Why kites could be the next big thing for wind power
High up in the sky we find gigantic resources of energy which are untapped so far. How can we harvest these hidden and never-ending resources? Companies are racing to exploit the potential of this high-altitude wind power.
Credits:
Reporter: Tim Schauenberg
Video Editor: Frederik Willmann
Supervising Editor: Malte Rower-Kahlmann
We're destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn't need to be this way. Our new channel Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world - and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What we can do and how the system needs to change. Every Friday we'll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.
#PlanetA #airborne #windenergy
Read more:
Basic concepts and physics of Airborne Wind Energy:
homes.esat.kuleuven.be/~highw...
Assessment of viability of AWE in the U.S by the Department of Energy:
www.energy.gov/sites/default/...
Industry Report on the potential of offshore wind energy globally as well as high altitude winds:
IRENA_G20_Offshore_Renewables_2021-1.pdf
Chapters
00:00 Intro
0:53 High Altitude Winds?
2:34 The sky is not the limit
3:57 Google is taking over - and fails
6:13 Projects that work
9:16 Still the next mega market?
Пікірлер: 303
How could airborne wind power be applied in your region?
@Dominucastro47
Жыл бұрын
Dune
@SirusStarTV
Жыл бұрын
There's a lot of wind here
@leponpon6935
Жыл бұрын
Plenty....wait a minute, where's Adam?
@WiwatChang
Жыл бұрын
I live in one of the densest wind turbine areas in Thailand - airborne could be an add-on to existing turbines if we can figure out how to make it take off and land automatically and safely
@leponpon6935
Жыл бұрын
@@WiwatChang 🙏, yes, and also when it's clear of air traffic
I'm from Canada. In our far north, there are many communities relying on diesel generators for their power needs. I see this technology as something which could possibly be a game-changer for them. Thank you for the work that you do!
@asgeirlno5956
Жыл бұрын
Any canadian powercompanies specializing in these remote communities? askin for Kitemill
@blackpanthar906
Жыл бұрын
It can never be as robust or dependable as diesel or fuel.
@janvanderpluym6111
Жыл бұрын
AnITHER FROZEN bRain canuck
@samuelmullen5823
10 ай бұрын
@@blackpanthar906and that is why batteries were invented
@blackpanthar906
10 ай бұрын
@@samuelmullen5823 Batteries also require fuel for be manufactured, they are not robust. That's the main drawback of batteries because you need power to charge them, in 3 years all batteries become useless, their performace drops 80 to 90%. Then we have weather that plays vital role in a batteries life and performance. It needs adequate temperature, freezing cold can decrease battery output by upto 40% and too hot surroundings can decrease a battery's life significantly.
One little detail is the tether that connects the kite to the ground. In the case of Makani, it forced a spacing between kites twice the length of the tether. That reduced the density of a kite farm to a level where it could have been competitive only in very remote areas. The tether moved so fast that not only it was unsafe to put kites near each other, but also roads and people, per FAA authorizations. Mixed farming and wind use, typical of wind power plants, was not possible. I am not sure how that limitation generalizes to other kite-based technologies.
@elietedarce1266
10 ай бұрын
Yes, it moves around a way too large are, so even producing energy to 500 homes it would be a problem. What about the heliun baloom with wind turbine? With 3 cables the baloom would be around a relative small space.
Been discussing something similar online recently in connection with the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Was watching the aid convoys of diesel trucks and wondering aloud about how that works in a zero emission world. But if some of the aid are huge battery trailers and some form of deployable solar and wind turbines, almost certainly as good as now. And once the immediate aid issues are resolved, the system can be left deployed as a local power station during reconstruction. For this part of disaster relief. This technology is going to be extremely important
@RDJ2
Жыл бұрын
"how that works in a zero emission world" It doesn't. Nothing works in a zero emission world.
@alana8863
Жыл бұрын
@@RDJ2 A net zero world works, though.
