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World’s first megawatt-level airborne 'windmill' feeds power to grid (interestingengineering.com)
submitted 10 months ago by to c/science@beehaw.org
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A Beijing-based energy company has taken a major step toward commercial airborne wind power after completing the maiden flight and grid-connected power generation test of its megawatt-class system in Southwest China.

The test took place on Sunday in Yibin, Sichuan Province, where the floating wind power platform rose to about 6,560 feet (2,000 meters) and successfully delivered electricity to the grid, as reported by China’s state-backed Global Times.

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[–] 5 points 10 months ago* (3 children)

You would think so but even normal ground-fastened wind turbines shut off when winds get too strong.

This being somewhat of an aircraft I absolutely expect them having to land it before storms roll in.

If you land it facing up- or downwards and deflate the balloon segments it would probably be fairly flat and compact for storage.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    somewhat of an aircraft

    I'm imagining this is more like a kite. The thing still needs a tether to give th power back, and you don't want it to have an engine itself as that would take away the power you generated

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago

    Absolutely. Maybe a poor choice of words on my part. My intention was to state that this is not a thing you simply hang out in the wind and leave, but instead a vehicle that needs to be controlled to stay within its operational envelope.

    I can imagine problems like tethers or lines getting crossed when the vehicle makes fast turns due to wind shear or frequent direction changes. You probably can't operate it in those conditions.

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