A flying wind turbine being developed in Germany can respond to wildlife in ways traditional turbines cannot.
Developed by Kitekraft, the device flies high above the ground and functions like a kite. It has been created with environmental concerns in mind.
If a bird approaches too closely to the turbine, it can react differently to potentially avoid a crash.
This reaction is just one way the system differs from other designs.
Engineers were still looking for a better solution
While Kitekraft is developing what they call a “flying energy system,” their product is also different from a typical turbine due to the number of materials used in construction.
Kitekraft states that its airborne system requires roughly 10x less material to build than a traditional wind turbine with the same power rating. Additionally, since they require fewer materials, there are fewer carbon emissions generated by producing power through this method.
They say this means they can transport them more easily as well.
Their team selected an aluminum boxplane for their configuration over options like a soft kite or a carbon fiber wing. Kitekraft claims the chosen aluminum boxplane configuration offers lower complexity, faster development, and improved scalability.
The company plans to use the same basic configuration across products ranging from kilowatt-scale to megawatt-scale systems.
Wildlife remained one of the biggest challenges
The primary challenge engineers face when developing any type of wind-energy technology is how animals interact with the equipment.
Kitekraft states that although it plans to implement multiple protective measures, birds and bats can still pose risks to both the aircraft and local ecosystems.
To mitigate some of the risk, the system includes an optional camera system located at the ground station. The system will contain bird-detecting capabilities via artificial intelligence.
When birds approach the aircraft or tethered cable, the system can take action if necessary. One option is for the aircraft to enter a hover mode, allowing birds to pass underneath before returning to normal operation.
The entire system is designed to run autonomously utilizing onboard sensors and computers and therefore can react quickly to changes in the air, according to another report from Kitekraft.
At times, the safest move is simply to come home
There are many types of wildlife that pose risks to wind turbines. Insects are among the most difficult wildlife-related obstacles for engineers designing new technologies.
Kitekraft believes the overall impacts of its product will be comparable to those of traditional wind turbines.
However, there may be times when insects become too abundant to avoid.
For example, during certain times of the year, instead of continuing to attempt to collect electrical energy from the winds, the aircraft can choose to land.
Landing the aircraft during such instances significantly decreases the likelihood of large numbers of insects colliding with the wings and rotor blades. It also prevents performance losses caused by insects accumulating on the aircraft.
Therefore, one of the key advantages of Kitekraft’s design over traditional wind turbines lies within its ability to adapt to environmental conditions such as insect migration patterns.
Sometimes the weather gets the final say
In addition to adapting to various forms of wildlife, the system can also adapt to extreme weather conditions.
Unlike traditional wind turbines, which remain stationary no matter the weather conditions, Kitekraft’s aircraft is equipped with autonomous landing capabilities.
As soon as the weather becomes too severe for safe operation, the aircraft can land safely and securely at its designated ground-station location until conditions improve.
Ultimately, Kitekraft is working toward two goals.
The company wants to create a wind-energy system that uses significantly less material than traditional wind turbines.
It also wants a system that can adapt to changing environmental conditions.
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