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Sun, May. 31st, 2009, 10:13 pm
Kite wind power






Mon, Jun. 1st, 2009 07:30 am (UTC) Friendly Physics

Good questions for thermodynamics. The longer (less obstructed) the wind, the colder it blows. Our wind is between 3 and 35 m/s. In Europe there are most winds during the winter year when also demand for energy is highest. In any given year the wind energy resources may vary ± 20 %.
There's project I update about all forms of clean energy,
It computes with velocity for a vector and speed for a number. Flow and flux are 2 measures to distinguish and our basic Boyle's pV=nRT. Relative motion, Navier-Stokes unsolved equations and the Lorentz diffractor are open wind power related research I newly updated
best wishes
Niklasr (quantum version

Mon, Jun. 1st, 2009 08:05 am (UTC)

Simpler question: How do you generate power from a kite? Remember that force isn't power until it's multiplied by distance — a static system can't generate power.

Mon, Jun. 1st, 2009 05:24 pm (UTC)

I had always assumed the kite was just a platform where you would mount turbines that would generate the actual power. Then the power is transmitted down the wire that is used to hold up the kite. So that says to me you are look at the weight of a long cable.

Mon, Jun. 1st, 2009 06:02 pm (UTC)

Having a generator mounted on the kite is in my lunatic ideas category.

Mon, Jun. 1st, 2009 06:01 pm (UTC)

That's the thing which I have an idea for. Here's a hint: Think about how funiculars work.

Mon, Jun. 1st, 2009 06:13 pm (UTC)

So you have 2 (or N) kites on a large loop with the generator on the ground? Then the kites that are ascending are fully deployed for maximal lift and the descending kites are flown to have no lift and just stay stable as they are pulled down to the ground.

Neat picture, perhaps with the kites on short cables of the main loop so they never actually "land" and don't interfere with the pulleys on the generator.

Mon, Jun. 1st, 2009 06:33 pm (UTC)

Basically yeah, but having them go in a loop is dubious. Far better to just have two and alternate which is going up.

Mon, Jun. 1st, 2009 06:39 pm (UTC)

Indeed, nice idea
(Deleted comment)

Tue, Jun. 2nd, 2009 07:02 am (UTC)

These people are, on some level, building exactly that. They claim 20-30% reduction in fuel use. Which is not cruising the oceans for free, but is pretty significant nonetheless.

Tue, Jun. 30th, 2009 07:38 am (UTC)

Not the windiest place on Earth, but the windiest city is purported to be Wellington, New Zealand with an annual mean wind velocity of 22 kph. (FWIW. I know that's not everything you asked for, but it may be a useful data point.)

Sun, Jan. 3rd, 2010 08:23 am (UTC)
patrickfinger12: Kite Power

It is true that wind power from kites is tough to sustain. Makani has been attempting this for a while.

The generators and the kites themselves aren't that hard. And having the generator in the kite is not as bad as it sounds. The generator can also reverse into an engine to keep the kite in the air if the wind dies down a bit.

The control systems can fairly easily easily counter for any line slop and kite imperfections.

The bigger problem is that the materials just don't have the durability to stay flying under stress for too long (only a couple thousand hours).