in the...


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In an effort that has been ongoing for about two-decades, there is a new push for a Senate hearing and a committee vote on the Employment Non-discrimination Act (ENDA). I know I've personally been pushing an inclusive ENDA since 1995.
Yes, we know that it is unlikely to get any consideration at all in the House…unless it is negative consideration. But Tom Harkin is chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and he is a longtime supporter of ENDA.
I hope he will use his chairmanship to organize an ENDA hearing this spring or summer.
–Tico Almeida, president of Freedom to Work
When there's nothing else going on, it's always good to try to get a hearing. It keeps the ball moving. It keeps reminding everybody that there are some issues that we all know we have to cover eventually.
–Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality

subset: commoncrawl


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Coeur d'Or award recognizes a cardiologist of national or international prominence who has contributed significantly to the field of cardiovascular medicine.
The award is presented to the recipient by an individual of national fame in India, or a celebrated national peer in cardiovascular medicine.
The award committee picks one recipient each year, and the award is presented during a conference organized to celebrate World Heart Day in September in New Delhi, India.


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Towards a final divorce between Yaya Toure and Manchester City? Everything suggests that this assumption is not totally ruled out. Very annoyed a few weeks ago to have been overlooked by his club that did not wish him happy birthday, the citizen midfielder is more angry with his leaders after the death of his younger brother. Yaya Toure has not at all enjoyed negligence displayed by City, which was very dismissive of the tragedy he lived.
"At the end of the season, I wanted to stay four or five days with my brother before flying to prepare the World Cup with Côte d'Ivoire. Except that City did not want to give me a few days (before leaving for the World with the Ivorian selection). I went to celebrate in the wake (end of season) the league title Premier League title) in Abu Dhabi, while my brother was dying in bed," says Yaya Toure in the columns of France Football.
The Elephant bitterly regret having yielded to pressure from his club.
"Afterwards, I regret having not insisted. For not having made myself respected. However, my leaders knew that I suffered for a few months to see my brother's health decline. (…) They wanted to make me insensitive, and the worst thing is that I let it go," writes Yaya Toure in his column.
This could complicate relations between the player and his club. Relationships already strained after the incidents and comments related to the fact that the club did not send Yaya Touré sweet words for his birthday. Even if they tried to make us believe otherwise.


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The Parthenon: Quest for Immortality slot by NetEnt is a direct sequel to Pyramid: Quest for Immortality. It's based on another massive structure, the ancient Greek Parthenon, which was home to the gods. The second installment in this series looks much more visually appealing than the first one and might end up being the better slot of the two.
What makes Parthenon: Quest for Immortality different than the rest of the crowd are the 10,000 paylines. It's a slot that tries to shake things up while retaining some of the most basic slot features. The unusual reel set might look complicated in the beginning, but you'll get the hang of the gameplay fast.
The moment you start playing, you'll be immersed in a rich world of gods and heroes. Thanks to the gameplay features and the rewards worth over 1,000 times your stake, the Parthenon: Quest for Immortality slot is well worth playing for cash.


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Zoom is not just for videoconferencing— Zoom is now the official service for audio conferencing for UA staff, faculty, and students! No need for special phones or equipment. Set up an audio conference yourself by signing in to Zoom and selecting "Schedule a Meeting." Log in at https://arizona.zoom.us
Zoom audio meeting participants will be able to:
- Join the meeting online using their computer's microphone and speakers.
- Call in with a landline or mobile phone. (Zoom call-in number options have 646 and 669 area codes, which are a toll call for anyone who has to pay for long distance charges with their carrier. To avoid tolls, join the meeting online.)
- Hosts can also record the meeting with Zoom.
For more information on audio conferencing with Zoom, visit: https://it.arizona.edu/documentation/using-zoom-audio-conferencing
If you experience issues using Zoom, contact the 24/7 IT Support Center at (520) 626-TECH (8324).
Please note: HIPAA-protected information should not be shared in Zoom. A secured campus Zoom option is currently being developed for conferencing where HIPAA-protected information can be shared. This feature will be available in late February 2019 and a campus communication will be distributed at that time.
The university's operated-assisted telephone conferencing service (Conference Bridge) will be discontinued February 28, 2019.