@michaeljames5936
Жыл бұрын
This idea is being mostly researched by,... the US Military! They are working on electric tanks, APCs etc. The great advantage is the lack of a fuel supply line, they take a piece of ground and secure it and it becomes a constant fuel pump. The amount of fuel military vehicles use if enormous and keeping forward units supplied with that fuel can be a logistical nightmare. I'd much prefer to see it powering hospitals, but the idea is taken very seriously by a lot of serious people.
@michaeljames5936
Жыл бұрын
@@RDJ2 True that, but a NET-zero emission world could be a paradise compared to the polluted, dying Hell-hole we are currently living in and creating.
This looks like a really promising technology for off grid locations, quick and easy to install, with little supporting infrastructure required. One to watch.
It's probably the kind of thing where there will be a niche demand. For example, for temporary isolated facilities that need temporary wind power, and are isolated enough that there is no plane traffic.
These seem like potentially cool ways to solve the intermittency problems with wind, but let’s not forget that intermittency is not actually a CURRENT issue. On shore and offshore wind already produce plenty of electricity for a low enough cost that we could take 50% or more of our natural gas and coal fired power plants off line. This would be huge for saving us loads of money and solving lots of health issues. These are solutions for how we might get rid of the final 20-30% of fossil fuel facilities. Important to consider, but not a good enough reason to delay installing our current tech.
@tomkelly8827
Жыл бұрын
No this will not prevent a single power plant from needing to be built, the gas and coal plants are still needed but it can reduce their fuel consumption when it is windy as long as the grid prioritizes wind energy over coal or natural gas when given the option.
@rzpogi
Жыл бұрын
Only nuclear can eliminate the last 20%-30% fossil fuel usage. The reason is reliability issues. While wind and solar are already able to provide our electricity needs, they are not reliable sources of energy. Wind can't produce power without wind or during storms. Solar doesn't either during storms or at night. No, batteries are just a band-aid solution to the reliability problem. Fossil fuels and nuclear can work through the night, during storms, and though the night.
@asgeirlno5956
Жыл бұрын
@@tomkelly8827 I do think you are wrong - this tech will have availability around 70 %
@blackpanthar906
Жыл бұрын
@@rzpogi Exactly these are not robust solutions. But even Nuclear can't replace fossil fuels in my opinion, even if you achieve fusion plants it's a very bad idea to put fossil fuels offline. A good reason could be the ever risk of war, conflict, civil war and riots in human society. Even if you have fusion power you still need something to store the energy so you can use it in emergency. Thus you need batteries, and in order to manufacture batteries you again need fossil fuels. So it wouldn't make much sense to put something to readily available and instant source of energy to rest completely. Military will still use fossil fuels even if civilians don't and the reason is simple as I explained above. Airlines will still use fossil fuels most likely.
@wincoffin7985
Жыл бұрын
@@blackpanthar906 Fuel, maybe so -- but it doesn't have to be Fossil fuel. Renewables can generate the power to extract hydrogen from the atmosphere, whether used to make methane or used directly.
Mind blowing innnovation, i hope this gets to mass production soon, i see plenty of uses it can have in many countries and places.
Wait until I explain solar punk to you
@SamuelKissinger
Жыл бұрын
Yo yes I loved the idea of solar punk, it's like one of my favorite artistic styles to draw from! ☀️
@Whayles
Жыл бұрын
Yeah very solar punk!
@NazriB
Жыл бұрын
Lies again? Mother Goose Mother Lover
@andrewreynolds912
9 ай бұрын
I already know what that is. I saw the balloon wind turbine, and omg, it's litterly solar punk
Way better than current wind technology
Very informative to think out of box, Noble work
fantastic . thank you very much .
It makes more sense to use lighter-than-air craft than to use kites/gliders given lift requirements to keep a turbine generator afloat. The reel-style kite generator is also quite impressive given its simplicity.
Mega explainer, I was so curious to get to know more about the development of kite generators 💚
@DWPlanetA
Жыл бұрын
Hi Steffen, we're glad to hear it was helpful! 🪁
Absolutely Splendid video!
