Claudia Elizabeth Brunner

Claudia Elizabeth Brunner is the Head of the Max Planck Research Group on "Turbulence and Wind Energy" at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization in Göttingen, Germany. She leads an independent research group investigating the fundamental fluid dynamics of wind power generation, combining laboratory experiments and field measurements to optimize wind energy from blade scale to farm scale.

Her research focuses on:

• Wind turbine wakes and turbine-turbine interactions in wind farms
• Dynamic stall phenomena on wind turbine blades
• Reynolds number effects on wind turbine performance
• Thermal boundary layer effects on wind turbine wakes
• Representation of renewable energy in integrated assessment models

Dr. Brunner utilizes the Variable Density Turbulence Tunnel (VDTT), a specialized facility that uses compressed gas to accurately reproduce atmospheric flow physics at small scale. Her work bridges laboratory experiments and field measurements to address the large scale separation challenge in wind farm studies.

Her scientific contributions demonstrate consistent focus on wind energy fluid dynamics, with publications examining dynamic stall phenomena, Reynolds number effects, and atmospheric flow measurements. These studies provide insights into turbine performance optimization and wind farm design.

She has received significant recognition including:

• Minerva Fast Track Fellowship from the Max Planck Society (2023)
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
• Science, Technology and Environmental Policy Fellowship from Princeton University

Dr. Brunner mentors a diverse research team including PhD student Lorenn Le Turnier, postdoctoral scientists Dr. Yuna Hattori and Dr. Hyunseok Kim, master's students Mano Grunwald and Son Bien, and Princeton University interns. Her group collaborates with researchers at University of Oldenburg, TU Delft, Politecnico di Milano, and Princeton University.