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The courting of Danny Ainge
Given his last memorable foray on a basketball court, was there ever any doubt that Toronto Blue Jay Third Baseman Danny Ainge would perform some last-minute sleight-of-hand and deftly emerge from a U.S. District Court in New York last week as a Boston Celtic point guard?
Well, nobody's perfect. Let the record show that the jury hearing the case between the Blue Jays and the Celtics for Ainge's services, wasn't the least bit impressed by Boston's argument. Last spring his endline-to-endline, last-second sprint and layup eliminated Notre Dame from the NCAA tournament, but last week's 180-degree turn, full-court dash failed to carry the day. And now Ainge finds himself not a BYU star, not a Toronto phenom—nor, alas, a Celtic rookie—but just Danny Ainge, homebody.
While the Blue Jays were finishing their season in Seattle and the Celtics were opening their training camp in Brookline, Mass., last week Ainge's physical exertions were restricted to swatting imaginary racquet and golf balls in the halls outside Judge Lee P. Gagliardi's courtroom. And because of last Friday's decision, for now there will be little more than that. The four-man, two-woman panel decided that the Toronto contract Ainge signed in September, 1980 hadn't been orally rescinded by Blue Jay President Peter Bavasi or Vice-President Pat Gillick, as Ainge claimed, and that the Celtics, who made Ainge their third pick (the 31st player overall) at the NBA draft on June 9, were guilty of contract interference for negotiating with Ainge.
How long Ainge continues to play imaginary games instead of real ones depends upon how long it takes Boston to whittle down Toronto's settlement figure—the Blue Jays had asked for $1 million—that would release Ainge from his three-year, $525,000 contract. Even with the Jays' improved bargaining position, the buy-out should be closer to half a million.
The Blue Jays officially cling to the slim hope that Ainge, who voluntarily retired from baseball on Sept. 24, will change his mind and report to the club next spring. But Ainge has already scotched that notion. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm not a part of the Toronto Blue Jays," he says. "I'm going home to Utah to get in shape for basketball. I'm retired from baseball."
To be sure, the finality with which these words were spoken echoed Ainge's previous commitment to baseball right up to June 10, when he told Bavasi he wanted to switch back to basketball.
What happened? "When I signed the contract I was sure I wanted to play baseball, but it was too early," Ainge says now. "I should have waited until after my senior year. I never imagined I would have the kind of year that I did [24.4 points per game]. My thinking was that I was stuck in a bad situation for three years and I should try and make the most out of it. I know I told a lot of people I was going to play baseball, but there's a difference between saying, 'I have a contract to play baseball,' and 'I have a contract to play baseball but I really don't want to,' which is how I felt."
As long ago as last March, Ainge had hinted that he would play basketball again. During the NCAA finals in Philadelphia, he told SI's Jack McCallum: "I've failed at things before. I think I've failed at baseball the last three years. I've set goals for myself, and I haven't come close to them. If I keep failing for a certain period of time, I'll definitely try something else. Basketball? Probably." If Boston president and general manager Red Auerbach needed additional incentive to pursue Ainge, that kind of talk could have provided it.
The Blue Jays then sent letters to all 23 NBA teams before the draft in an attempt to dissuade them from wasting a draft pick on an athlete who obviously wanted to play baseball.
Auerbach, of course, wouldn't take no for an answer. He has a recent reputation for drafting expertise which rivals that of the Dallas Cowboys' Gil Brandt, and he saw in Ainge a perfect Celtic: a quick, tenacious guard who could run all day and shoot all night. Even though the Celtics won the NBA title last year, starting guards Nate Archibald and Chris Ford were perceived as being the team's weak link, and they aren't kids anymore, either.
The added intangible of Ainge's skin color is perhaps more important in Boston than in any other NBA town. Boston was the scene of some ugly racial confrontations in the middle '70s, and the racial makeup of its sports teams is watched as closely as the box scores.
Apparently Ainge had been reading his own line in the Jays' box scores just as closely and saw the need to try another sport. Entering the '81 season, Ainge had hit but .239 in 419 major league at bats over parts of three seasons. However, Gillick and others felt that the numbers would improve over the course of a full season. They didn't. Ainge finished this year hitting .187 with no home runs, 14 RBIs and only eight extra-base hits. What with his season-long slump, minor injuries and the legal situation, Ainge has been ineffective since early September. "It's obvious I wasn't having a successful career," he says.
While the consensus among major league scouts is that Ainge was rushed to the majors by Toronto, there is doubt that things would ever get a lot better. "I don't like him too much," says Rick Ferrell, a scout for the Detroit Tigers. "I don't think he'll hit enough. He doesn't throw too good at third base. He doesn't have power."
Ferrell and other scouts concede that Ainge has speed, which, along with an accurate jump shot, heads-up play and light pigmentation, is what has NBA people practically drooling. "We use a scale of five in grading a player, and Ainge got a four in field-goal shooting, free-throw shooting, ball handling, passing, speed and aggressiveness, a three-plus in rebounding and a three in defense," says NBA scouting consultant Marty Blake. "To give you an idea of how good a four is, we gave out only one five all last year." (St. Louis University's David Burns got a five for speed and was drafted by the New Jersey Nets.) Blake says that no one received a four for his defensive work, which doesn't surprise Pete Newell, who coached a national champion at California and is now the talent consultant of the Golden State Warriors. "He plays D like most college kids—very little," says Newell. "But there's no doubt that he has a tremendous future in the league, especially compared to baseball." The baseball/basketball conflict has occurred before, most recently in the cases of the Celtics' Gene Conley and the Knicks' Dave DeBusschere, both of whom gave up pitching careers. But that was before the NBA season lasted until Father's Day, as it does now.
According to testimony at the trial, Ainge told Bavasi of his intention to pursue basketball on June 10 in Toronto—and asked for permission to join the Celtics. Ainge said Bavasi told him, "You have to do what you have to do," and that "no contract could make a man do what he doesn't want to do." The next day, Ainge said, Blue Jay Coach Bobby Doerr and Gillick repeated those sentiments and said he shouldn't worry about his contract, which includes a clause banning Ainge from playing pro basketball. That clause was sweetened by a $300,000 bonus, of which Ainge collected the last payment, $120,000, in August. Ainge offered to return the entire bonus.
The two conversations, the Celtics contended, were tantamount to the Blue Jays' giving Ainge his release from baseball. Toronto, on the other hand, countered that the things told Ainge were merely personal statements made by stunned men, who, according to Bavasi's testimony, likened the situation to "an ailing wife being left behind by her husband for some blonde floozy from Boston."
After 1½ hours of deliberation, the jury ruled that there was no rescission and that the contract was still valid. After the trial Bavasi lit up a large cigar, mocking Auerbach, and said, "There's one minute to go and we're 20 points ahead. As far as I'm concerned, Danny Ainge is a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, and until I'm absolutely convinced he's not, I'm not speaking to Auerbach or anyone else in their organization."
Right now the Celtics aren't too thrilled about dealing with the Blue Jays, either. "The thing is, they don't even want him and he doesn't want to be there, but we shouldn't have to buy their franchise to get him," says Boston Vice-President Jan Volk.
As Danny Ainge sits at home in Provo, the only question seems to be which team can hold out the longest: Boston, which would dearly love to have Ainge's skills at point guard, or Toronto, which claims it won't have to pay the remainder of Ainge's guaranteed contract if he doesn't play. One person who probably doesn't care either way is Austin Daniel Ainge. Austin was born the day after the Blue Jay-Celtic trial started and didn't get to see his daddy until after the jury's decision four days later.
While Ainge's defense never rested against Virginia last season, his offense caught the pro scouts' eyes.
Ainge was mostly no hit, good field for the Jays.


