Posted 12.17.2010 at 4:02 pm
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TWind Airborne Turbine Concept
TWind, an Italian concept for a tethered airborne wind turbine.
Wikipedia
Future airborne wind turbines could spin with greater gusto in the faster winds found at high altitudes, and send power back to Earth via nanotube tether cables. Swarms of energy-harvesting kites, whirling blimps or balloons could stay aloft for a year, and could be reeled in during storms or for maintenance.
This vision, outlined by a researcher at NASA, recently sparked the first federally funded research effort into airborne wind farms. In a bureaucratic infinite loop you just have to love, it’s a study of what it would take to actually study the value of these ideas.
NASA aerospace engineer Mark Moore says it’s worth examining how flying wind farms would work, and how tethered turbines would affect airspace, for instance. Each wind turbine could have a two-mile protected no-fly zone, causing headaches for airliners and unmanned aircraft of the future. But, while it could cause air traffic jams, an airborne farm would not take up any ground resources or cause any pollution, Moore points out.
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Technology, Rebecca Boyle, airborne wind turbines, AIRSHIP, nasa, wind energy, wind power, wind turbinesOffshore flying wind farms would present the fewest airspace problems, but then you would have to bring the energy from the ocean to power plants on land. In other words, it’s a big research problem. Several small companies are studying the concept, like the Italian startup TWIND, which proposes a pair of tethered balloons flying at 2,600 feet. Each balloon has a sail, creating an antagonistic relationship — the balloon with an open sail moves downwind and draws the other balloon upwind, and then the motion reverses. The sails’ movement is transmitted to the ground via the tether, and it can be used to spin a turbine to generate electricity.
But Moore says flying wind turbines involve so many factors — technology, geography, competition for airspace — that the federal government should assume a greater role.
“We’re trying to create a level playing field of understanding, where all of the concepts and approaches can be compared,” he said.
Moore will use $100,000 in federal funds to complete his pre-study study.
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isn't it square of the velocity?
"In a bureaucratic infinite loop you just have to love, it’s a study of what it would take to actually study the value of these ideas."
@Rebecca:
Why the gratutious snide remark, about the process? It's obvious that you've never planned a major technical study. What would you have NASA do? Just start running madly off in all directions? If this technology proves viable, many billions or even trillions of dollars could be involved, in a full implementation. There would be lots of expensive research involved, at every step -- that would be big science, or big tech. It would make no sense whatsoever, to proceed to do that research (study) without a research plan.
Boy what publishers do when they hear the word of NASA, most ideas NASA has came from somewhere else. This one is not different they steal ideas from industry call it your own and market it as NASA, that is there trademark...
Ron Bennett
What kind of freeware did TWIND use to make that concept drawing?
Looks like they'll need to manufacture a couple 250' long nails to anchor those balloons.
The wind would tangle them up into a mess just like congress!
Idiot idea unless they used up a heck of a lot of real estate which wouldn't be cost effective or smart.
Dumbest idea I ever heard of.
How many birds will have their wings sliced off by the cables? This is a problem already with birds flying into tower cables. Will aircraft no-fly zones have to be enforced? At what altitudes would the wind machines be located? How far apart do they have to be to not become entangled?
@kurmugn those are some really good questions. going to play devils advocate to maybe get some discussion going.
this may kill plenty of birds but it may save many more in the long run from not poisoning the atmosphere.
I wouldnt worry too much about airplanes and no fly zone. Airplane fill VERY little of the sky. I beige airplanes all over the world fly over the same air paths. This takes up probably less than 1% of the sky.
its like the astroid belt. it looks really crowed up there. but they are actually EXTREMELY far apart.
Just a measly $100K to study a study(not a typo) about a potential infinite source of energy, just as soon as we can create unobtanium (Carbon nanotube ropes). I mean it is only tax payer money. What a joke. Why not put 100K into making the carbon nanotube ropes, which are as elusive as cold fusion.
Hey I have an idea you give me 250K and I will write a study about a study about a study on how to create a study to make carbon nanotube ropes.That is like 3 mores studies and would be a deal right!
I expect future air ships to use high altitude air power. Big air ships ...not the toys available today.
I love the bird kill argument. If we want to stop bird kills start with the real killers Domestic Cats, and Cars..... we all know that will not happen, right so the soft target is wind.
Also
"In a bureaucratic infinite loop you just have to love, it’s a study of what it would take to actually study the value of these ideas."
Spend $100,000 on technology that already exist and it would cost less than $30,000 to buy ( maggen 5K I believe) . Less than $50,000 you test the concept with a production unit and see if any AIRBORNE is viable. TIMIAS you are absolutely 100% right.