Ever since Benjamin Franklin flew one during a storm, kites have been used to help showcase the awesome power and energy our planet can create.
Now, an experiment in China has showcased that massive kites can be used to harness the power of high-altitude winds, generating sustainable electricity with a smaller impact than traditional wind turbines.
As reported on by Interesting Engineering and the People's Daily, the China Energy Engineering Corporation conducted successful tests of the world's largest power-generating kite. Measuring more than 53,000 square feet, the kite marked China's first national project focused on high-altitude wind energy.
"We have completed the first deployment test of the world's largest [power-generating] kite and successfully finished data collection, providing a scientific basis for the design of the kite assembly, which will lay the foundation for deploying a complete set of equipment and for setting standards," test director Cao Lun said, as reported by the Bastille Post.
To get airborne, a helium balloon lifted the kite nearly 1,000 feet above the ground in China's Inner Mongolia Region. The kite then unfolded and pulled traction cables that were attached to a generator on land, which converted the wind into electricity.
Energy experts consider high-altitude systems promising because they take advantage of the consistently strong winds that occur at these altitudes.
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Last year, an energy company built the "world's largest ultra-high-altitude wind farm" in Tibet, consisting of 25 turbines at an elevation of 15,256 feet. The $90 million project is expected to provide power to 140,000 homes.
The kite system, however, may be even more promising because it requires less space and equipment than land-based wind farms.
Officials claim the kite system could save 95% of land area and 90% of steel use compared to traditional wind farms, reducing the cost and environmental impact of such a system. Those savings result in energy generation that is up to 30% cheaper than onshore wind farms.
Chinese energy companies plan on running multi-kite tests and power-generation trials using this innovation next year.
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