[J-Rod]

I came across this today in Digg, thought it would be nice to share. Looks like an interesting twist to capturing wind power.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'H')ere's how it works: When wind hits the KiteGen, kites spring from funnels at the ends of poles. For each kite, winches release a pair of high-resistance cables to control direction and angle. The kites are not your Saturday-afternoon park variety but similar to those used for kite surfing -- light and ultra-resistant, capable of reaching an altitude of 2,000 meters.

KiteGen's core is set in motion by the twirl of the kites; the rotation activates large alternators producing current. A control system on autopilot optimizes the flight pattern to maximize the juice produced as it sails on night and day. A radar system can redirect kites within seconds in case of any interference: oncoming helicopters, for example. Or small planes or even single birds.

[gnm]

Freaky. And really complex. But who knows.... thx for the link though

-G

[Nano]

Yeah, I also love this idea still after I first saw it a year ago. It really is a great idea and I hope they find sponsors to build a life size one. But there are critical factors that cannot be solved IMO.

What happens when (not if) one or more of the kite strings comes down and isn't realed in quickly enough. Who's going to pick it up and what will that do for the price/MWh?

How are the strings brought to their operating height in the first place? I can imagine a way to do it but it seems time consuming and frought with risk (=costly).

How is the central wheel to be made? The artists impression in the website seems much too weak and flimsy considering the considerable dynamic and static forces that will be tugging at each spoke.

Anyway: asuming the above is solved (not likely) perhaps they should build a small-scale prototype with each of the kitestrings supported by a helium baloon. That should enable trouble-free operation despite the small size for as long as the helium is in de balloons and then you can certainly do some real-life testing of the control software and main structure. I think you could get a good idea of what's possible using a 20[m] drive wheel supported on a guide rail and using kite strings of 50[m] if you can find a suitable open space with a uniform, gentle breeze.

If I had the money I'd sponsor such a venture in no time but since I haven't got a cent to scratch my ass with (as we say in Holland) I guess not.

[mattduke]

Neat. Maybe too neat? It doesn't have quite the "duh" factor as the kite-pulled container ships. Maybe something could be done with kites pulling on something crankshaft-like.