Mind-Blowing Innovation
I had this same idea some time ago to use relatively cheap traction kites with simple machine vision management. Its primary virtue is that it is very cheap to deploy. Getting tens of thousands of feet up into jet streams is much more difficult.
I remember this in a Popular Science article more than a decade ago. Even predicted kite tugs.
Awesome 👏
This is a great video as it reminded me of a technology that I’ve learned about many years ago. The kite energy can be very useful!
So cool!!
my favorite show , once a week is not enough , make more.
Its an excellent innovation that should be pursued.
To me, it sounds like a great idea. It also a pretty "scalable" one, in the sense that it can be done with relatively low tech as much as with high-tech. The dangers associated, at least, with the kite variety, are low, a falling kite won't do too much damage, a falling cable could, but I don't think all too much. Birds are mart enough to avoid these, and they move too slowly and don't possess enough mass as to become a danger in a collision. And they use much less resources than bigger turbines. A tad amateurish, I have to say, but I understand these are prototypes and proofs of concept. I am also concerned by these things tangling cables if they are placed in dense farms, this may reduce their practicality for regions that don't have wide open spaces or shallow and accessible coasts to build kite-farms. But it's another sound option, rough around the edges, but an option that could perfectly carve a decent niche for itself in the market.
@whatsupbudbud
Жыл бұрын
Kites have enormous power and can get even more if they get into a kite loop. The kite itself becomes a hard object moving at fast velocity and the ropes become razors. They can also wrap around each other easily, so would need to be spaced apart by a wide angle, the space being proportional to the length of the lines. A lot of power up there though. :)
Good info..
Amazing innovation
A fantastic idea! 🎉
I spend a lot of time in a place where people use kites for surfing. It's a great spot with a very stable wind here, but even a very experienced surfer will tell you that the power of the kite is not very stable and hard to predict, and it definitely needs managing. You don't just let it fly and it pulls you, you control it all the time. But yes, kites can be surprisingly powerful. A 7 square m one can lift an adult man into the air, few metres above water, if used correctly in strong wind. Generally, this looks like a great idea, but I doubt it would be applicable everywhere: you need some pretty specific conditions for it to be reliable and safe. You would also need some pretty skilled operators to work with those kites and ensure that they are flying at the right altitude and generating enough power, and not falling to the ground if the wind is low, or flying away if it's too strong. And you can't have smth like this in a densely built area, where the strap tying it to the power station can risk tangling and falling onto smth, and then ripping.
Very good and challenging work. I expect it will be a component of new energy in many regions. Look out for the solutions of today, can be the problems of tomorrow. Caution!
Brilliant I love this I live off grid
Amazing
Very exciting
Great video about a topic not covered often. And Tim is really cute :-)
Hope they get this working soon I'm looking at replacing the panels on the roof be much cheaper replacing a kite
Very promising.
I have been looking at this from a much more aggressive stance. I am looking at the tethered, unmanned concept. Think the Goodyear blimp without human occupants. Think tons of lift available. Think several hundred grouped array vertical turbine designs that compress air, not generate electricity. Think energy storage in the form of compressed air. Think compressed air as the guaranteed access to electricity, even if for weather or maintenance requirements call for bringing the blimp and all its generator arrays to ground for service. Now, this is the most important development here. This equipment would be locally owned and operated by the local government. Which means profiting is forbidden. The price of electricity would drop by 95% permanently. I need investors.
What's the unit of "one household" in kW?
Well, I hope you will touch on the possible effects on air travel.
looks too complicated but promising, wind must evolve, thank you for telling people about it
@asgeirlno5956
Жыл бұрын
but it is easier than autonomous cars. no corners, no pedestrians, no dogs (though birds....)
