natural energy
Wind kites promise twice as much energy as wind turbines
To start, the kite is thrown in a circle.
© Enerkite
Instead of building huge towers, a start-up wants to use a principle that everyone knows from childhood: a kite should fly; his pull on the tether generates the wind current – twice as much energy as a wind turbine.
The closer you get to the ground, the more irregular and weaker the wind becomes. At heights of 200 to 300 meters it blows stronger and, above all, more consistently. This is also the reason why conventional wind power plants are getting bigger and bigger. The growth makes their construction more complex and expensive and, at least in the densely populated countries, leads to resistance from those who are supposed to live in the shadow of the giants.
A start-up from Kleinmachnow has thought about how to get to this height without building huge towers with tons of concrete. The answer is very simple: with flying kites. Instead of the complex concrete construction, the dragon only hangs on a rope, so it can climb to a greater height without the basic construction becoming more and more complex.
System fits in containers
Enerkite’s air power plants consist of a transportable ground station in the form of standard containers – which the kites can take off and land fully automatically – and the actual aircraft. Enerkite has been working on the energy kite for a long time, but for the first time the concept has been tested under real conditions. The step from calculations to reality was a success. The kite can also be launched from the ground when there is no wind. There is a boom on the base station that is set in rotation. It pulls the kite in a circle and thus gains lift and height.
The actual electricity is not generated by rotors, but by the kite pulling on the rope – this pull is converted into energy in the ground station. The kite tugs at the rope and spirals upwards in eight-shaped lanes. Once he has reached the summit, the kite is placed differently into the wind so that the rope can be retrieved with little effort. When the kite has reached its lower working height, the game begins again.
Due to its construction, the energy kite does not produce energy continuously, no electricity is generated during the downward movement. Therefore, there is a battery storage in the base, which harmonizes the power output.
Commercial models planned
Three different models are planned for commercial use. They are used at altitudes of 80 to 300 meters. So you can climb much higher than wind turbines. The smallest system has only 30 kW – but can be used mobile directly from a truck. The larger EK200 is 200 kW and should deliver 570,000 kilowatt hours in one year. The largest planned system EK1M has 1000 kW. Enerkite states that the kilowatt hour from these systems costs only 4 to 12 cents per kilowatt hour.
A major advantage is the mobility of the systems. They fit into standardized standard containers and can be delivered anywhere by truck. No special access roads are required at the site itself. There the box is unloaded and fixed with ground anchors. The intrusion into the environment is minimal. The advantage of the Energy Dragon is that it doesn’t require massive construction. A large wind power plant requires the tower, the turbine at high altitude, the rotors, a foundation and a road on which to transport the enormous loads. The dragon gets by with a much lower use of resources.
source: energy kite