Makani, a Google X division company has designed a contraption nicknamed the giant ‘kite’. It is estimated that it can generate enough electricity to power around 300 homes. It can produce 600kW of electricity by its movement and has since been named the M600 because of this fact. It looks extremely similar to a glider with multiple levels of propellers on the front of the kite. Full-size testing in Hawaii has just begun following over ten years of development and a prototype test flight back in 2016. Its aim is to become a portable power solution that can be brought anywhere with sufficient wind to propel it, removing some restrictions surrounding electricity that we suffer today.
How does it work?
Contrary to what some people might believe, the operation of M600 is quite simple. Firstly, it has to be connected to a 1400 foot high strength tether, then eight onboard motors are used to help it climb from a 15-foot base station up to its predetermined altitude of around 1000 feet all while only using a very small amount of voltage power. After this, it completes 800 foot wide loops lasting 10-25 seconds each in crosswinds. It does this to generate maximum power via onboard computers which are guided by sensors, GPS, and an inertial navigation system. All very high tech equipment!
Sky Makani Power Alphabet Inc
The electricity is produced by the kites 85 foot wide rotors which are driving magnet motors/generators on board when they rotate. The electricity is then transferred down the tether in DC (direct current) where it can be converted to AC (alternating current) and then connected to an energy grid.
Why is this being produced?
The main idea behind this new invention is the need to generate electricity in remote and difficult to reach places such as areas where a natural disaster has hit. This new kit will enable emergency services to generate at least some electricity for the areas while main sources are being fixed.
It's mainly made from carbon fiber materials meaning it has a mass which is only around 10% of that of a regular wind turbine but is still able to produce similar amounts of energy.
When can we expect to see this being used?
While Makani is making huge progress in this area, it's not the only company that is developing flying wind generators. The industry is full of competitors all who are trying to produce their own version. Over time, people will be seeing more and more technology like this. The main struggle facing the industry currently is making the products commercially viable, which was the same issue with regular wind turbines when they were first released. As we saw with them though, it can eventually be done as they are now competing with fossil fuels themselves.
As competition grows, there will be more and more incentive to be the first company to produce a commercially viable product and get into the market. This is known as the first mover's advantage and can lead to huge profits for the company as well as helping people.
The Makani team behind this will continue to complete more research and experiments into more advanced versions of the kite all while keeping technical and economic integration aspects in mind. Hawaii flight testing is also expected to continue. This is certainly exciting news for the renewable energy markets and I am personally looking forward to hearing more about this as the technology advances. You can see the M600 in action in the video below from Makani themselves.
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