@TheDestillers
Жыл бұрын
Does it? A string gets pulled and turns a turbine, I was thinking the appeal is in how simple it is. Perhaps the complications revolve around programming a computer that can set it up and take it down at the opportune moments, but i think the technology to do that exists already
This sounds like a great and SIMPLE solution. Forget 500 houses. Give me 1 for my house!!!! I'll fly it 100m and that's enough for me
Zeus: Are my lightning bolts ready? The Cyclopes: Yes, sir.
So f***ing interesting!
The music is so loud, the production quality really misses out because of it..
i believe our engineers will certainly crack this impasse
I wonder if something like this could be used to create power from ocean currents? Same idea but just under water where currents are more steady and predictable
@DWPlanetA
Жыл бұрын
Hi Tom, great point! We've done a video on tidal energy before, you can view it here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/Y2FmttuEobOeZNI.html - let us know your thoughts in the comment section 😊
@asgeirlno5956
Жыл бұрын
Minesto around 11.20 in the link below or above is the closest thing - we call them the Kitemill below the sea 😎
@jacksonmagas9698
Жыл бұрын
The downside of bringing it under water is that tge environment is much harsher, with the corrosion from seawater and the higher max force to withstand
1:20 What is causing that vortex between Iceland and Greenland?
@DWPlanetA
Жыл бұрын
Good eye! That's the polar vortex. It's formed by low pressure and cold air in the Arctic and occurs naturally, although climate change could make it expand to more southern latitudes. Here's a more in-depth explanation from NOAA if you want to know more: : www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/understanding-arctic-polar-vortex
Neato!
I would attach kite size of Belgium to the ground of the North Pole with an outer cosmic station .It will reflect the sun albedo effect to prevent ice melt and might give you more energy
Thank you good video. What is the LCOE? What is the cost & output of 1 kite unit Thank you.
@DWPlanetA
10 ай бұрын
Hey there! Thank you! The LCOE of airborne wind energy is expected to fall by a lot in the next years. In 2025 it is projected to be 99 and in 2050 only 15. You can find out more here 👉 power.nridigital.com/future_power_technology_feb23/airborne_wind_energy
Oh, I remember this from the early aughts, when peak oil was all the buzz. The we got shale gas (boo!) and I never heard anything again.
So far the feasible way is this: An origami-based drone kite is needed to be variable in size. The kite is pulling string from generator to generate power. Once is long enough, the kite shrinks, closing the distance, and let the generator reroll the string. After that the kite can be expanded and pull the string again. Sounds good? Please take me to your research 🎈💨💨💨
It could supplement existing power generation. The power sails do pose a potential risk to aircraft and birds.
If this works it could solve the electricity demands of the Western Cape in South Africa. Lots of wind, very little air traffic south of the country. It should be worth investigating. They desperately need solutions.
I really think we ought to be focusing on technologies that can more dramatically transform our climate problem and solve it. Fission energy seens close and would be one half of the someone. Carbon recapture technology is the other half.
good!!!!!
reminds me of big hero 6's power generators on top of sky crapers
image a plane passing by and its wings clipped or iron man getting tangled with the kite.
What is the plan to mitigate the hazard to aviation? You would need a beacon on the kite and a way to illuminate the entire cable.
@DWPlanetA
Жыл бұрын
Hey Jim! Yes, exactly. Airborne wind generators have to be lit and marked both on the tether and device. Furthermore, they would usually be installed in areas where there is no near-earth flying. There is no unified legal framework yet but it would probably also include establishing restricted areas where no flights are allowed.
It is probably ticket to immortality.
Great for the northwest coast in america.
The technology to look at is by a company called Windswept
Despite the good intentions there are ways closer to earth then high altitude wind harvesting. I see the danger of some "idiot" cutting these structures away and that causing damages or kill people. Not even talking about accidents with flights or storms caused lightnings....
0:40 Bullshit, the energy potential of geothermal is hundreds of orders of magnitudes higher than that of any wind. Usable is a different story, but even then, its likely a factor of 1000x or more.
Reminds me of San Fransokyo from big hero six
Felt like that "turbine in a blimp" idea was glossed over pretty quick...how did that one turn out?
