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Explore An account for this email is already in existence, please sign in.Subscribe to our newsletterChina’s megawatt-class airborne wind power system, has completed its first flight – YouTube
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A Chinese energy company has triumphantly evaluated a prototype blimp-esque wind turbine capable of yielding energy in the sky above cities and internal areas.
The craft ascends thousands of feet into the atmosphere to utilize the unwavering wind velocities at greater elevations, which rotate the turbines and generate electricity. This is subsequently transmitted down the fastening cable to the surface below, where it can connect to the grid.
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Throughout its test run, the developers navigated the S2000 at an altitude of 6,560 feet (2,000 meters) above Sichuan Province, producing 385 kilowatt-hours of energy.
This is adequate to energize the usual U.S. dwelling for roughly 13.3 days, according to usage data furnished by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Overall, the S2000 measures 197 feet (60 m) in length, 131 feet (40 m) in height and 131 feet (40 m) in breadth, as specified by Global Times. The system is classified at 3 megawatts total energy capability.
The novel technology features a couple of prospective purposes, the creators advise. “One option involves off-grid locations such as frontier posts, where it can function as a reasonably dependable regular energy provider,” clarified Weng Hanke, CTO at Linyi Yunchuan Energy Technology, as stated by Tide News — a branch of the state-held Zhejiang Daily Press Group — via Global Times.
“The additional application involves complementing conventional ground-centered wind energy systems, establishing a three-dimensional strategy for energy provision.”
When applied to a broader degree, the method could bear transforming possibilities for nations with restricted land area for onshore wind generation, for instance many within mainland Europe, including those deficient in the shallow ocean beds demanded for offshore wind energy output, such as Japan.
Nonetheless, the dependability of the tethered cable for conveying constant energy to the grid will necessitate additional testing.
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With the exception of the most isolated rural settlements, the 1.25-mile (2,000 m) cable might embody a perilous impediment to aircraft. In the U.K., the Civil Aviation Authority obliges those aiming to maneuver tethered balloons exceeding 200 feet (60 m) to seek specific consent to bypass threatening planes utilizing airspace alongside the balloon.
Beyond its safety considerations, the S2000 will likewise require enduring demanding evaluations to assure its feasibility for secure marketable functions. Standard wind turbines necessitate periodic maintenance and the craft could demonstrate challenging and more costly repairs considering it will necessitate a ground return for each servicing.
Wind energy concentration
Wind turbines are capable of yielding greater power where the wind energy concentration — the calculation of wind energy employable at any given elevation — is at its peak. Offshore wind turbines, as an illustration, can accumulate the more intense, more consistent wind velocities over open waters.
These offshore turbines are likewise capable of being substantially bigger than their onshore counterparts, with the core of Chinese manufacturer Dongfang Electric’s DEW-26 MW-310 offshore turbine positioned at 606.9 feet (185 m). Drifting wind turbines are capable of being comparably monumental, with the tower for the newly-revealed, record surpassing drifting wind turbine from China Huaneng Group achieving 489 feet (152 m).
For instance, the average offshore wind speed judged appropriate for wind farms at 295 feet (90 m) altitude within U.S. waters is 7 meters for each second, according to the Marine Cadastre National Viewer, an internet-based data analyzer manufactured by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management.
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It’s challenging to specify the precise wind velocity at differing altitudes, since this shifts depending on region and atmospheric conditions.
The aerospace conglomerate Omnidea estimates that at altitudes oscillating between 328 and 8,200 feet (100 and 2,500 m), wind energy concentration increases by approximately a figure of six, with a median wind velocity of 33.5 mph (15 m/s) at 8,200 feet
This accentuates the prospective proficiencies to be unleashed with amplified utilization of superior-elevation wind velocities integrating tethered, airborne wind turbines such as the S2000.
TOPICSChina
Rory Bathgate
Rory Bathgate is a freelance journalist for Live Science and Features and Multimedia Editor at ITPro, supervising all in-depth content and case studies. Independent of his function for ITPro, Rory is intently absorbed in how the tech sector intersects with our battle opposing climate change. This involves an emphasis on the energy shift, notably renewable energy yield and grid storage in addition to advancements in electric vehicles and the rapid expansion of the electrification marketplace. During his leisure, Rory appreciates photography, video editing and science fiction. He commenced employment at ITPro in 2022 as a graduate, after completing an MA (Hons) in Eighteenth-Century Studies at King’s College London. You can reach Rory at [email protected].
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