People cannot be anywhere in the radius of the kite cable. Kinda limits where is can be deployed. But the quick deployment could work for some situations.
Flying kites deliver container-sized power generation
31–40 of 175 posts
Re: Flying kites deliver container-sized power generation
#32Gotta be more to it. They blithly say, reeling it in takes a fraction of the energy it generates when it pulls the line out. But that's nonsense on the face of it. I'm guessing, it changes it's wind profile, maybe going edge-on or closing up, to make it easy to pull down again. Gotta be something.
> Reeling it in takes a fraction of the energy it generates when it pulls the line out. But that's nonsense on the face of it.
Why is this nonsense on the face of it? This is just how kites work. Do you imagine that kite surfers just overpower the kite with their might and pull it back to the ground when they've had enough?
Re: Flying kites deliver container-sized power generation
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is a very different approach. The google approach is making an airplane fly in circles generating continuous power, this slowly lets a kite out then reels it in generating pulsed power that would need a battery to smooth out. This approach can use pretty standard kite technology which is far cheaper than airplane technology.
The article indicates that it comes with an integrated battery.
which also includes a small amount of solar apparently
Re: Flying kites deliver container-sized power generation
#34Gotta be more to it. They blithly say, reeling it in takes a fraction of the energy it generates when it pulls the line out. But that's nonsense on the face of it. I'm guessing, it changes it's wind profile, maybe going edge-on or closing up, to make it easy to pull down again. Gotta be something.
> Reeling it in takes a fraction of the energy it generates when it pulls the line out. But that's nonsense on the face of it. Why is this nonsense on the face of it? This is just how kites work. Do you imagine that kite surfers just overpower the kite with their might and pull it back to the ground when they've had enough?
It’s also how turbines work. The fluid pushing on one side isn’t cancelled out by the drag created on the other.
Re: Flying kites deliver container-sized power generation
#3560 square meters of kite surface area is a lot of pull. 5 square meters can be enough to pick up 100kg in the right wind conditions.
Based on the numbers from the article: 40 kW * 80 s / 500 m is 650 kgf. So maybe it will work. Still I feel like as soon as you get a moment of calm it will all break. The wind may be very reliable in places but is it ever so reliable that you don't get moments of calm for hours at a time?
The diagram envisions the kite also being connected to a battery, diesel generator, and solar PV installation.
The real question is not if the kite installation or renewable installation is 100% reliable, it's a question of how much does it cut your total diesel consumption. US military loves renewables because it reduces the amount of fuel they have to move.
Re: Flying kites deliver container-sized power generation
#36Operating the kite isnt easy on its own. A lot of complexity involved in this. I am intrigued as someone who kites and develops clean energy. I have a tough time seeing how this is a set and forget situation. Maybes it the first step in a direction with something better down the road!
My recollection from flying kites a long time ago is that operating a kite gets easy after a certain height. I imagine the Kite Control Unit (KCU) can easily keep it aloft once it's high enough. The tether is 352m long according to https://thekitepower.com/the-hawk/#components
Re: Flying kites deliver container-sized power generation
#37So it's just a really big battery.
The kite thing is just a novelty/marketing move. There have been containerized commercial battery systems available for at least a decade. The barrier to adoption is, as always, price, not "kite delivery".
Is this for really remote places, like Greenland/Alaska? Because otherwise you can just use a truck/tractor.
Re: Flying kites deliver container-sized power generation
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
Based on the numbers from the article: 40 kW * 80 s / 500 m is 650 kgf. So maybe it will work. Still I feel like as soon as you get a moment of calm it will all break. The wind may be very reliable in places but is it ever so reliable that you don't get moments of calm for hours at a time?
The diagram envisions the kite also being connected to a battery, diesel generator, and solar PV installation. The real question is not if the kite installation or renewable installation is 100% reliable, it's a question of how much does it cut your total diesel consumption. US military loves renewables because it reduces the amount of fuel they have to move.
Yeah I see this as making a lot of sense for armies as a first customer. Highly mobile, reliable energy supply you can set up anywhere (assuming their claims are correct)
Re: Flying kites deliver container-sized power generation
#39So it's just a really big battery. The kite thing is just a novelty/marketing move. There have been containerized commercial battery systems available for at least a decade. The barrier to adoption is, as always, price, not "kite delivery". Is this for really remote places, like Greenland/Alaska? Because otherwise you can just use a truck/tractor.
I'm surprised other ideas have not taken off yet?(intended)
although not really a kite, this looks promising : https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zGGn-HY1jak
Re: Flying kites deliver container-sized power generation
#40I don’t think you can make a kite that can last a decade of load. We just don’t have materials strong enough. Also you need a sophisticated algorithm to fly it and never crash
As someone who regularly flies hobby kites, I think it can be done.
Modern kites are made of nylon and kevlar. With regular maintenance these kites should last at least a decade. Cables might have to be replaced every few years.
As for the flying algorithm, I doubt it has to be very sophisticated at all, especially if the kite is itself designed to self right and stabilise. After all, a single line kite has 0 controls.