Why is it important?

Wind power is one of the renewable sources on the Earth, which can provide enough electric power for the twenty-first century. According to the calculation form the Nature Climate Change in 2012, “that high-altitude winds could provide more than 1,800 terawatts (TW) of energy—100 times as much as today’s global power demand” (Wagner, 2014). The pollution in the environment will dramatically be reduced due to using high-altitude wind power.

 

High-altitude wind power is the wind power gathered by the technology devices at the amount of height above the surface. Airborne wind energy is wind energy generated through the use of aerodynamic or aerostatic lifting devices (Schmehl, 2016).

 

Makani kite

The Makani kite has low mass, and it will unlock the new area of the wind energy source on the sea. It means “more people around the world will have access to the clean, affordable wind power” (“Makani kites: airborne wind energy”, 2019). 

Figure 1. The airborne wind power system offshore in 2019 was successfully demonstrated. It is moving a circular motion in the sky, is perpendicular to the wind.

Figure 2. Close shot of the Makani kite. Nearly 100-foot-long, a carbon-fiber wing with turbines. (Photos ©Makani Power, 2019). 

How does it work?

We can see in Figure 1, the devices are tied by a long tether. When the wind speed reaches 3.5 meters per second, it will launch the mini aircraft’s Makani airborne wind turbine (Matylda, 2012). The energy is transferred through the tether to the electrical grid via. When the kite flies automatically in a loop, the rotor on the wing rotates as the wind passes, and the generated electricity is transmitted along the tether to the grid. In an energy-generating crosswind flight, eight rotors are rotated by the wind. Each rotor drives a permanent magnet motor/generator that generates electricity on board and sends it along the tether-eventually (“Makani News”, 2019).

 

Figure 3.1. When the kite is placed on land, it stops at the base station to stop the concrete foundation. At sea, the base station is bolted to a steel buoy.	Figure 3.2. The kite sets itself downwind and then climbs to the altitude specified by the flight controller. The hybrid motor/generator initially consumes a small amount of energy.
Figure 3.3. The kite then turns into a crosswind: flying autonomously on a circular path optimized for the maximum power generated by the flight controller.	Figure 3..4.When flying a kite, the wind rotates the rotor. This will drive the onboard generator to generate electricity, which is transmitted along the tether and into the grid. (Pictures ©Makani Power, “Makani Technology”, 2019)

The device “is capable of flying in the sky from 800 to 2,000 feet and generating 600 kW…” (Wagner, 2014). 600kW can approximately support 300+ homes in America based on Makani’s research.

 

According to High-Altitude Wind Power, Wagner said: “Even in winds…speeds that render conventional turbines worthless—the airborne turbines will be…continuing to generate power.” (Wagner, 2014). Therefore the place that does not have strong winds can also get energy from Makni airborne wind turbines.

 

Conclusion

Makani kite can shape the world differently because it uses high-altitude wind power to produce a high amount of electricity. If they can increase the size and the height of the Makani kite, it might produce the energy that can support a city. Then we can reduce the usage of fossil fuels, so the greenhouse gases will not increase higher than before.

 

Reference

Makani kites: airborne wind energy. (2019). Retrieved December 1, 2019, from 

https://makanipower.com/.

Makani Technology. (2019). Retrieved December 2, 2019, from 

https://makanipower.com/technology/.

Makani News. (2019, August 15). Retrieved December 2, 2019, from 

https://makanipower.com/news/.

Matylda. (2012, January 16). Kite-Like Turbines Harness Wind Power At Altitude. Retrieved

December 2, 2019, from https://techcrunch.com/2012/01/16/kite-like-turbines-harness-wind-power-at-altitude/.

Schmehl, Roland (2016). Airborne Wind Energy. Springer. P. xi. ISBN 978-981-10-1947-0.

Wagner, E. (2014, April 8). High-Altitude Wind Power. Retrieved December 1, 2019, from 

https://www.conservationmagazine.org/2012/12/high-altitude-wind-power/.