Documentary about wind generation using kites

Kernel_Sanders

Actually it's just an item on last night's 'The One Show'. I expect someone has broached this subject on here before but I've been absent from this sub-board for months and this is a technology I've never heard of. It involves a pair of kites on separate 300m cables causing rotational movement of the drums around which they are wound (at ground level). When the operator was asked how much power they are currently generating he said '40...' well, I presumed he was going to say watts, but actually said 'kilowatts'! I just can't believe this simple and relatively cheap rig can produce remotely near 40,000 watts, even if he's measuring at each gust. What does MSE think?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06zv56r/the-one-show-08022016
It starts at 17:20 and the programme expires on 9 March.

Ectophile

I saw that. It looks a very fiddly and complicated system, with lots to go wrong. Perhaps it will work with robot kite handlers.

As I understand it, you need two (or more) kites to keep generating constantly. You angle a kite to catch the wind, then let it spool out the line, turning the generator. Then when the line's running out, you steer the kite upwards until it's overhead and spilling out the wind. Then reel it back down, to start again.

Quite clever, really.

Bordeuax

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg7ZsOFSV7c

music maestro