Wind Turbines take Flight to catch the Wind
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Before the average onshore wind turbine produces a single watt, more than 100 tons of structure, several million dollars in capital investment and a suitable site all have to come together perfectly. Bigger turbines produce more power, but in many places they need to compete for fewer acceptable sites. Put simply, tower-based turbines may be reaching the limit of the technology.
But what if the tower was done away with and the turbine was up high – really high. Average wind speed doubles every 30 meters in altitude. Power is based on the cube of the wind speed, so altitude is an attractive option. This is where many think the technology is headed: aerial wind turbines.
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Before the average onshore wind turbine produces a single watt, more than 100 tons of structure, several million dollars in capital investment and a suitable site all have to come together perfectly. Bigger turbines produce more power, but in many places they need to compete for fewer acceptable sites. Put simply, tower-based turbines may be reaching the limit of the technology.
But what if the tower was done away with and the turbine was up high – really high. Average wind speed doubles every 30 meters in altitude. Power is based on the cube of the wind speed, so altitude is an attractive option. This is where many think the technology is headed: aerial wind turbines.
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