Exclusive Most small commercial drones have limited flight times because of heavy batteries. But XAir's can fly for hours by coasting on wind currents.
Aircraft safety is a hot topic these days, with Federal Aviation Administration investigators looking into door seals at Boeing, aircraft slides flying off mid air and engine failures plaguing several planes in recent months. But what happens if the power in your plane actually does go out? That’s... Read more
MIT engineers have flown the first silent, fuel-free “ion plane.” The light aircraft is the first plane to fly with no propellers, turbine blades, or other moving parts.
Wind energy is not reliable enough to be used as the sole power source for an aircraft. Not to mention, adding wind turbines to an aircraft would increase the drag, leading to more problems.
The Hallberg-Rassy 50 is now, as first ever world wide, available with solar panels fully integrated with the sails. 160.7 square meters of sail area that at the same time works as solar panels, generating up to 410 A charging at 24 V. Even a grey March day, the sails generated 27 A positive charg... Read more
In the 400 years or so leading up to the adoption of steam power in the 19th century, sailing ships ruled the waves. In an effort to cut increasing fuel costs and reduce emissions, sails are set to once again prove their worth. But unlike the sails proposed by B9 Shipping and the Wind Challenger…
Norway’s prime minister and crown prince were sweating like everyone else, zipped into their survival suits as they boarded helicopters to see the future.
Swedish start-up Minesto has been for years trying to float the idea of having underwater turbines that generate power for use on-shore. These would be anchored to the seafloor by a long tether and…
French company Airseas has developed the Seawing, a kite to help propel cargo ships, which it says could cut their carbon emissions by an average of 20%.
One of the most popular eco-gadgets in recent years are portable solar chargers that let you power up your smartphones, tablets or music players when you’re far away from a power outlet or ba…
Michelin has developed a new kind of sail for cargo ships, one of a number of sail innovations that could help the industry to reduce carbon emissions.
Wind turbines can be an ideal solution for winter, but their efficiency could also be affected by ice, which can slow or stop them from spinning altogether.
Iowa wind turbines equipped to handle extreme cold. Ice is another matter.
Climate stories out of China often involve big numbers, both positive and negative. This one caught my attention recently though. The latest state energy announcement is for 455GW of new renewable …
Morocco says it wants to be the Saudi Arabia of solar energy. Its flagship project is a first-of-its-kind, $9-billion energy plant called Noor, meaning “light” in Arabic, and the size of the city of Paris. Special correspondent Monica Villamizar reports from the city of Ouarzazate.
There are negative impacts on nature but these can be negated if thought about properly. This article details a few pointers for sustainable future development.
Lol, nice pic, though the wind isn’t the only problem on the Sussex coast. Got to say that the Rampion wind farm seems to be a total success. Read more about it here as these giant saviours are likely coming to your location too, soon.
The south coast’s first offshore wind farm | Rampion Offshore Wind
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Engineers in Japan have developed a new kind of wind turbine meant to withstand typhoon winds and rain without breaking down, with the capacity to withstand wind gusts up to 156mph.
Wind-powered cars are going mainstream! Jeep has filed patents for wind-powered SUVs.
I found this company that makes wind-powered cars.
https://interestingengineering.com/videos/scientist-risks-his-life-to-settle-a-bizarre-physics-debate
This experimental vehicle proves that it is possible to power a car using a windmill.
https://interestingengineering.com/videos/scientist-risks-his-life-to-settle-a-bizarre-physics-debate
You can put a wind turbine on a car, but it won’t be very efficient without strong winds.
I came across this company that makes fog-harvesting nets.
Fog nets are used to collect water in the desert regions of Peru.
Watch this video of the technology in action in the Sahara Desert.
It’s called atmospheric water harvesting (or fog harvesting) and is primarily used in areas with limited water resources.
I found this startup that makes drones powered by wind power.
Glider planes can also fly with the wind, without any engines.
Some planes are fitted with wind turbines to generate emergency power in case of engine failure.
