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Kite Wind Generator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The KiteGen or Kite Generator is a new wind-power concept under development in Italy.
It has been estimated to produce electricity 30 to 50 times cheaper than prevailing European electricity costs.[citation needed]
The KITE WIND GENERATOR can be envisioned as a giant merry-go-round, solidly anchored to the ground. Its nucleus consists of a central structure, tall enough to support the ‘arms’ by means of a tensostructure. This ‘carousel’ is put into motion by the wind itself, that drags the kites out from their funnels within the arms, and into the sky. The rotating central structure contains the automatic winches that release the pairs of cables which guide the kites. (The cables’ length can exceed a thousand metres).
As the kites circle in the air, the vertical rotating axis of the structure activates large scale alternators, that have been geared down to receive the force exerted on them. At its full capacity the flight of the entire kite array is guided, so as to turn the carousel at the desired speed. An aeolic power plant conceived in this fashion is capable of producing the energy equivalent to a nuclear power plant, while exploiting an area of few square kilometres, without occupying it exclusively. (The majority of this area can still be used for agriculture, or navigation in the case of an offshore installation.)