@DWPlanetA
10 ай бұрын
Hey there! It is still a concept and not in place yet.
Is it possible to have wind harvesting planes or drones that can fly higher than normal air traffic? Maybe have a designated unpopulated area that can have them fly around all day and night in shifts to collect for the local areas. That opens up so many beneficial tech-working-with-nature opportunities. Let the wayseers see the way
@wincoffin7985
Жыл бұрын
How do you deliver the energy that it harvests? Another cable? Microwaves?
I'm really surprised you didn't use the mary popins song "lets go fly a kite"
@DWPlanetA
2 ай бұрын
Oh that is a good tune! "You can dance on the breeze Over 'ouses and trees" 🌬
A kite or sail with a bit of helium or hydrogen in it to keep it up there with a wire to the ground sounds really promising. It will need to be fixed and replaced and could be reeled in as needed. It sounds really good for off grid applications. I would love to see this become a bottom up movement in the world.
@DWPlanetA
Жыл бұрын
Hi Tom, have you seen our video on Hydrogen already? If not, you can watch it here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/c3uIzK2DeNifacY.html 🙌
@kristianpetrick
Жыл бұрын
You don't need helium or hydrogen to keep a kite in the air, it stays there with the wind. By flying cross-winds, i.e. faster than the wind, you generate the power to be turned into electricity.
At 1:41 - doesn't that formula assume the same density of air? It's less dense at altitude.
@ejjaquez9849
Жыл бұрын
i mean, yes, but no. air density isn't appreciably different a few hundred feet up.
@DownhillAllTheWay
Жыл бұрын
@@ejjaquez9849 Very true. In fact, I made a rather dumb statement. And anyway, 2^3 = 8 doesn't assume anything!
For airborne turbines, is the weight of the generator a concern? Why have I never seen the tether used as a driveshaft for a ground based generator?
@polymetric2614
8 ай бұрын
unless you had some kind of rigid tether I feel like it'd be pretty hard to transmit torque through it. i really like your thinking though.
@justinmyers6737
8 ай бұрын
@@polymetric2614 Thanks. It would definitely have to be some pretty special material. But, not sure it has to be rigid. Look at weed eaters (and there's probably better examples).
so, while the kite is up and suddenly there's no wind, the kite dives to the ground crashing the turbine to pieces
Put Technology Readiness Levels in every video to educate people! 🤩🤩🤩
But what will keep the kite from falling down if wind slows down or stops?
@DWPlanetA
Жыл бұрын
Hey there 😊 very good question! There are mechanisms that ensure safe landing in cases like these. Usually, this works with resistance in form of strong airflow, e.g. through rewinding the tether at high speed. Like this, the kite keeps flying and can then be landed. Hope this is helpful✨
The one thing you can count on in life is that anything Google starts, they will cancel soon after.
it's a fascinating idea, but: i just don't see it taking off (no pun intended). it's too many moving parts (basically all of it) and too much need for manual intervention.
I've thought about this forever and under water balloons
people do remember ...equation of turbidity is still not solved ...so if we take energy from the wind it will effect the climate
Kiteman! Hellyeah!
Here's an old American saying , Go fly a kite ! More pie in the sky. !
That's pretty cool👌
Anything is better than traditional tower windmills
What is the lifespan of the kite? I doubt the fabric can withstand the elements more than 6 months.
@DWPlanetA
Жыл бұрын
Hey there! The life span is approx the same as the life span of a wind turbine, meaning about 20-25years.
@khunbenjamin
Жыл бұрын
@@DWPlanetA That is impossible
Why they don't go to hills or mountain if there's more wind higher up.
I thought this venture failed a while ago
@EumelHugo
4 ай бұрын
Sky Sails went bancrupt. Makani has been discontinued by Google/Alphabet. To be continued ...
Why not built windmill on mountain 😮
Yes airborne wind energy is coming soon. I am starting to build the prototype that will become a commercial feasibility. Any body interested just message me.
Didn’t Ben Franklin do that with a key on the end?
