BAT: The floating balloon Wind Turbine

Altaeros Energies is aiming high with new heights for wind energy.

The company, led by Ben Glass, has created a new invention with the help of balloon and airship technology to lift a wind turbine. Their novel Buoyant Airborne Turbine–the BAT–is a balloon that lifts a wind turbine.

Most wind turbine manufacturers are competing to build taller turbines to harness more powerful winds above 500 feet, or 150 meters.

The Altaeros BAT can reach 2,000 feet, or 600 meters. At this altitude, wind speeds are faster and have five to eight times greater power density and can generate more than twice the energy of a tower-mounted turbine.

The BAT’s comes with a novel aerodynamic design, custom-made composite materials, and an innovative control system.

It has a helium-inflatable shell that channels the wind through a lightweight wind turbine. The shell stabilizes itself and produces aerodynamic lift, in addition to buoyancy.

There are multiple high-strength tethers that hold the BAT in place and a single conductive tether transmits power to a mobile ground station.

The BAT’s automated control system ensures safe and efficient operation.

Diesel generators are the standard in power generation for rural and off-grid areas. Diesel fuel is expensive to deliver to these locations, and diesel generators, though inexpensive to install, are expensive to operate and maintain. Due to this remote customers, have to pay much more for their electricity.

The BAT has the potential to bring affordable wind energy to these communities and industries.

The first BAT model is approximately 15 by 15 meters, is containerized, and does not require a crane or foundation for installation. Each one can bring electricity to about a dozen American homes.

The ability to install the unit in 24 hours and lift communication, Internet and sensory equipment alongside the turbine would be very useful in case of emergency response situations when access to the electric grid is unavailable.

The BAT technology offers a new method for energy generation which is portable, reliable, quick to deploy, and environmentally-friendly. It also helps avoid many of the key challenges faced by the traditional wind turbines.

 

For more information please visit:

http://www.nsf.gov

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