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How To Fidelize Users Throughout Online Games
Which are simply the inquiries each website admin is posing regular? How might I get new clients? How might I make them return to my site? How might I make them stay longer?
As per the keep going reports, time spent on a site will turn into the genuine standard to comprehend which are fruitful locales or not. Nilesen/NetRatings will start following how long guests spend at the locales. The move by Nielsen/NetRatings comes as online video and new advancements progressively make site hits less significant. Very soon "time boundary" will be significantly more significant than site hits or novel guests to grant the most well known destinations on web.
This new boundary will make important clients to be engaged as longer as conceivable on the site. In this article, I'd prefer to recommend to website admins quite possibly the most persuading technique to build time spent on a webpage (and furthermore make them consistent clients of the website).
The mysterious lies on substance since quality written substance is the final deciding factor: you should give clients amusing and great substance that will actually want to include clients on the local area of the site, of which he/she will end up being a significant part.
As a rule, website admins should attempt to offer แทงบอลผ่านเน็ต substance to their webpage: numerous website admins underestimate that this is the best approach to follow, yet taking a gander at numerous online locales, everybody can comprehend that it isn't so clear for everybody. There are a huge number of locales with no sort of open objective or point, without intelligibility or substance.
Great website admins know the extraordinary worth of local area instrument utilized till now: pamphlet, visit and discussion are the basically utilized devices to fidelize clients. Yet, presently, a similar objective can be accomplished with less time and in a more compelling manner utilizing new instruments which are having an extraordinary create in the last time frame.
What's more, what is superior to giving clients the likelihood to play, have some good times and challenge numerous others straightforwardly on the web?
Web based games are very acceptable substance to increment broadly time spent on a webpage and, in the event that they are multiplayer games, they can make a genuine local area: clients play, challenge one another, save their scores and climb graphs. Every day online "rendezvous" will turn into a need for them.
There are numerous and numerous internet games that can be embedded on a website, yet today I'd prefer to recommend to each website admin an excellent stage with a straightforward connection framework, that permits everybody to show a wide range of games on the webpage.…


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Left photo: Chad Johnson and Michelle Williams / Courtesy of OWN - Chris Frawley
Right photo: "Ready to Love" cast with host Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles / Courtesy of OWN - Richard DuCree Los Angeles - OWN has announced new unscripted series that will join the network's successful Saturday night lineup: "Chad Loves Michelle," "Family or Fiancé" and "Rocket City Revival" (working title). "Chad Loves Michelle" featuring Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child and Pastor Chad Johnson navigating the road from engagement to marriage will premiere Saturday, November 3 (9-10 p.m. ET/PT). Additionally, box office hitmaker Will Packer's previously announced new dating series "Ready to Love" hosted by Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles ("The Steve Harvey Morning Show") is set for a two-night premiere on OWN Tuesday, October 23 (10-11 p.m. ET/PT) and Saturday, October 27 (10-11 p.m. ET/PT) and will air Saturdays at 10 p.m. for the remainder of its series run. "OWN viewers are looking for real and honest stories that are relatable to their own lives," said Erik Logan, president of OWN. "These new shows all feature passionate relationships and the desire to keep love alive and will captivate viewers from the very beginning. I'm excited about our growing roster of unscripted programs joining our Saturday night lineup." About the new series: CHAD LOVES MICHELLE (premieres Saturday, November 3 at 9 p.m. ET/PT) "Chad Loves Michelle," from Relevé Entertainment and InventTV, will feature an honest inside look at the path to marriage between Grammy award-winning singer Michelle Williams, one-third of chart-topping Destiny's Child, and Chad Johnson, sports chaplain to professional sports organizations. Having been together for a year and never in the same city for more than seven days, the newly engaged couple is turning to intensive pre-marital counseling to help prepare them for life together as husband and wife. Both are relocating to Los Angeles from different cities in the months leading up to their wedding, but not to the same bedroom. Guided by their faith and unwavering values, the couple has vowed to consummate the relationship only after they are wed. Each episode will feature real issues the couple is tackling in their everyday lives, including Michelle's high-profile battle with mental health issues, and the lessons they learn from the pre-marital counseling sessions that bond them stronger together. Sergio Alfaro, Michaline Babich, Holly Carter, Michelle Williams and Chad Johnson are executive producers. READY TO LOVE (two-night premiere Tuesday, October 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT and Saturday, October 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT) "Ready to Love," a dating series from Will Packer Media and Lighthearted Entertainment, explores the real-life dating interactions of sexy, successful and grown Black men and women in their 30s and 40s who are each looking for lasting love and an authentic relationship. A unique twist on a typical dating show, "Ready to Love," highlights the men's observations and experiences in the search for true love in Atlanta. The series is hosted by Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles of "The Steve Harvey Morning Show" and joins OWN's popular Saturday night unscripted programming lineup. "Ready to Love" is produced by Will Packer Media and Lighthearted Entertainment. Will Packer is executive producer. Will Packer Media's Kelly Smith, Lighthearted's Rob LaPlante and Jeff Spangler also executive produce along with Anthony Sylvester. FAMILY OR FIANCÉ (premieres in 2019) In "Family or Fiancé," from Bunim/Murray Productions, newly engaged couples whose families have voiced paralyzing concerns (both real and imagined) over their proposed marriage, will bring their families to live together under the same roof. The stakes have never been higher as they take on activities designed to strengthen their bond, unpack their differences, and show the betrothed couple in a whole new light. Will the week of experimental "family time" confirm their families' concerns and lead to a breakup? Will the families discover enough common ground to give their blessings? If all else fails, how will the couple face the future knowing that their families may never accept their partner? Executive producers are Gil Goldschein, Julie Pizzi, Jonathan Murray and co-executive producer Erica Ross. ROCKET CITY REVIVAL (working title - premieres in 2019) "Rocket City Revival," from Kingdom Reign Entertainment, brings together three high-powered African-American couples who have returned to Huntsville, Alabama (nicknamed "The Rocket City" for its close association with NASA and U.S. space missions) to help revitalize the region through their joint real estate venture. The couples are long-time friends and avid socialites who all have their own personalities, strong points of view, and individual strategies for wanting to make this huge undertaking a success. We'll see if they can succeed at mixing business with pleasure for all the right reasons, or if the cutthroat industry makes foes of the longtime friends. Rocket City Revival is produced by Kingdom Reign Entertainment for ITV America. Carlos King, Gil Lopez and Andrew Hoagland are executive producers. About OWN's Saturday Night OWN is Saturday night's #1 cable network for African-American women. The network features popular unscripted series including "Iyanla: Fix My Life" starring spiritual life coach and bestselling author Iyanla Vanzant, "The Book of John Gray" featuring Pastor John Gray and his wife Aventer, docuseries "Black Love" from filmmakers Codie and Tommy Oliver and "Mind Your Business with Mahisha" starring Mahisha Dellinger who helps female business owners take their companies to the next level. This fall will also see the debut of box office hitmaker Will Packer's first unscripted series, the dating show "Ready to Love," and the premiere of new docuseries "Chad Loves Michelle" featuring the path to marriage between Grammy award-winning singer Michelle Williams, one-third of chart-topping Destiny's Child, and her fiancé Pastor Chad Johnson. About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand and the magnetism of the channel. OWN is a leading destination for premium scripted and unscripted programming from today's most innovative storytellers. OWN's original scripted series include popular dramas "Queen Sugar," "Greenleaf," "Love Is __," "The Have and Have Nots, "If Loving You is Wrong," hit sitcom "The Paynes," and upcoming drama series "David Makes Man" from Academy Award-winner Tarell Alvin McCraney and "Ambitions" from box office hit-maker Will Packer. OWN's Saturday night unscripted programming lineup includes "Iyanla: Fix My Life," "Book of John Gray," "Black Love," "Mind Your Business with Mahisha" and the recently announced dating series "Ready to Love." OWN connects with its audience wherever they are, inspiring conversation among a global community of like-minded viewers on social media and beyond. Launched on January 1, 2011, OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery, Inc. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime, anywhere on WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own and