3:30 First cargoship to cross the ocean with a kite? Soon we'll be back to sailing boats and cutting fuel usage by 100%.
I worry that this is going to privatise air, as with water or any common good.
Much of these designs are probably too complex to be maintained or repaired by the owner/user
earth core is so hot, we can dig and make it as a steam engine. in theory, it should work. same as this technology
@inhabitantwaps3qs803
7 ай бұрын
thats how iceland gets its power geothermal
@EumelHugo
4 ай бұрын
Ok, go on, start digging in your own garden, what's stopping you from doing so? "We can" is too abstract, you should use "I will" if you are really convinced of this idea.
music is too loud
But still works only when the weather wants to, not when needed.
Working in the energy field, honestly it looks like BS hahah
@malcolm_in_the_middle
Жыл бұрын
"Working in the energy field." What do you do in the energy field, human resources? You clearly have no idea what you're talking about.
One problem... the wind doesn't always blow. One more thing, one good, cold, freezing "polar vortex" will wipe it out.
@zperdek
Ай бұрын
Wind blows always up there. Sometimes so fast that even wind turbines has to brake to stop or they would be destroyed.
There are a lot of gaps in the information on this video. My guess is that as the kite is pulled up into the sky, it pulls on a rope/cable that turns a turbine which generates electricity. It would have been good if they explained exactly how it generates electricity. The fact that they did not, is telling. I think it’s an ingenious idea, but I don’t believe it to be practical, at least compared to offshore wind turbines of the 5 MW variety. That’s what we need. Terawatts of PV and wind power installed ASAP. Researchers like to come up with new cool ideas. That’s OK. However, we need to install things that we know will work right now. We’re going to lose the climate we need to survive if we don’t hustle a hell of a lot harder.
@DWPlanetA
Жыл бұрын
Hey there 😊 you can find the explanation starting minute 06:40. Hope this is helpful ✨
@solarwind907
Жыл бұрын
@@DWPlanetA have the manufacturer provide a power curve at different wind speeds. Give one to a national testing laboratory, such as Sandia in the United States. This is a marketing video, nothing more nothing less. Thank you.
3:31 😂
you need a battery to make it work
@malcolm_in_the_middle
Жыл бұрын
The way it's currently run, yes. There is an alternative, where you have two kites, and they fly in alternate loops. The raising of one kite powers the winding in of the other, and this setup does not require batteries.
@WagesOfDestruction
Жыл бұрын
@@malcolm_in_the_middle A storm, the kites must be brought down, how does two kites help?
@malcolm_in_the_middle
Жыл бұрын
@@WagesOfDestruction A battery is needed for normal use of the kite. You have to wind it back in so that you can release it again, which takes energy. A second kite can remove the need for a battery in this case. Regarding storms, firstly, you need to turn off turbines in storms as well, and secondly, kites can tolerate much higher wind speeds than turbines, so would be able to operate in more storms than a turbine.
These are proof of concept ideas. Doesn't mean it's possible means it will be practical.
@MrKockabilly
Жыл бұрын
It's just a matter of time. When the Wright brothers made their first "successful" flight it was just a 37-meters range (about the length of 4 or 5 adjacent houses) and duration of just 12 seconds at a speed of around 11 kms per hour.
How is the energy being produced continuously when it runs out of string to spin the turbine. Do you reel it in again. A helium balloon with a wind turbine inside is easy to understand but how is a kite producing the energy. It would only produce the energy till the string keeps spinning the turbine, right? Did I miss something?😅
@DWPlanetA
Жыл бұрын
Hey Nisanth, please check out the "read more" section for the basic concepts and physical foundations of airborne wind energy. 🙌🎐
@malcolm_in_the_middle
Жыл бұрын
The kite stores energy in a battery and uses it to reel itself in once it reaches the end of its tether. There is an alternative setup with two kites, where the second kite is released once the first reaches the end of the tether, and the energy generated is used to reel in the first kite. I'm not sure why Skysails have abandoned this approach.