4 ms·
Here's a Ted talk from 2009 about the early version of the tech. http://www.ted.com/talks/saul_griffith_on_kites_as_the_future_of_renewable_energy?language=en
by MiguelHudnandez 12y ago
Here's a Ted talk from 2009 about the early version of the tech.
http://www.ted.com/talks/saul_griffith_on_kites_as_the_future_of_renewable_energy?language=en http://www.ted.com/talks/saul_griffith_on_kites_as_the_futur...
The tethered airframe converts wind into high-speed lateral motion, sort of like a sailboat would if it were sailing into the wind. These higher speeds can drive the blades faster than if they were simply pointed at a wind source.
- frozenport 12y agoWow 6+ years.
- nether 12y agohardware takes a long time
- barmstrong 12y agoThanks this was my biggest question. I was wondering why it doesn't just stay tethered to the ground in one single position (or as close as possible) flying into the wind. I guess it makes sense if it rotates perpendicular to the wind - like the tip of a rotor blade, to achieve these higher speeds. Would be curious to understand more of the math/physics behind that. But at least intuitively it makes some sense now.