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CV / Contact
Jasper Lee is a musician and artist from central Alabama. His work across video, sound and installation explores the metaphysics of folklore in the Southeastern United States and is formed by a collision of magical thinking, storytelling, ritual and lyrical abstraction. His work in film has included composing scores for feature films, directing music videos, and creating video art and short films which have screened at museums & festivals internationally. He is also a performer and organizer in the experimental music scene of Birmingham, where he curates the music label Sweet Wreath.
2019 MFA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC
2011 Bachelor of Science Degree in Art, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, AL
Solo + Two Person Exhibitions
2021 Cobweb Codex, Coleman Center for the Arts, York, AL
2020 Cobweb Codex, Vinegar Contemporary, Birmingham, AL
2019 A Word from Water to You, Utilities Included, Chapel Hill, NC
2016 Déjà Vu Blues (w/ Tomika Glenn), SHIFT Birmingham Museum of Art Satellite Space, Birmingham, AL
2014 The Wind in the Wood, Elsewhere Museum, Greensboro, NC
2011 Haunted Heartland (w/Kathleen Hairston), University of Montevallo Gallery, Montevallo, AL
2011 Taurus Waxing, Stranded Art Co-op, Montevallo, AL
Selected Group Shows
2022 Alabama Triennial, Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts, Birmingham, AL
2022 Limestone Almanac, Basement, Chapel Hill, NC
2021 Spectral Acquaintances, Sweet Wreath, Irondale, AL
2021 Work from Home, (with Melissa Yes), UAB Solar House, Birmingham, AL
2020 Mingle Mangle, Stephen Smith Gallery, Fairfield, AL
2020 Space, Vinegar Contemporary, Online Exhibition, Birmingham, AL
2020 B20: Wiregrass Biennial, Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, AL
2019 Burned County Data, East Village Arts, Birmingham, AL
2019 Introducing, AIRBNB X Vinegar, Birmingham, AL
2019 Treeline (collaboration with Vinegar), Moss Rock Festival, Birmingham, AL
2019 Coined in the South, The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
2019 On the Way to the Moon, True Turn Festival, Tulsa, OK
2019 Sacred Wasteland, Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill, NC
2019 Under the Rug, The Fruit, Durham, NC
2018 Anti-Nostalgia, The Carrack, Durham, NC
2018 Visions Provisions, Alcott Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC
2018 Of Diabase In Time, COOP Gallery, Nashville, TN
2017 Clocks For Seeing, John and June Alcott Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC
2017 Louisiana Biennial, LA Tech University School of Design, Ruston, LA
2015 flusnoix :: flusdrawxing, The Grocery Gallery, Northport, AL
2012 Anomalous: A Look into Alternative Processes in Art, Art Folk Gallery, Birmingham, AL
2012 El Dia de los Muertos, Bare Hands Gallery, Birmingham, AL
2011 Not About Beauty, Space One Eleven, Birmingham, AL
2009 Everything Must Go, Century Plaza, Birmingham, AL
Awards and Residencies
2021 Artist Residency, Coleman Center for the Arts, York, AL
2020 Alabama Prize, B20: Wiregrass Biennial, Awarded by curator Jackie Clay
2020 Artist Residency, Space, Vinegar Contemporary, Birmingham, AL
2019-2020 Creative Contributor, Vinegar Contemporary, Birmingham, AL
2019 Artist Residency, Utilities Included, Chapel Hill, NC
2017 Teaching Fellowship, UNC Chapel Hill, NC
2015 Artist Fellowship Grant, Alabama State Council on the Arts
2014 Artist Residency, Elsewhere Museum, Greensboro, NC
Selected Sonic Art Broadcasts
2022 Substrate Radio, Birmingham, AL
2019 WXYC 89.3FM Chapel Hill, NC
2018 WFMU 91.1 Jersey City, NJ
2018 WCSB 89.3FM Cleveland, Ohio
2017 Soundart Radio 102.5FM, Devon, UK
2014 Birmingham Mountain Radio 107.3FM, Birmingham, AL
Selected Performances
2022 Silica Gel, Icebox Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2022 Silica Gel, Apohadian Theater, Portland, ME
2021 Silica Gel, High Desert Soundings, Joshua Tree, CA
2017 Jasper Lee/Gilded Milk, Rhizome, Washington D.C.
2015 Gathering Among Stars, collaboration w/Ma Li, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
2013 McNeil Street Pumping Station New Music Festival, w/Them Natives, Shreveport, LA
2013 Sonic Frontiers Concert Series, w/Them Natives, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
2010 Improvisor Festival 30th Anniversary, Eyedrum, Atlanta, GA
2009 Improvisor Festival, Bare Hands Gallery, Birmingham, AL
2022 Pan Pan Medico and May Day, Hexennacht Festival, Victoria B.C., Canada
2020 Silver in the Churn, Sidewalk Film Festival, Birmingham, AL
2020 Silver in the Churn, Stockholm Animation and Experimental Film Festival, Stockholm, Sweden
2020 Silver in the Churn, Holywood Serbia International Film Festival, Mutanj, Serbia
2020 Silver in the Churn, Berlin Revolution Film Festival, Berlin, Germany
2019 Silver in the Churn, Portland Unknown Film Festival, Portland, OR
2019 Silver in the Churn, The Fruit, Durham, NC
2019 Land Rearranged, Cosmic Rays Film Festival, Chapel Hill, NC
2018 Birth Chart, Of Diabase In Time, COOP Gallery, Nashville, TN
2018 Birth Chart, Cosmic Rays Film Festival, Chapel Hill, NC
2017 Déjà Vu Deluge, Sidewalk Film Festival, Birmingham, AL
2017 Déjà Vu Deluge, Sound of Silent Film Festival, Chicago, IL
2017 Déjà Vu Deluge, Sound of Silent Film Festival, Brooklyn, NY
Selected Press
B20: Wiregrass Biennial
Impose Magazine
Tiny Mix Tapes
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In May this year, when news of the Sichuan earthquake reached the Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian at his home in Paris, he remembered living through a similar disaster in China more than 30 years ago: "Even though I was quite far away then, I was terrified." That earthquake, in Tangshan, near Beijing, was one of the 20th century's worst in terms of lives lost. "Afterwards there were terrible downpours, but no one wanted to stay in the buildings. I can imagine the fear in Sichuan."
It was the tail-end of the cultural revolution, the collapse of which was accelerated by the aftermath of the 1976 quake. When the 10-year terror began in 1966, Gao felt compelled to burn a suitcase-full of all his manuscripts since adolescence, in case he was denounced. But he was still sent for "re-education" in the countryside. Labouring in the fields, he began again, hiding his work in a hole in the ground, when "to write, even in secret, was to risk one's life". As Gao said in 2000 when he became the first (and only) writer in Chinese to win the Nobel prize for literature, "it was only during this period, when literature became utterly impossible, that I came to comprehend why it was so essential."
Gao, who was first published when he was almost 40, has written more than 20 plays, short stories, essays, criticism and two semi-autobiographical novels: Soul Mountain (1990), based on a journey down the Yangtse river; and One Man's Bible (1999), memories of the cultural revolution spliced with episodes in the life and loves of a world-famous man of the theatre. The novels were translated into English in 2000 and 2002, followed by Buying a Fishing Rod for My Grandfather (2004), a collection of short stories. His Nobel lecture is the title essay of The Case for Literature (2007). Yet since 1989 all his work has been banned in mainland China (most has been published in Taiwan).
A pioneer of experimental theatre in China in the early 1980s, Gao fell foul of renewed purges, and left for Germany, then France in 1987. But it was his reaction to the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 that he believes sealed his fate. "I heard the news on the radio that people were gunned down, and right then, I knew I was looking at exile," he says. He condemned the crackdown on French television, publicly resigned from the Chinese Communist party he had joined in 1962, tore up his Chinese passport and applied for political asylum. He has lived in Paris for 21 years as a painter and writer/director, becoming a French citizen in 1998.
For Jung Chang, Gao has "immortalised the memories of a nation suffering from forced amnesia; my own memories flooded back reading him". Ma Jian, the London-based author of Beijing Coma, sees Gao as "both a linguistic innovator and a writer of integrity, whose work constantly reaffirms the importance of the individual over the collective. He was one of the first writers of the post-Mao era to absorb developments in western literature and philosophy, and meld them with Chinese classical traditions to create a new kind of drama and fiction." By contrast, the critic Julia Lovell commends his shorter fiction yet feels the novels are a "sprawling, self-indulgent take on the horrors of political oppression".
Aged 68, Gao lives in Paris's 2nd arrondissement with Céline Yang, a novelist who left China after 1989. Gao, who also writes in French, has translated and directed plays in his adopted language, and was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 2000. He sees himself as a "fragile man who has managed not to be crushed by authority and to speak to the world in his own voice". As he pointed out recently at Warwick University, on a rare visit to Britain, most of his life's work has been done since leaving China. While the Swedish academy saw him as a "perspicacious sceptic" possessed of "bitter insights", for Ma, Gao is a "tranquil yet engaged presence; a very composed, mild-mannered man, but a passionate reader and artist". Speaking in French, smiling readily though he seems frail, Gao recalls the Nobel prize as a "whirlwind. I was carried away, and it was difficult to organise my life. Very soon after, I fell ill, and had two big heart operations one after the other. It was because of the fatigue and pressure. I became an ornament on the political scene."
The official Chinese reaction to the Nobel was predictably hostile. The head of the Chinese Writers' Association said the prize had been "used for political purposes and thus has lost its authority". According to Ma, that body had "campaigned for years for the Nobel prize to be awarded to one of their state-sanctioned writers, so they were furious when it went to a political exile". Yet Gao has also been attacked by dissidents - notably for his play Escape (1989), written within months of the Tiananmen Square massacre, and the ostensible trigger for all his work being banned in China. Its three characters take refuge from the army crackdown in a warehouse, amid sexual tensions and cynicism about self-proclaimed heroes. "Exiled writers said my play blackened the democracy movement," Gao says. "Even today, those attacks continue." In Ma's view, "It was criticised by the pro-democracy activists because it failed to show the students in a heroic light."
