camelot-forum.co.uk

I love that these exist.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59401199

I don't understand how they work. Is there a device that can turn tension into charge?
A peltier device can turn charge/current into cold, so I guess nothing is impossible...
A

It is the turbine that generates electricity…

Stinsy wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:14 amIt is the turbine that generates electricity…

Yep, propeller on the back. The "kite" effect is similar to the way that a sailing boat can see much higher apparent wind than true wind - so by flying in a figure-of-8 pattern they can extract much more energy for the same size of kite/propeller.

Ah! The propellors didn't really look significant, but I guess there is more energy in moving water because it is denser than air. The little one only powers "4 or 5" houses so that is a big investment for not much return, maybe the bigger ones are more cost-effective.
A

They look pretty cool - I'm an investor in one of the Tidal power schemes that are being tested off Orkney at the moment - definitely good to see different approaches to getting power from the tides where appropriate.

AE-NMidlands wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:50 amAh! The propellors didn't really look significant, but I guess there is more energy in moving water because it is denser than air.

1000x the density. Water is moving slower so you don't get the full benefit, but you're going to be in the region of 10x-100x smaller than an equivalent power wind turbine.

AE-NMidlands wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:50 amThe little one only powers "4 or 5" houses so that is a big investment for not much return, maybe the bigger ones are more cost-effective.

This is a proof-of-concept prototype. You always start small and work your way up with this sort of thing - much cheaper and less risky to do so.