TECHNOLOGY
We are developing an Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) system that utilizes a unique Tethered Energy Device (TED). While the aerial device (TED) is often referred to as a ‘kite’ due to its similar reliance on the aerodynamic lift of the wind to keep it aloft, it is actually closer to a fully autonomous flying drone aircraft and looks more like a flying wing or small plane. In addition, it has significant intelligence (both on-board and communicated from the ground station) that allows it to fly autonomously. It has the sophistication to track the weather and land itself when the wind is too weak/too strong or when inclement weather approaches. When conditions improve, it will re-launch itself and resume producing electricity, all without intervention!
ADVANTAGES
AWE (airborne wind energy) has a number of advantages. Most significantly, it allows us to reach higher altitudes at a given location compared to small wind turbines. Capturing the better winds allows us to generate up to four times the amount of electricity at a given site compared to small wind turbines and two to three times more electricity than solar. Additionally, the technology will require significantly less capital to construct. Many of the components that make traditional wind towers expensive are eliminated.
We have no tower, no concrete base, no exotic materials in our generator. We produce electricity at a fraction of the upfront cost of a wind tower!
See Our Latest Prototype In Action
THE CONCEPT
To generate electricity, one simply wraps the tether around a drum that is connected to a generator. As the wind pulls the TED away from the drum, it spins and generates electrical power. Once the TED reaches the maximum range, it will turn and glide back as the ground station rewinds the tether and the cycle repeats. As wind speeds increase, so does the electrical power generated. Our system uses an aerodynamically efficient aerial device with on-board GPS guided flight controls that ensure it accurately follows a prescribed crosswind flight path. The aerial device is a rigid wing, similar to an airplane wing with a single tether. Our system operates within the current FAA guidelines of <499 feet.
WE ARE MOBILE
eWind’s revolutionary airborne wind energy design delivers four times more electricity per dollar than conventional wind energy systems. But what makes us more desirable than wind turbines is we are also MOBILE — we can go anywhere day or night.
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