Airborne Wind Turbine

[ylexot]

http://www.popsci.com/science/articl...stronger-winds

The AWT is actually designed to go much higher, up to 1,000 feet or more where winds are stronger and more consistent. Once up there, it can remain in place for extended periods of time, sending power back to the ground via its tethering cables. It hasn’t completed full testing yet, but its portable and rapidly deployable nature seems well suited to needs ranging from military to humanitarian to the simple need for a quick, temporary source of relatively consistent power anywhere off the grid.

This is a pretty neat concept.

[rhenderson]

As height at which it is used is increased there will be an increase in the expanse of the tether points on the ground.
if ground tether points are not dispersed sufficiently a change in wind direction could cause the entire device to rotate, twisting the tethers and making retrieval difficult.

Also, at some point this device will require alert lights for aviation saftey - same as towers - especially along the tethers. Also, there is the issue of just how strong of a wind can it withstand? Stronger tethers to with stand stronger winds will add weight.

[Merlin99 (Premo)]

I wonder how they're planning on getting the juice back to sea level?

[dustin]

Originally Posted by Merlin99

I wonder how they're planning on getting the juice back to sea level?

via the tethering cables...

i think it has lots of potential... great idea!

[StadEMS3]

Way cool! I was stationed at Loring AFB back in the day. Right there in that Arch Hanger! Wow, I miss that place!

[Merlin99 (Premo)]

Originally Posted by dustin

via the tethering cables...

i think it has lots of potential... great idea!

That tethering cable is gioing to be the choke point then, if the try to send any signifigant amount of power down it, it's going to turn into a fusible link. If they try to increase the wire guage to get by this issue then they increase the weight of the cable to the point that the balloon won't be able to carry it up.

[GWguy]

Originally Posted by Merlin99

That tethering cable is gioing to be the choke point then, if the try to send any signifigant amount of power down it, it's going to turn into a fusible link. If they try to increase the wire guage to get by this issue then they increase the weight of the cable to the point that the balloon won't be able to carry it up.

Well, since it has already flown and proven, that's probably not much to get excited about.

[Merlin99 (Premo)]

Originally Posted by GWguy

Well, since it has already flown and proven, that's probably not much to get excited about.

I never saw, how many watts made it to the ground?

[GWguy]

Originally Posted by Merlin99

I never saw, how many watts made it to the ground?

dunno... didn't see that.

It doesn't have to be high current. I'd like to think they were smart about this and use A/C current at a higher voltage, not unlike the miles of transmission lines to your house. Smaller, lighter cables.

I gather it's purpose is to charge batteries, and you don't need high current to do that.