China is leading the way in airborne wind energy technology to defeat conventional turbine designs with innovative floating turbine systems. Beijing SAWES Energy Technology Company has developed groundbreaking airship-like wind turbines, which promise to change the way renewable energy is generated when generating resources from previously untapped sources of wind in the atmosphere. Floating power generators are a major advancement when it comes to sustainable energy harvesting technologies.
Airborne systems are exposed to unrivalled wind speeds
The traditional wind-powered generator is subject to significant constraints as ground-level wind variations and the fact that wind is not unrestricted to wind farms in terms of height, severely restricting the amount of energy that can be generated. Classical systems have been used in altitudes of merely 656 feet above ground, where wind velocity is relatively low and varies through daily cycles.
The novel floating design allows access to high altitude wind streams that flow almost continuously at a much higher speed than surface level air currents. Extensive wind resources have been virtually untapped by more conventional renewable energy infrastructure because of engineering and economic impediments associated with the construction of very tall fixed structures.
Aircraft equipped with helium lift to adverse wind conditions at an optimal altitude that allows superior lifting energy harvesting power generation equipment to be carried. The electricity produced will be transmitted to ground stations via special cables that can transmit high voltage over a long distance (vertical) distance.
The S1500 system is designed to operate at 4,921 feet altitude
The S1500 floating turbine’s operating altitude is 4,921 feet above ground level, where wind speed moves about three times faster than at the surface. The advantage of this altitude (also referred to as vertical slice) can result in a power output up to 27 times higher than a conventional ground-based wind turbine of similar capacity.
The capacity of megawatts competes with the conventional installations.
The capacity to generate one megawatt of electrical power (MW) with the S1500 system is comparable in size to what small wind power turbines normally generate (a conventional 328-foot-tall wind turbine), while the footprint of the S1500 system is significantly smaller. This amazing power density shows the efficiency benefits of being able to access high altitude wind power resources by new and innovative airborne platforms.
Twelve micro-generators made of lightweight carbon fiber materials are operating at the same time in the system’s duct design in the center. The total floating turbine weighs much less than 2,204 pounds, which is significantly lighter than similar installations on the ground that provide the same power generation capabilities.
Technical Specifications:
- Power output: 1 megawatt
- Operational altitude: 4,921 feet
- Weight: Under 2,204 pounds
- Generator count: 12 micro-generators
- Material: Carbon fiber construction
Scalable technology demonstrated through progressive development
SAWES has been systematically pushing their floating turbine technology forward step by step, advancing in capacity with their initial S500 system, which had achieved 1,640 feet of altitude and produced 50 kilowatts. The S1000 system was later able to attain 3,280 feet at 100-kilowatt power, confirming the feasibility of airborne wind energy ideas.
Founder of the company, Dun Tianrui, looks to the future systems flying at 32,808 feet altitude where winds are 200 times stronger than at ground level. This became a revolutionary ambition of renewable power generation since it can tap the wind power in jet stream levels that were initially deemed to be unharvestable.
S1500 floating turbine manufactured by China reflects a paradigm shift in the renewable energy technology that reveals that the airborne systems are able to effectively exploit high altitude wind resources. The effective production of megawatt-sized floating turbines has created new avenues to clean energy production in areas that cannot support conservation in the normal wind farms. The ground-breaking solution may make inroads in making the world go green with more efficiency and less infrastructure.
Disclaimer: The content of this guide is not intended to replace professional advice or official sources. It is for informational purposes only and should not be used to make economic or non-economic decisions.
