From: Ad 

Good Lord.....


The rotor kite has been used as a ......power station....

http://pesn.com/2005/12/23/9600211_Magenn_Floating_Wind_Generators/


"Commissioned in the 1980s with the task of lifting 60,000 lbs to 1000
feet, or 6,000 lbs to 10,000 feet, Magenn Power actually got its start with
Star Wars funding.

Invented by Fred Ferguson, world renowned in the airship business, the
Magenn Power Air Rotor System (MARS) is a spin-off of that earlier military
contract.  Turning at the speed of wind, the inflatable paddle wheel starts
spinning at 2 meters per second, and will handles winds in excess of 28
meters per second.

Helium is not the only thing that keeps the object aloft.  Combined with
its shape, the spinning generates lift using what is called the Magnus
effect, which also tends to keep the craft overhead on its tether, rather
than drifting downwind.

Harnessed by generators located at each end, the energy is transferred down
the tether to a transformer at a ground station.

The company website says that these modules will be able to generate
electricity competitively, and that a 4 kW system will be available for
sale as early as April, 2006.  A 1.6 MW size is slated to be ready in 2009.

The end-of-the-day price CEO Mac Brown cited was 3.1 cents per
kilowatt-hour, which is below wholesale for most grids -- that is in 2009,
when they get their 1.6 MW unit.  The 4 kW system is expected to cost
around 10.5 cents / kW-h.

In comparison to other wind systems, one of the savings is in not having to
erect a tower. The system can be set up and taken down relatively easily.
Therefore, carrying out regular quarterly maintenance is not expected to be
a big expense."


Adam

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