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Floating wind turbines could power the future

By T.K. Randall
March 30, 2014 · Comment icon

27 comments

The turbines can provide power to remote areas. Image Credit: Altaeros Energies / YouTube

A remarkable new type of wind turbine that floats in the sky could soon become a common sight worldwide.

With an appearance that bears more than a passing resemblance to a UFO, the "Buoyant Airborne Turbine" by Altaeros Energies has the potential to revolutionize energy generation in a wide variety of circumstances.

The inflatable turbine is able to take advantage of stronger winds by floating up to 2000ft off the ground, delivering power back to the ground through thick cables.

Its mobility means that it can be deployed anywhere and on short notice, providing a possible solution in disaster zones, remote towns or where power is otherwise unavailable.

Source: io9.com | Comments (27)

Tags: Wind Turbine, Power, Energy

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#18 Posted by DieChecker 10 years ago

Just check out military technology. That is where you will find it. The main problem is that scalar is not only used for this fictional zero point energy collection devices. Scalar may refer to:•Scalar (mathematics), a quantity that can multiply vectors in the context of vector spaces •Scalar (physics), a quantity that is independent of specific classes of coordinate systems •Variable (computing), or scalar, an atomic quantity that can hold only one value at a time http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalar In mathematics and physics, a scalar field associates a scalar value to every point in a space... [More]

#19 Posted by toast 10 years ago

I have to question the caliber of the engineers who designed this floating wind turbine in that they don't plan to use a more efficient and far cheaper lifting gas, i.e. hydrogen. Hydrogen would be perfectly safe far this purpose. In addition to its greater lifting potential, hydrogen is also in inexhaustible abundance on Earth. Yet the so-called engineers/designers of such aerial devices seem always to never even consider it for such a purpose and instead inevitably plan to use helium, presently producible only through nuclear fusion inside stars, as well as being a very rare element which is... [More]

#20 Posted by Calibeliever 10 years ago

I did a lot of research on Wind Turbines when I was getting my BSME like 15 years ago, so I'm not up on the current technology, but a lot of the logic is clear to me. I see a number of problems... 1) Helium - It is running out. It isn't really running out. Helium is one of the most abundant elements in the universe. We have a production problem hampered by archaic government policies. http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/med-tech/why-is-there-a-helium-shortage-10031229 2) The technology has to be scalible upward. The one in the video looks to have about a 10 foot span, which puts it ... [More]

#21 Posted by DieChecker 10 years ago

It isn't really running out. Helium is one of the most abundant elements in the universe. We have a production problem hampered by archaic government policies. http://www.popularme...ortage-10031229 I thought the only real way to "make" or collect helium is by way of natural gas and oil processing. Because it gets trapped underground and can be processed out. I don't know of any way to process helium economically from our atmosphere. We can create helium in fusion processes, but that would be cost prohibitive. For large scale use I agree, but these could be ideal for a remote area's power need... [More]

#22 Posted by regeneratia 10 years ago

The main problem is that scalar is not only used for this fictional zero point energy collection devices. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalar http://en.wikipedia....ki/Scalar_field So the problem is picking out the zero point enery "scalar" technology links/references/sites from the math and physics sites using the term in a more conventional way. Right off I saw that several of your links did not apply to exotic energy technology at all. They did too. The used the word scalar. There was one that was a interesting application in testing. I just brought in the top links. How far did you go? How... [More]

#23 Posted by regeneratia 10 years ago

#24 Posted by DieChecker 10 years ago

It makes me wonder, if matrix-like learning is 30 years away, why we are still stuck into the old ways of generating energy? We have the technology to energize the planet without fossils, and wind. Why aren't we using them? What happened to THIS invention? Could be scalar, is magnetic. From some brief google checking on Steve Mark and his TPU, I am inclinded to believe it is magnetic and that it draws the electricity by way of magnetic lines from overhead powerlines, or from the electrical lines inside the building. I lot of current can pass through a magnetic field. The technology doubtless d... [More]

#25 Posted by regeneratia 10 years ago

From some brief google checking on Steve Mark and his TPU, I am inclinded to believe it is magnetic and that it draws the electricity by way of magnetic lines from overhead powerlines, or from the electrical lines inside the building. I lot of current can pass through a magnetic field. The technology doubtless disappeared after someone bought it (I read it was the UAE) and back engineered what was going on and found it novel, but not actually to be generating electricity. It is magnetic. Are you done posting on this? It is off topic.

#26 Posted by DieChecker 10 years ago

Sure. What do you think of the flying wind turbine?

#27 Posted by toast 10 years ago

4) I wonder what the line loss of electricity over that 2000 feet of cable will be? Depends on various parameters, here an example with values that may match with the turbine: Generator output : 100KW Kabel lenght: 650 meters Wire cross section: 16mm^2 Electric tension: 5000V Power loss = 0,6KW so no problem.

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