Kite energy works best with higher altitudes
source: http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-09/planet-fixers-clever-innovations-greener-future
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- Skyscraper08
- added this
Italian wind energy company KiteGen Research has created a new method for gaining maximum energy from the air, by introducing a prototype kite system.
The prototype is based on findings that wind strength increases along with the altitude -- a 200-square-foot kite is sent 2,600 feet into the air, to come in contact with winds four times stronger than wind turbines would receive.
While at this height, the kite's tether unfolds, spinning the alternator it is attached to. This in turn produces as much as 40 kilowatts of energy. When the kite reaches its peak, the motors reel it in, to repeat the process.
KiteGen are currently working on a bigger system, which looks to use a 1,500-square-foot kite to generate three magewatts of energy -- the equivalent of 9,000 homes-worth of energy. KiteGen plan to complete this by 2011.
The prototype is based on findings that wind strength increases along with the altitude -- a 200-square-foot kite is sent 2,600 feet into the air, to come in contact with winds four times stronger than wind turbines would receive.
While at this height, the kite's tether unfolds, spinning the alternator it is attached to. This in turn produces as much as 40 kilowatts of energy. When the kite reaches its peak, the motors reel it in, to repeat the process.
KiteGen are currently working on a bigger system, which looks to use a 1,500-square-foot kite to generate three magewatts of energy -- the equivalent of 9,000 homes-worth of energy. KiteGen plan to complete this by 2011.
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hunzedog
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go fly a kite !
- 2 years ago
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hunzedog
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Gavinbedford
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Erm... awesome!
- 2 years ago
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Gavinbedford
