IVCC wind turbine course to begin Jan. 12

Wind Turbine Control and Maintenance will be offered at Illinois Valley Community College beginning Jan. 12.

Students in the 5 p.m. Thursday course (WND 2200) will learn electrical, hydraulics, computer control, blueprint and schematic reading and hands-on troubleshooting, said instructor Steve Malavolti.

“Students will learn the basic wind turbine system and how to troubleshoot potential problems,” Malavolti said.

The course will take students through Amatrol learning system machines including:

• Hub Learning System to control blade pitch or blade deflection to capture wind.
• Turbine Control Unit (TCU), “the brains” that position the turbine into the wind or change the direction or “yaw.”
• Generator Control Unit (GCU) used to convert DC power to AC and transfer power generated by the turbine to the power grid.

Malavolti has taught part-time at IVCC for 15 years. A Hennepin native, he retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years including 15 as a Master Training Specialist. He is the owner of Industrial Semiconductor, Inc., in Peru.

Enroll in admissions (CTC101) or call 815-224-0447. For information on the 4-credit Wind Turbine course, contact Dean of Workforce Development Shane Lange at 815-224-0219 or shane_lange@ivcc.edu.