According to Gao, a writer's only responsibility is "to the language he writes in". Determined to rid himself of others' ideologies, to live, as he says, "without isms", he advocates a "cold literature", detached from both political agendas and consumerist pressures, whose purpose is to bear witness. His essays express a loathing for Nietzsche's idea of the Superman and and its hold over Chinese thought. "Many intellectuals feel themselves to be Supermen who are spokesmen for the people," he says. "But in my opinion, they're to be pitied. Under Mao's dictatorship, these poor sheep suffered the same fate as everyone else. I don't want to be a strong hero who can save society. I just want to save myself."
He was born in 1940, the eldest of two brothers, in Ganzhou. Shortly after the Communist revolution of 1949, the family moved to Nanjing. His father was a senior employee in the Bank of China, and his mother an amateur actor. It was a "well-to-do, protected childhood, and my parents were very open-minded - which was rare. It's like a lost paradise." His mother read western literature in translation, from Balzac and Zola to Steinbeck, and he grew up with both western and Chinese classics. His love of theatre comes from his mother, with whom he first acted on stage, aged five. She also encouraged him to keep a diary. But when Gao was 20, during the "great leap forward", she drowned at a rural labour camp. "Even though she wasn't really an intellectual, she was sent away for re-education just like all the others who were not from Communist 'red' families," he says.
As a child he played the violin and flute, and painted, but opted to study French literature at the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute, drawn to such dramatists as Genet and Artaud. After graduating in 1962, he worked at the Foreign Languages Press, translating French classics. But in 1966-76, all foreign-language books were banned.
In One Man's Bible, the narrator is both participant in the cultural revolution and victim. After protesting against Red Guards' beating of a colleague at his workplace, Gao was treated as a hero, and led a rival Red Guard faction. The Red Guard, he explains, was initially composed of "children of high-up party executives, who felt like mowing down and killing old people like their parents. Other youths reacted and set up a rebellious Red Guard faction. All young people, to protect themselves, had to join one or the other. But once I got in, I saw it wasn't really a way out. Experience has taught me that any kind of political grouping is oppressive. It's the blind mass that crushes the individual."
The novel also reflects Gao's experience of being informed on by his first wife. On this he will say nothing, other than to allude to Stalinist Russia and East Germany. After Mao's death in 1976, Gao translated Beckett and Ionesco, and visited France and Italy. In his first book, essays on the modern novel, he took issue with Mao's guidelines for literature urging didactic, realist art. In Ma's view, the book "influenced a generation of writers by introducing them to the concepts of stream of consciousness, surrealism and black humour." Gao, Ma adds, was "the 'elder brother' of the small band of dissident Beijing artists and writers that I belonged to. He could speak foreign languages and had travelled abroad. We all looked up to him."
Made artistic director of the People's Art Theatre in Beijing in 1981, Gao broke with realism in experimental plays such as Absolute Signal (1982), about the change of heart of a would-be train robber. It startled Ma by exploring, "in a nuanced way, the psychology of a 'bad' individual. It heralded a new kind of drama, in opposition to the one-dimensional propaganda of the cultural revolution". Yet Gao became an early casualty of a renewed drive in 1983 against "spiritual pollution" and western modernism. His play Bus Stop (1983), a take on Waiting for Godot, was banned after 10 performances.
"I'd already self-censored," Gao says. "Then I was censored by others. That's when I decided to write just for myself." His resolve coincided with being diagnosed with lung cancer - the disease from which his father had died. "After Bus Stop, they threatened to send me back to work camp. Then this shadow was found on my lungs. I went back to my hometown and had more tests - and by a miracle it had disappeared." The reprieve made him realise that "if you want to do anything, do it now, without compromise or concession, because you have only one life."
He fled to the forest highlands of south-west China, ostensibly to research woodcutters' lives. For five months he tracked the Yangtse riverfrom its source, from Sichuan's giant panda reserve to the China sea. "I was looking for a place of refuge. It was also a spiritual and cultural quest, to find the origin of Chinese culture, the source that had not yet been polluted by politics." The result, completed in Paris after more of his plays had been banned in rehearsal in Beijing, was Soul Mountain, which took seven years to write.
The novelist and film-maker Xiaolu Guo read a pirated copy and found it "very beautiful and poetic - intimate but epic". "The novel in Chinese sensibility is 2,000 years old," she says. "It's the language of real people from the streets - the non-official version." For Gao, the "tiny history of a few individuals in a novel can't be revised or manipulated. It goes to the heart of human nature. If it's still read, it's still valuable."
Though it reads like an autobiographical monologue, Soul Mountain shifts viewpoints - a technique repeated in One Man's Bible and Gao's plays. "Literature can't merely be an expression of self - that would be unbearable," Gao says. "You have to be critical not just of society and others, but of yourself: each subject has three pronouns: 'I', 'you', and 'he' or 'she'." He sees such self-scrutiny as a safeguard: "If you're not perfectly conscious of yourself, that self can be tyrannical; in relationship to others, anyone can become a tyrant. That's why no one can be a Superman. You have to go beyond yourself with a 'third eye' - self-awareness - because the one thing you cannot flee is yourself. That's why Greek tragedy is still the tragedy of human beings today."
Gao's later plays have been called a modern Zen theatre, combining modernist techniques with traditional Chinese drama and ritual, from masks and shadow play to opera. They have been widely staged in Europe, Taiwan and Hong Kong - where Tales of Mountains and Seas (1993) premiered in June at a festival devoted to Gao's work. But they are rarely seen in the English-speaking world. Escape was commissioned by a US theatre company, but premiered in Sweden after Gao refused to revise it. "When the company asked me to change the text, I understood what they wanted: there was no American-style hero," he says. "I said, no. Even the Chinese Communist party couldn't make me change a play; why should I accept correction from America?"
It was while directing his modern take on a Peking opera, Snow in August (2002), in Taiwan, that Gao collapsed and later had major heart surgery. In Marseilles rehearsing his play The Man Who Questions Death (2003), he collapsed again. He has co-directed a 90-minute film, Silhouette/Shadow (2006), that reflects his brush with death. Showing him painting, reciting poetry and rehearsing actors, it captures a flow of images and memories as he is rushed to hospital in an ambulance. A "cinepoem or modern fable - neither fiction nor autobiography nor documentary", it was filmed over four years, without funding. "Since childhood I'd dreamed of making a film, but producers in France and Germany wanted to make commercial films with chinoiserie. I refused."
The film, which has no dialogue and might be released only on the internet, is part of a life's experimentation.Though he enjoys dancing, swimming in the sea and cooking seafood, Gao says he works "non-stop, 12 hours a day", and never takes summer holidays "or even weekends, because freedom of expression is so precious to me".
The market pressures China now shares with the west are, he believes, "harder to resist than political and social customs". He feels lucky that his ink paintings were selling in Europe before he fled, and have been widely exhibited. "I could make a living, so I could write books that didn't sell much. I always understood that literature can't be a trade; it's a choice." Painting, he says, "begins where language fails", and he works listening to music - often Bach. Ma sees his paintings as "infused with the still, reflective quality of Zen Buddhism that I think he strives to achieve in his writing."
To Ma, who believes that One Man's Bible is about the "burden of painful memories, and how they corrupt the present and destroy oneself and those around one", it is a "tragedy that a writer of such calibre is condemned in his own homeland". Guo feels Gao's voice is crucial for its "stubborn, personal view of our history. The kids born after the 1980s know nothing about the past - the tragedy and sorrow of my father's generation - and how society dedicated to a collective dream ruined people and invaded their lives."
Gao sees his work as an affirmation of the self in the face of efforts to extinguish it. Recalling a time when it was "impossible to say freely what you thought, even in your family", he says: "Everything people say in those circumstances is false; everybody is wearing a mask. It's in literature that true life can be found. It's under the mask of fiction that you can tell the truth."
Gao on Gao
"Without Isms is neither nihilism nor eclecticism; nor is it egotism or solipsism. It opposes totalitarian dictatorship but also opposes the inflation of the self to God or Superman. It hates seeing other people trampled on like dog shit. Without Isms detests politics and does not take part in politics, but is not opposed to other people who do. If people want to get involved in politics, let them go right ahead. What Without Isms opposes is the foisting of a particular brand of politics on to the individual by means of abstract collective names such as 'the people', 'the race' or 'the nation'."
(The idea behind it is that we need to bid goodbye to the 20th century, and to put a big question mark over those "isms" that dominated it.)
· From The Case for Literature, translated by Mabel Lee, published by Yale University Press


