Altaeros Energies recently completed tests of a 35-foot scale prototype of its Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT) at the Loring Commerce Center in Limestone, Maine.
The turbine climbed 350 feet into the air, produced power at altitude, and landed, all automatically. During testing at high altitude, the AWT generated more than twice the power of a tower-mounted turbine located at a conventional tower height, according to the company.
Airborne wind turbines take advantage of winds found at altitudes over 1,000 feet, which can be up to five times stronger and more consistent than those reached by traditional tower-mounted wind turbines. The AWT uses modern inflatable materials that can lift wind turbines into more powerful winds in almost any location.
Altaeros Energies recently completed tests of a 35-ft scale prototype of its Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT) for remote locations, which will harness energy at altitudes above 1,000 feet.
(Source: Altaeros Energies)
During testing, the AWT was successfully transported and deployed into and out of the air from a towable docking trailer. It uses a platform that is easy to set up from a shipping container and is cost competitive with alternate methods. "For decades, wind turbines have required cranes and huge towers to lift a few hundred feet off the ground where winds can be slow and gusty," said Ben Glass, the turbine's inventor and Altaeros CEO, in a press release.
Fabricated jointly by Altaeros and Doyle Sailmakers, the AWT achieved several key milestones during its tests, including fully-automated operation during landing and while in the air. Altaeros adapted the AWT's automated lifting technology from aerostats, which are industrial versions of passenger blimps that are rated for surviving hurricane-level winds. Their safety features ensure that the turbine will descend slowly to the ground. Aerostats have lifted and carried heavy communications and radar equipment into the air for decades.
While aloft, the AWT's helium-filled, inflatable shell lifted a Southwest Skystream turbine in the air. It was held steady by tethers that also send electricity down to the ground. The turbine also produces power while docked.
With its first commercial product, Altaeros aims to reduce energy costs by up to 65 percent by harnessing high-altitude winds and by reducing installation time from weeks to days. The AWT is also designed to require minimal maintenance and to have virtually no noise or environmental impact. Altaeros expects the AWT will replace diesel generators and the expensive fuel that powers them at remote military and industrial sites, as well as remote villages. Eventually, the company expects to scale up the technology and broaden it to the offshore wind market to reduce costs there.
The cabling I've seen for 100+ Amp service is on the order of that I've seen for lightning protection. Remember, it is not the instananious amps, it is the integral of I^2Rdt, yes, huge I, but tiny t. -- I'm not concerned.
Aircraft are now being made of composites, so conductors must be integrated into the surface, as is needed with LTAV, too.Even aluminum aircraft have cabling strung internally to guide the strike current.
A point is that aircraft and power system designers both have to know how to deal with lightning.Tethered balloons with conductive lines to the ground go back to the 1860's at least.
At the end of the press release appears this statement: "In December 2011, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released draft guidelines allowing the new class of airborne wind systems to be sited under existing regulation." After half an hour of web searching, mostly on the FAA site (where I've successfully found draft guidelines and advisories before), I couldn't verify it. Can anyone tell us more about these guidelines and what they cover?
But aircraft are a flying Faraday shield with no direct connection to ground. Lightning strikes are mega-amps, or at least a gaggle of amps. I wonder, not being a lightning guy, if the cables can carry the mega-load and be light enough at 1000' to keep the system afloat. That's all I'm saying.
Aircraft are regularly struck by lightning.Tethered aircraft have some advantage here over free flying craft.Like church steeples, they may carry grounded lighting protection equipment. The very fact that the turbine is in the wind means it will develop significant static charge (ask Chinook ground crews). I can't imagine why the static discharge and lightning grounding function wouldn't be integrated into the power conductors, Suplimented by any designed-in structural teather metal (reenforcing steel or aluminum). Lightning protection and tolerance is already integral to both power system design and aircraft design and certification.
Too many missing details in article ..hopeless to make meaningful comment on.
It was indicated this project was intended to power remote sites.. not (at this stage) intended to compete with large wind turbines used by power companies, as implied in numerous comments.
To those making comments, please check your meaning of what you spell: (everyone makes mistakes)
Lightening... spelling used... meaning: to reduce weight (related to subject matter, but not likely intended meaning in question)
Lightning.. big electrical discharge (likely intended use) and can be addressed numerous ways on this project. Related to handling numerous storm situations (retract the system?).
That could be, Warren. We'll have to see. You're right about the value of the energy. If it's significant, someone will figure out how to fit the maintenance in. Could be these turbines that go to higher altitudes might make the energy harvesting worth the trouble.
At any rate it's a good idea simply because it aims to harvest wind in a location where there is more significant wind than near the ground. I'm also interested to see how things work out with wind harvesting out on the ocean. That's another attempt to get to stronger winds.
When you think about the Wind Farms we've seen – rows and rows of gigantic wind turbines in the Southwestern part of the country – I can imagine these things becoming commonplace in the sky – so much so that pilots would have to have them charted;(that shouldn'tbe too cumbersome of a task, considering NASA is tracking 1000's of pieces of space debris).This concept seems financially lucrative and technologically feasible.Two-Thumbs-Up.
Warren, good questions. I also wonder about the tether material and how it handles different voltage levels, as well as the whole ground system for receiving and distributing power. The company says it is looking for partners for commercialization. Perhaps once it gets past this stage we can learn more details.
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