Harvesting Energy in the Sky

withoutfeathers writes "The Economist magazine has an article on Flying wind farms. Mind you, we're not talking about ordinary, terrestrial windmills here. We're talking about actual airborne — up to 10km in the sky — wind farms intended to harvest the immense supply of energy in the jet stream. On the surface, the idea seems a little eccentric but, in fact, San Diego (California, US) based Sky WindPower has, apparently, thought their concept through pretty thoroughly and believes they can not only make this work, but do so profitably. The article discusses several other ideas for high-flying wind farming including a Dutch proposal to use pairs of kites to drive a generator."

Hmm

[Lithdren]

Hope they tell the FAA before they put one up...

Somehow, putting up tons of windfarm hardware in the jetstream, strikes me as a great way to disrupt airtravel.

Be careful

[UbuntuDupe]

I once had a similar idea: to pull energy right out of the air. Here's what I would do: separate a sealed chamber into two subchambers with a little door between them that could be opened. Have some kind of monitor determine *just* the right time to open it so as to increase the pressure in one side. When the pressure difference is large enough? Have one side expand against the other, drawing out useful work. End result? Both chambers have the same pressure *which is less than atmosopheric*! So to recharge, I just open it up to the atmosphere, and start over again.

Go, me, right?

After a few days of this, I woke up to find a severed horse's head in my bed. A note attached to it said. "You're depressurizing the atmosphere. Stop."

That settled it for me :-/

alternative to altitude

[RM6f9]

Gather 3 wives and their mothers in front of these devices: output to be rated at MW/cup of coffee.

No ordinary terrestrial windmills here.

[Whiney Mac Fanboy]

"The Economist magazine has an article on Flying wind farms. Mind you, we're not talking about ordinary, terrestrial windmills here.

You're kidding? Flying wind farms aren't ordinary, terrestrial windmills? You learn something new every day!

Re:Would this cause any problems with the jet stre

[pilgrim23]

But what of Global Calming?

Well

[RobertM1968]

It will be really sad when this idea comes crashing down... ;-)

Re:Would this cause any problems with the jet stre

[Original Replica]

Well since Global Warming is just a matter of too much energy in the system, maybe Global Calming would mitigate some of the weather pattern effects. (yes I know you being humorous)

Re:No ordinary terrestrial windmills here.

[daeg]

They could be hovering wind farms.

I just hope they don't get full of eels.

Re:Hmm

[__aaclcg7560]

I think the neighbors would have a problem with the 10km-long orange extension cord hanging from the sky.

Re:Hmm

[Anonymous Coward]

...could we someday be troubled by power stations falling on us?

Hmmm nice hypothesis Mr. Little....

Re:No ordinary terrestrial windmills here.

[XanC]

I will not buy this windfarm, it is scratched.

Article translated into U.S. English here:

[Anonymous Coward]

On the surface, the idea seems a little eccentric but, in fact, San Diego (California, US) based Sky WindPower has, apparently, thought their concept through pretty thoroughly and believes they can not only make this work, but do so profitably.

Translation:

This is a totally fucked up idea that has no hope of becoming reality. However, certain venture capitalists that have the ears of certain elected officials, retired milirary leaders, and recent political appointees think that this is certainly worthy of (1) government contracts, (2) earmarks in military spending bills, and (3) "grants" from the DOE, Military, and any other government agency that has a large amount of government gave-a-way cash to burn.

Thankfully, these cash infusions will allow technology companies to hire a least one full time patent attorney, with the goal of monopolizing any technology that could even be remotely useful to anyone else. Just in case the IPO doesn't make us billionaires.

Thank God that these guys are looking out for us and the environment through technology.

(nudge-nudge-wink-wink, Walmart's on board with this plan too - makes 'em look good and feel good)

Re:Great

[Migrant Programmer]

You know, where airliners tend to like to fly

Don't worry, they've planned for this. Air cowboys are ready to rassle up those wild airliners and keep them out of harm's way.

Harvest the lightning...

[glittalogik]

All 1.21 Jiggawatts of it!

This is already obsolete, re: Disclosure Project

[Adeptus_Luminati]

According to this public disclosure meeting in 2001, whereby high ranking government officials, very senior ex-military, black project staff, and ex-NASA employees pointed out... Zero point energy (aka. free energy) devices already exist, and have for decades, but are hidden by secret black project government programs due to the massive economic impact it would have on the world (i.e. no more need for OIL).

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCLOIcFTSlE [youtube.com]

It's time USA citizens wrote their congress men and appealed for all of these senior government etc officials to have a chance to testify under oath as they have promised to do. To date the disclosure project has over 400 such officials willing to testify. This is not wacko conspiracy theorists coming up with crazy theories... it's about the largest government cover up in the history of the modern world.

Adeptus.

PS. If the above is not enough to motivate you, think about how a world without burning fossil fuels would end the global warming impact nearly overnight! The evidence is simply overwhelming. See the video for yourself.

Re:In the Jet Stream...

[CorSci81]

Yes, I believe a DeLorean connected to a large cable and going precisely 88 mph does the trick...

NAMBY

[lightversusdark]

I can see the protests now: "Not above my back yard".

Re:Be careful

[Deadstick]

We all have our own demons.

rj

Re:Would this cause any problems with the jet stre

[treeves]

Uh huh. Some guy named Gibbs had some. I learnt about it in college.

Re:In the Jet Stream...

[maxume]

Do you have any idea how small Nebraska is? Marking maps could never work.

Re:Forget the tether...

[edwardpickman]

You could always use microwaves. It would also eliminate the problem of birds hitting the cable. Any flying through the microwave stream would be cooked and ready to eat.