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The Cayman Islands government has been working on a new set of laws to govern it's insurance industry and the licensing of insurers and captives on the islands. Cayman has become the main domicile for cat bonds in recent years and plays host to many captive insurers as well. The Caymans 'Insurance Law 2010' will put the domicile more in line with Bermuda's recent regulatory environment changes.
Currently, under the 2008 version of their insurance laws, insurers are licensed as either Class A (domestic insurers who carry out business in the Cayman Islands) or Class B (restricted or unrestricted insurers carrying on captive insurance business). The new regulation will include four classes of insurer.
Catastrophe bond special purpose vehicles/insurers have always been incorporated and licensed as Class B insurers. Companies wanting to issue cat bonds would apply for a Class B license, which had no set capital requirements which allowed SPV's to be set up with just nominal capital in place. Now a new Class C category has been created specifically for cat bonds and SPV's.
The new class breakdown will be as follows:
- Class A – domestic insurers
- Class B – captives
- Class C – catastrophe bonds or special purpose insurers
- Class D – reinsurers
The new regime hopes to provide insurers and reinsurers with clarity, certainty and predictability within the market.
Samuel Rose, Deputy Chief Officer, ministry of finance said: 'This law encompasses several recommendations by international standard setting bodies as well as from the Cayman Islands insurance industry representatives. It mandates an effective corporate governance system by strengthening existing legislation and opening up new frontiers of business development.'
'This modernized legislation paves the way for our local financial services industry to build on the islands' existing reputation as a dynamic place to do business,' he said. 'By bringing clarity to a number of key issues – particularly with reference to the regulatory requirements for international businesses – we are now well-placed to be able to meet market demand for an increasingly diverse suite of reinsurance products, such as Insurance Linked Securities.'
The Cayman Islands has become the domicile of choice for catastrophe bonds in recent years with close to $8b worth of cat bonds listed (see our list of which cat bonds domicile in Cayman vs Bermuda here). It's possible that part of the reason for it's dominance in this area has been the lighter regulatory environment and nominal capital requirements. This change in legislation should put it on a more level playing field with Bermuda.
The law comes into force later this year at a date to be set by the Governor in Cabinet. Additional subsidiary legislation and guidance notes are expected to be announced soon.
Register today for ILS NYC 2023, our next insurance-linked securities (ILS) market conference. Held in New York City, February 10th, 2023.
Get a ticket soon to ensure you can attend. Secure your place at the event here!


