Wind turbines have been a great solution for the generation of clean, renewable energy. However, tower wind turbines come with their faults, which are time-consuming on installation, and they can’t harness strong winds from higher altitudes. But good news, a group of MIT alumni in Alaska has solved this problem, and it’s going to be a game changer.

Altaeros shatters the world record with flying turbines

Altaeros Energies, a startup created in Alaska by MIT alumni Ben Glass ’08, SM ’10, and Adam Rein MBA ’10, invented the first wind turbines that can fly up to 1000 feet above ground. This discovery, named Bouyant Air Turbines (BAT), started as a project while Ben Glass was at MIT with support from teachers, colleagues, and associations. Although currently undergoing testing in Alaska, the turbines will soon be manufactured commercially.

Altaeros’s turbines are rendered airborne using a helium-filled shell to float to high altitudes (as high as skyscrapers) to produce energy from stronger and steadier winds at that altitude. With this, they generate double the power of tower-mounted turbines.

The turbines are encased by a circular 35-foot-long inflatable shell made from the same materials as sails and blimps. This causes it to float to about 1000-2000 feet, where the winds are five to eight times stronger than winds powering tower-mounted turbines (height of 100-200 feet). BAT is anchored to the ground with three tethers, and one of them transfers the current generated from the turbines to the microgrid, where it is distributed to the populace.

According to Glen, this creation was designed for remote areas where tower-mounted turbines aren’t feasible, military bases, and industrial sites.

Flying turbines equipped with operational autonomy

Conventional aerostats require a full-time ground crew to conduct regular checks, deploy, adjust wind speeds, and land in case of emergencies. But the beauty of Glen’s creation is its autonomy. All the functions listed above are automated by BAT itself, eliminating the need for manual labor.

Glass further explained:

“When winds are low, typically we want to go as high as possible — because, generally speaking, the higher you are, the stronger the winds, but if winds get too high, above the maximum [capacity] of the turbine, there’s no reason to operate in those very strong winds, so we can bring it down, where it operates at rated power, but is not subject to very strong winds.”

The airborne turbines automatically position themselves using anemometers installed both in the airborne unit and ground units. Once optimal wind speeds are detected, it autonomously adjusts the tethers to contract or extend depending on the altitude while the base is still rotating. In cases of emergencies when the wind speeds exceed the capacity of the turbines, they self-dock automatically. (Also, check out this wind turbine that works on cloudy days)

Designed to exceed speeds of more than 100 mph, they resist snow or rainfall, making them suitable for use all year. However, if the weather gets too serious or a tether is loose, it docks automatically.

Possible applications for Altaeros wind turbines

Although the creators emphasized that these turbines are designed specially for remote areas with reduced access to wind and places where diesel engines are used for power, like military bases and industries, there are still more potential applications for these devices.

BAT can deploy weather monitoring devices at high altitudes, enabling precise and timely weather forecasts and surveillance. This can help with hurricane alerts and tornado prevention. In addition, Wi-fi technology can be deployed at higher altitudes, providing better internet services that can be managed at ground level.

Glen’s breakthrough has the potential to offer many benefits to consumers, even outside the uses intended by the manufacturers. Currently, it is undergoing testing in Alaska, and by reports, it’s currently ready for commercial use. So it’s only a matter of time before we begin to see its benefits (also this wind turbine will end the reign of solar panels).

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