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SHORT NEWS

Flying wind power plants to generate energy at great heights

#energy #kites #power plants #wind power

At high altitudes the wind is much stronger. Empa researchers want to harness the energy slumbering in the wind with the aid of kites. The technology would be particularly suitable for generating electricity in remote areas.

Rolf Luchsinger and his energy kite, which looks like a small sailplane

Anyone who has flown a kite at the seaside during a summer holiday is well aware of the power with which the wind tugs on it. Scientists working with Rolf Luchsinger at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), want to make use of this pulling power. They are developing energy kites that resemble small sailplanes.

Like drones, these flying wind turbines can take off and land automatically. After takeoff they spiral upwards using the force of the wind and pull the cable to which they are attached off of the cable drum. The axle of the cable drum is connected to a generator that produces electricity. When the cable is completely unwound, the kite automatically glides down again close to the launch platform and the cable rolls back onto the drum.

Autonomous take-off and landing

The big challenge is not the flying itself, Rolf Luchsinger explains. “The problem is the automated take-off and landing.” This was first achieved in the fall of 2018 using a prototype on the heights of the Chasseral mountain in western Switzerland. The energy kite with a wingspan of three meters took off from the base vehicle, climbed into the air, circled autonomously for 30 minutes, produced electrical energy, and finally landed safely again on the launch platform.

The next prototype, on which the team is currently working, should ensure continuous power generation. It will generate up to 10 kilowatts of electrical power and feed it into the electricity supply grid. BKW, an energy company based in the Swiss capital city of Berne, will be responsible for distributing the experimental wind-generated electricity. Empa has announced that the first series-produced model with a wingspan of 15 meters will then follow shortly after and will generate up to 100 kilowatts of power.

Energy kite replaces diesel generator

However, Rolf Luchsinger does not envisage the application of such flying wind power plants in densely populated areas, but rather in remote regions. “We are talking to mine operators, remote settlements, and islands as potential customers”, says the Empa researcher. “Currently these places still rely diesel generators that emit exhaust gases and generate noise, and whose fuel has to be delivered at great expense.”

Based on the idea of flying power plants, Rolf Luchsinger founded a spin-off in 2013 called TwingTec, one of the first companies to develop airborne wind energy plants. In Europe alone, ten start-ups and several teams from universities and technical colleges are currently developing solutions for this type of energy generation. At a conference in Glasgow in mid-October, they plan to exchange views on the latest developments.

Written by: sda

Photos: Empa

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Wilfried Liegard with green steel

Green Steel Revolution

Steel production is responsible for eight percent of CO2 emissions worldwide. Alternative manufacturing processes exist, but the investments are high and the road is long. Two experts provide insights.
July 13th, 2023
A scientist holding the patch developed by Empa

Swiss patch warns of leaks in the stomach after operations

A patch developed by Swiss researchers provides early warning of leaks at sutures in the gastrointestinal tract. The novel patch should significantly reduce the risk of life-threatening complications after abdominal surgery.
July 24th, 2023
A child running through a maize maze (symbol image)

New tracking system makes food aid more transparent

Until now, food aid operations have been a black box. A new MIT technology is shedding light on the issue, with unique IDs for each individual product.
August 2nd, 2023
a city covered in fog

Drinking water from fog: researchers capture clean water from polluted air

A specially coated metal mesh can extract water from fog and remove environmental pollutants at the same time. With the technology developed in Zurich, drinking water can be extracted from the air even in regions with heavy air pollution.
September 11th, 2023
Carlos Sanchez

A smart path into a sustainable future

Sustainability is no longer a distant dream but a present and pressing reality. Climate change and environmental degradation are forcing companies to take action. They must innovate and implement smart sustainability solutions, says Carlos Sanchez, a renowned sustainability visionary who shared with us the latest sustainability trends that can help build robust, resilient, and sustainable businesses.
September 28th, 2023
Mechanics performing maintenance work on an aircraft

Researchers make non-recyclable plastic recyclable

Swiss researchers have developed a new type of recyclable plastic that could be used in aircraft, cars or wind turbines in the future.
October 2nd, 2023
Recycled asphalt was used on the Lucmanier Pass

More recycled asphalt on Swiss roads

Tests with recycled asphalt on Swiss roads show promising results. In Uster ZH and on the Lukmanier Pass GR, the proportion of recycled asphalt could be increased without any loss of performance, according to Empa.
October 16th, 2023
a photovoltaic system on a house facade

Sun soon to be the most important source of energy

The sun is likely to become the world's most important source of energy before 2050, according to British scientists. This is the result of an analysis of technological and economic data by the University of Exeter and University College London.
November 27th, 2023
A hospital room with two beds divided by a curtain

Germicidal textiles for hospitals

A new process developed by Swiss researchers makes textiles germicidal. In future, this could be used to coat curtains in hospitals.
December 25th, 2023
G.V. Shivashankar arbeitet am PSI und der ETH Zürich

Fountain of youth for cells

Reprogrammed cells allow wounds in older people to heal faster. This could, for example, help burn victims.
January 1st, 2024
A scientist taking a water sample with a bottle

Gentle identification of fish species through their DNA

Identifying fish species in a river using DNA traces: This method was tested in Switzerland. It proved to be simpler and more reliable than the electrofishing method used to date.
January 15th, 2024
pressed plastic bottles

Microplastics fly particularly far and high

Microplastic fibres fly higher and further than previously assumed - even as far as the Arctic.
January 22nd, 2024
A futuristic aircraft with a blended wing body

Aircraft of the future make less noise

In an Empa research project, study participants rated the noise of new types of aircraft as less annoying than the noise of today's aircraft.
April 9th, 2024
the airship flying over a coast

British company produces climate-friendly airship

According to its developers, the British airship Airlander 10 could take off for commercial flights with passengers from 2028.
April 22nd, 2024