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Forum Index : Windmills : Using kites to generate electricity
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
This is a interesting idea. Basically, use kites, or flying wings, to sweep a path across the sky up in the air stream. The kites have turbines on them, driving generators and feeding the power down the tether. Anyone who has flown a stunt kite will know a kite can travel many times faster than the wind speed used to keep them up in the air. As they are flying through the air at several times the wind speed, you can use smaller, faster, turbines. http://www.ted.com/talks/saul_griffith_on_kites_as_the_futur e_of_renewable_energy.html Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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Downwind Guru  Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333 |
Well that puts a whole new meaning to telling someone to "go fly a kite" Very interesting stuff. Pete. Sometimes it just works |
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| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Glenn This isnt a new concept they where looking into it 40 years ago here in Australia. It came up when I was in college in Melbourne, they proposed to supply power across the nullabour plain by using a form of glider tethered in the jet stream, the power transmission to the ground was the main problem and also the tether cables where a hazard to aircraft. It was a ideal position as the jet stream is fairly constant on a yearly basis. The professor working on it died a few years later, and I thought his ideas died with him. His design was like a VAWT on its side so it produced its own lift, and it had small winglets on the ends to balance the lift, otherwise it would keep going forward till it lost tether and went out of control. I used some of his design in my original VAWT with his permission of course. Very interesting stuff, I wish I was 30 years younger. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
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