These MIT researchers have done it, but using ion wind propulsion.
https://news.mit.edu/2018/first-ionic-wind-plane-no-moving-parts-1121
A wind-powered aircraft
(5 upvotes)Start using ion engines in cars, trains, and airplanes
(6 upvotes)Wind energy is not reliable enough to be used as the sole power source for an aircraft. Not to mention, adding wind turbines to an aircraft would increase the drag, leading to more problems.
I love this design of a tree-shaped hybrid wind turbine with built-in solar panels.
https://www.designboom.com/technology/aeroleaf-hybrid-new-world-wind-turbine-tree-solar-panels-green-energy-11-14-2023/
Here’s a video of the wind turbine. It’s a great concept for harnessing both solar and wind energy.
Check out this company that has integrated solar panels into the blades of a wind turbine.
Also in the UK.
They are being used in Turkey.
This has great potential in areas with vast road networks and a lot of traffic.
Check out this video on how they work!
Besides the maritime industry, solar sails can also be a revolutionary technology for space travel.
How about these traditional sails that have been fully integrated with solar panels!
https://www.hallberg-rassy.com/news/news/solar-panel-sails-2021-04
These futuristic rigid solar sails are making the shipping industry greener!
https://futurism.com/new-ship-rigid-solar-sails-harnesses-power-sun-wind-same-time
Solar sails can be the maritime industry’s future; they harness wind and solar power!
Floating turbines have been around for a while, but new and more innovative designs keep coming up.
Floating turbines are perfect for offshore areas where winds are strongest.
How about these underwater kite turbines that can generate energy from tidal waves?
https://hackaday.com/2023/11/15/underwater-kites-buoying-the-prospect-of-more-tidal-power-generation/
We could also install wind turbines in high-flying kites to increase efficiency.
This kite can harness wind energy to power maritime vessels, reducing their reliance on fossil fuels.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/30/travel/airseas-giant-kites-ships-slash-carbon-emissions-scn-climate-spc/index.html
Kites can fly higher than wind turbines, thus harnessing more energy.
You need not worry about charging your gadgets when you have this portable wind turbine generator. https://greenerideal.com/news/technology/0415-personal-sized-wind-turbine-for-charging-your-gadgets/
A must-have gadget when camping in the wild.
A portable wind turbine that can fit into your backpack can be very handy for remote travel.
Here’s one!
Check out these inflatable wind sails that might soon start appearing on ships.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/cargo-ships-sails-michelin-spc-intl/index.html
Some cargo ships do actually use sails to reduce fuel consumption!
Wind propulsion is the answer to the ever-worsening carbon emission crisis in the shipping industry.
Modern windmill ships are the future of the maritime industry; they can make sea travel greener and much cheaper.
Wind turbines can be an ideal solution for winter, but their efficiency could also be affected by ice, which can slow or stop them from spinning altogether.
The winter season has very strong winds that are perfect for wind energy generation!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/01/30/the-wicked-winds-of-winter-and-what-drives-them/
Here’s an even cooler idea – use the energy harvested from the deserts to turn them into green spaces where you can grow crops.
Deserts are also very windy and can produce a lot of wind energy.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jul-27-la-fi-windfarm-20100727-story.html
We should have solar energy plants in every desert in the world!
There are negative impacts on nature but these can be negated if thought about properly. This article details a few pointers for sustainable future development.
Lol, nice pic, though the wind isn’t the only problem on the Sussex coast. Got to say that the Rampion wind farm seems to be a total success. Read more about it here as these giant saviours are likely coming to your location too, soon.
Wind speeds of 122mph at the Needles on the Isle of Wight are provisionally the highest gust ever recorded in England, the Met Office said.
This could actually work, kind of like the opposite to the vertical fans you get for the office.
How about something like this, seen on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_axis_wind_turbine#/media/File:Light_pole_wind_turbine.gif
These are on their way I am sure of it. Although not cylindrical as such, the Japanese have invented vertical ones that would fit in cities.
The world’s largest turbine maker, can power more than 8,000 homes with blades that sweep an area larger than the London Eye.
The 9.5MW monster launched this year by Denmark’s MHI Vestas:
It’s already been done. They are perfect for harnessing offshore winds.