Makani Power Flying Wind Farm

On October 2, 2015, Google finally became part of the Alphabet holding, in connection with which the management of some projects was reorganized. This has affected all projects that are part of Google X, which is engaged in almost secret laboratory developments in the field of advanced technologies.

One of the most ambitious projects that Google X has been pursuing for several years is the development of technologies that make clean energy sources more accessible. So, in 2013, the technology giant acquired Makani Power, a wind turbine manufacturer, so that Google X’s efforts to develop one of its key areas become even more productive.

But Makani Power is not ordinary wind turbines, not the kind used everywhere in windmills. Developed by Alameda (California, USA), the devices are airborne units called "energy kites", which will serve to generate electricity.

Energy kite is similar in design to an airplane equipped with rotors, and it flies like a kite. The system includes four main parts: the kite itself, the cable, the ground station and the computer control system.

When taking off, the rotors function as propellers of an airplane, helping to lift the device into the air to the desired height. Then the rotors go into wind turbine mode, that is, each propeller becomes a separate wind generator. A rotating rotor transmits rotation to the on-board generator, which in turn sends electricity along the cable downward for subsequent supply to the network.

Since the kite is quite light, it can fly at high altitudes, where access to the energy of a stronger and more stable wind is opened, and generators can thus generate significantly more electricity. The snake cable is made of conductors connecting it to a ground station. The ground station before the take-off of the snake serves as a parking place for it.

The computer system combines GPS, sensors and other elements of advanced technology to direct the flight of a kite along such a path that it leads to the generation of the greatest amount of electricity.

It is known that the efficiency of traditional wind turbines is highly dependent on mast height. In addition, giant blades require the consumption of a large amount of materials, that is, they are very expensive, and they take up a lot of space. In addition, there are serious land allocation restrictions where such generators can be installed. From this point of view, the Makani energy kite not only generates 50% more electricity, but also the materials for its construction need 90% less.

Compared to large steel turbines, the Makani system contains lightweight electronics and a flexible cable that allows the kite to fly at considerable heights and capture energy without the need for cumbersome infrastructure. The ground station is also much smaller than traditional towers, and this adds to the design attractiveness, especially for landowners. However, at the moment, the Energy kite system is only at an early stage of development, so consumers can not yet rely on the power from their homes.

Recently, the company has shown great success in the development of technology. A snake with a length of 25.5 meters was tested, capable of generating about 600 kW of electricity. Prior to this, the models had a size of only 8.5 meters. By increasing the length of the apparatus, engineers are able to equip the snake with a large number of rotors, thereby receiving more energy.

So far, a large model cannot fully fly, but this is only the beginning.The company said that testing large snakes will be carried out gradually, before you can reach the maximum flight altitude, you must first make sure that everything is working properly.

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