An innovation has taken to the skies in search of the most efficient form of clean energy generation. The wind turbine device is not only functional but it’s fascinating to watch, operating as a kite and whizzing around above people’s heads like a child’s toy, only heftier. The name of the energy startup that developed the technology gives its specialization away: KiteKRAFT.
Kites have joined the influx of renewable energy solutions
KiteKRAFT is the new company out of Germany that has just completed successful testing of its flying wind turbine. It’s a real kite, although it can also be likened to a glider with “propellers” attached to the front of a basic framework. However, the spinning parts are actually the turbines, not propellers.
KiteKRAFT is confident that its technology will deliver more energy with lower costs, two major drawcards in a market full of a growing number of green energy options.
Two more benefits of the KiteKRAFT units are that they don’t take up a lot of space and use 10 times less material than traditional bladed turbines at half the cost.
Testing of the KiteKRAFT flying wind turbines was successful
KiteKRAFT’s prototype was a 1.68-meter-wide version of the kite design and its first flight was celebrated as a significant success. The flying and swooping motion is what generates the energy that gets converted into electricity, so if it couldn’t pull this off, the whole project would have been a failure. Luckily, it’s on to the next step for KiteKRAFT.
KiteKRAFT co-founder and CTO Florian Bauer said when the first kite was tested:
“We are proud to have gotten to this point in just over a year since founding the company.”
The small rotating wind turbines attached to the front of the kite essentially act like regular, traditional blade tips, just on a much smaller scale and assisted by the flying motion. The kites are installed by anchoring them to the ground, allowing a restricted “flight path” radius for the devices to operate in. The test operation recorded an output of 100 kW at 20 meters per second, which was the maximum tested wind speed.
What makes the flying wind technology so attractive?
The renewable power sector is welcoming to any new tech that advances efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and decarbonization, and there’s real potential to draw investment into provably functional solutions that don’t take up much space.
The company emphasized its technology’s cost-effectiveness via its blog:
“Cost savings of more than 50% are possible compared to other sources.”
The simplicity of the KiteKRAFT installation is a factor in its favor. Unlike the large, bladed wind turbines mostly used today (such as the biggest bladed wind turbine in the world in Texas), the kites don’t need tons of concrete or steel to keep them in the air. Logistics, installation, and inspections are much simpler compared to current wind farms and the kite can also reach stronger winds at higher altitudes.
The turbines have been described as “computers with wings”
One of the notable features of the kites that contribute to their innovativeness is the use of intelligent algorithms to find the best position in mid-air, which translates into the most efficient and productive output possible.
Other computerized functions will also be incorporated, such as obeying commands to land for inspection and livestream camera views. Live data will also be able to be accessed from anywhere online.
Another advantage is that a KiteKRAFT installation is hardly visible and doesn’t have a tall mast or huge blades.
KiteKRAFT’s mission, for now, is to provide a small energy grid in situations where a diesel or gasoline generator would otherwise be used. A similar solution for small-scale, backyard production is another wind turbine design that doesn’t incorporate blades, and it’s also making ripples in the renewable energy