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Next iPhone launch may be delayed by coronavirus
Apple's next iPhone launch may be delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Cupertino, California-based tech giant has announced its latest smartphone in September every year since it was first released in 2007, but supply chain disruptions and travel restrictions may change that, according to Japanese news service Nikkei.
The outlet reports that Apple has held internal discussions about potentially "delaying the launch by months," and cites sources within Apple's supply chain which say that "practical hurdles" may also have a hand in delaying the release.
Apple traditionally needs to send engineers back and forth from its offices to its factories in China to finalize designs in the lead-up to the product's release. But the coronavirus has led Apple to restrict employee travel to hotbeds of the disease, including China.
Apple's next iPhone is expected to introduce 5G technology, which allows for significantly faster network speeds.
An iPhone delay would be far from the first Apple event to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, which has sickened more than 400,000 people around the world.
Apple last week announced of new versions of its iPad Pro, Mac Mini and MacBook Air devices via a press release, rather than its traditional March keynote. The devices are available to purchase online only, because the company last week also said that it was extending the closures of all its retail stores outside of China "until further notice" due to the pandemic.
To the surprise of some analysts, Apple's release last week skipped the rollout of a lower-priced version of the iPhone, which may be called the iPhone 9.
The company earlier this month also canceled the in-person portions of its annual WWDC developer conference, which it said would instead take place in an "entirely new format."
WWDC is one of Apple's most important events of the year, where it unveils new features for its iPhones, iPads and Macs, as well as shows off the latest version of its iOS software.
Source: Read Full Article


