China has successfully deployed the world's largest power-generating kite, capable of harnessing the potential of energy-dense, high-altitude winds to provide cheaper power than traditional surface turbines.

China has successfully deployed the world’s largest power-generating kite, capable of harnessing the potential of energy-dense, high-altitude winds to provide cheaper power than traditional surface turbines

The 5,000 square-metre high-altitude wind power capture kite was unfurled at a test site at Alxa Left Banner in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Wednesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

  • humanspiral@lemmy.ca
    5·
    23 hours ago

    Not the usual power kite design which is more “air wing sail” shaped instead of parachute shaped. Use of helium balloon would make it less susceptible to fall to ground in wind lull.

    Kites tend to make electrical power by changes in tension rather than tension. The air wing allows a cycle of power and depower movements to drive a motor. I don’t get how a parachute can do the same, though this would be good for boat propulsion.

    • pageflight@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      22 hours ago

      Similar kite systems are being developed elsewhere in the world, including by the Dutch start-up Kitepower, whose kites are flown in continuous cycles of figure-eight patterns to produce energy at the ground station to which they are tethered.

      https://thekitepower.com/the-hawk/