STEM video, STEM is a prototipe of a first Kitegen. The video show the plant with a kite on air.

http://nova.ilsole24ore.com/nova24ora/2009/07/aquiloni-energetici.html

maybe you can get a comprehensible translation with

http://translate.google.com

or

http://babelfish.altavista.com

http://nova.ilsole24ore.com/nova24ora/2009/07/aquiloni-energetici.html

maybe you can get a comprehensible translation with

http://translate.google.com

or

http://babelfish.altavista.com

Theoildrum has a much more in depth look at this project (http://europe.theoildrum.com/node/5538) with some info directly from the prototype run and the developers in the partII.

Quickly to address some recurring questions;

the kite can be “piloted” from the ground mechanically (by the guy-lines) and monitored by computer (unmanned) to find good wind.

When the spool has run-out, the kite is ‘lufted’ and reeled in under far less energy output than what is generated during the ‘pull’ phase (in fact something like an electric motor and regenerative braking-like-system with ultra-capacitors could be employed to power the ‘rewind’ phase).

When the kite has been retracted down to perhaps 600 feet elev. the kite is re-opened to catch the wind and the process begins again.

The ground based generator and control computer can be set up to run more than a single kite, perhaps as many as 5-10 kites computer controlled pulling a line of generators for a constant power output (remember they are computer guided, so twisted lines might not prove to be the problem one would think).

During storm conditions that might damage the air-born assembly, the kite and guy-lines can be completely reeled into a long rigid pole based at the gen.station for protection (pictured in the mock-up). When the winds come down to operation range re-deployment is added by computer controlled fans (pictured) which re-lift the kites the short distance needed to get them high enough for wind power to begin working again.

The guy-lines will most likely be made of Dacron, and longevity testing is a part of the solution phase of this idea being brought to market. Try having a look in google for “heavy kites” to see just how much weight this line can handle and how advanced the state of materials and construction is for kites now-a-days.

Likewise the kite will be fabric and therefore very lightweight “falling to earth” isn’t much of a concern.

Hope these answers have been helpful and drives some interest into thinking of how we can solve the problem of Energy Return On Energy Invested (EROEI) which really is the crux of our situation.

Theoildrum has a much more in depth look at this project (http://europe.theoildrum.com/node/5538) with some info directly from the prototype run and the developers in the partII.

Quickly to address some recurring questions;

the kite can be “piloted” from the ground mechanically (by the guy-lines) and monitored by computer (unmanned) to find good wind.

When the spool has run-out, the kite is ‘lufted’ and reeled in under far less energy output than what is generated during the ‘pull’ phase (in fact something like an electric motor and regenerative braking-like-system with ultra-capacitors could be employed to power the ‘rewind’ phase).

When the kite has been retracted down to perhaps 600 feet elev. the kite is re-opened to catch the wind and the process begins again.

The ground based generator and control computer can be set up to run more than a single kite, perhaps as many as 5-10 kites computer controlled pulling a line of generators for a constant power output (remember they are computer guided, so twisted lines might not prove to be the problem one would think).

During storm conditions that might damage the air-born assembly, the kite and guy-lines can be completely reeled into a long rigid pole based at the gen.station for protection (pictured in the mock-up). When the winds come down to operation range re-deployment is added by computer controlled fans (pictured) which re-lift the kites the short distance needed to get them high enough for wind power to begin working again.

The guy-lines will most likely be made of Dacron, and longevity testing is a part of the solution phase of this idea being brought to market. Try having a look in google for “heavy kites” to see just how much weight this line can handle and how advanced the state of materials and construction is for kites now-a-days.

Likewise the kite will be fabric and therefore very lightweight “falling to earth” isn’t much of a concern.

Hope these answers have been helpful and drives some interest into thinking of how we can solve the problem of Energy Return On Energy Invested (EROEI) which really is the crux of our situation.

And how many reel-in reel-out cycles will the strings/cables/wires withstand before they need replacement?

I don’t know. I would think overall the total efficiency isn’t that great.

And how many reel-in reel-out cycles will the strings/cables/wires withstand before they need replacement?

I don’t know. I would think overall the total efficiency isn’t that great.

As I pointed out, the first test will be in the future.

In general, if until I find the trustworthy hard numbers that some of these lone inventor geniuses can produce, like this guy who came up with another completely new form of energy: from hydrothermal vents…

http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/04/mining-hydrothermal-vents-for-renewable-electricity-drinking-water-valuable-minerals/

…I don’t pass them along generally.

(For what it’s worth there is mention of “40 kilowatts” in Pop Sci, but at the site that’s not explained…(per yoyo move?) And that’s not much power. I once estimated a church-cum-community center that needed a 35 KW solar power system to supply its needs. 40 KW would only supply about 7 or 8 households.)

So I stick to understanding and passing on just the concept, which in some cases, like this one, is quite a different idea from “the headlines” which did not make it clear that this is a new form of wind power, harnessing the unspooling yo-yo motion each time.

My first two questions were

(1) how do you manage a rewind that doesn’t consume all or almost all of the power generated in the unwind phase; and

(2) I can imagine what happens if there is a wind lull – but a relaunch seems like it would take more energy than is produced, plus excessive unscheduled manpower and/or equipment [who’s going to run with the kite to get it relaunched?- sorry, that just slipped out].

My first two questions were

(1) how do you manage a rewind that doesn’t consume all or almost all of the power generated in the unwind phase; and

(2) I can imagine what happens if there is a wind lull – but a relaunch seems like it would take more energy than is produced, plus excessive unscheduled manpower and/or equipment [who’s going to run with the kite to get it relaunched?- sorry, that just slipped out].

There’s a link to the company’s website and to the original article in Popular Science … if you’re that interested, take some initiative and read up on it. The folks at CleanTechnica are just passing on the headlines.

There’s a link to the company’s website and to the original article in Popular Science … if you’re that interested, take some initiative and read up on it. The folks at CleanTechnica are just passing on the headlines.