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The Flower of Life is one of the basic sacred geometry shapes. The Flower of Life starts with the Seed of Life shape: 7 overlapping circles that build outward, forming a flower-like pattern that has been used since ancient times in many cultures around the world. Said to be the basic template for everything in existence; all geometric forms can be found within it, including sacred geometry shapes like the Platonic Solids, Metatron's Cube, and the Merkaba. The Flower of Life symbolizes creation and reminds us of the unity of everything: we're all built from the same blueprint
Pyramid contains Yellow and Brown resin layer and on top of it Quartz copper spiral, Crystal Quartz with Flower of Life and Tree of Life.
Benefits :
- Crystal Quartz With Tree Of Life Orgone Pyramid
- Stone of courage and empowerment
- Improve your Meditation Life
- Clears blocked communication
- Promotes self-expression
- Increases self defeating habits
- strengthens the body's cleansing organs
- Blocks EMF Radiations
- Calms overreactions of the immune system and autoimmune diseases
- Reduces stress.
Orgonite Vibes Pyramids are so Special :
- Made of Genuine Material
- Contains genuine crystals and stones
- Used Reich's Technology
- Blocks Cosmic radiations
- Healing Pyramids
- Releases Positive Vibes to the surrounding.


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add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
pass: register,
For an application that emulates first-person "looking", ie: movies, entertainment TV, etc. the field-of-view and attention
focus of human eyesight is roughly elliptical: corner elements are so non-sequitur that TV networks often park advertisements there with almost no degradation of entertainment quality.
So that's the idea: elliptical recording/playback devices, and storage-format.
Using pixels, identical in both size and count, an elliptical screen will be almost 13% larger in both height and width than a comparable rectangular display. A 32" rectangular TV's worth of pixels is equivalent to a 36" elliptical TV.
main index


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UPDATE: Run-off water from Weaber Lumber fire causes fish kill
More than 1 million gallons of water were used to douse flames
The run-off from the water used to put out Sunday morning's fire at Weaber saw mill is dissipating in area tributaries as the natural flow and Monday night's heavy rain dilute it, according to a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection spokesman.
"This is something you would expect from using a large amount of water to battle a blaze," said John Repetz on Tuesday afternoon. "The conditions are improving as part of the natural dissolution process, with the amount of run-off decreasing and the natural water flow."
Based on reports from county hazmat and DEP officials at the scene, Repertz said about two dozen fish could be seen floating in the water Sunday night and two more were found Monday.
The cause of the fire which started in kiln building has still not been determined.
Reported earlier
More than one million gallons of water used to put out a fire early Sunday at Weaber Lumber in South Annville Township polluted a downstream tributary, leading to a fish kill that was discovered Sunday evening.
The Lebanon County Hazardous Materials Team was dispatched to the 1600 block of Meadow Lane at 8:15 p.m. to investigate the water in nearby Gingrich Run. That is roughly three miles downstream from Weaber's saw mill on Mount Wilson Road.
"We were called because the creek was discolored and there was a fishkill," said HazMat Chief Gary Verna. "We were able to trace it back to Weabers. When you use that amount of water, what was it 1.2 million gallons, on top of a mountain, it is going to go somewhere."
Verna didn't have an estimate on how many fish were killed, other than that there were many of them floating in the water.
Verna said he contacted Weaber about possible chemicals being in the run-off and was told they do not use chemicals.
"I think it was just a by-product of the combustion. When you get contaminated water like that it is going to take a lot of oxygen out of the water," he said. "Combustion can be very toxic."
More:More than 30 departments fight massive overnight fire at Weaber's Saw Mill
Verna said he contacted both the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Emergency Agency for assistance after observing the fish kill.
The water from Gingrich Run flows into Killinger Creek to Quittapahilla Creek and eventually to the Swatara Creek, Verna said.
When DEP officials arrived, it was decided that a dam should be built to contain the water.
"We built a dam at the direction of DEP to stop the flow. Then the on-call DEP official arrived on the scene and he and I investigated the different creeks throughout the area to try to determine where the clearness was versus where it started to look contaminated," Verna said.
At that point a decision to flush the creek was made, and tankers from Lawn, Mt. Gretna and Bellegrove fire companies were called in about 10 p.m. to dump non-chlorinated water into the creek.
"We tried to dilute to no avail. But it didn't have any harmful effect or make anything worse," Verna said.
Verna said he was working on Monday with DEP officials who are in charge of the investigation. Water users that pull from the waterways, including water companies in Dauphin County, have been alerted, he said.
"It is in DEP hands now," he said. "They are doing some water testing and sampling and trying to determine a best course of action to prevent it from going any further."
Attempts to reach DEP were unsuccessful.
A call to Weaber Lumber also was not returned.