Advances in floating aerogenerators: Present status and future

New Energy Technologies: Microalgae, Photolysis and Airborne Wind Turbines

“…Research on Airborne Wind Energy Systems (AWESs) started in the 1970s, was almost abandoned in the 1990s but has seen rapid growth in recent years [39]. Wind turbines constructed close to the ground encounter a variable vertical wind profile and lower wind speeds compared with higher altitudes [13]. Winds are also less intermittent at high altitudes.…”

“…Three basic types of AWESs have been considered, a large variety of prototypes have been designed and tested [13,40,41], and hundreds of patents have been granted [39]. (Given the risk these may pose, the emphasis is on engineering design in these patents, in contrast to the other two new, more science-based, technologies discussed in this paper.)…”

“…In the second phase, the kite is reeled in, using the generator as a motor; the angle of attack of the kite is reduced, thus lowering line tension. The energy generated during the 'reel out' part of the cycle exceeds the energy needed for the 'reel in' part [13,41]. Unlike other AWES designs, no power cable is needed, but sophisticated control systems are essential.…”

“…The first two are presently being extensively researched (for example, putting the terms 'microalgae' + 'energy' into Google Scholar produced 205,000 returns). The research literature on airborne wind turbines is much smaller, but a number of commercial companies have entered the field [12,13], and research and development on the topic is being undertaken at a large number of institutions [14].…”

New Energy Technologies: Microalgae, Photolysis and Airborne Wind Turbines

“…"Fuel" rather than "energy" was used to qualify microalgae, and "photoelectrolysis" + "photoelectrochemistry" was used instead of the general term "photolysis" (used for simplicity in this paper) in order to eliminate papers not concerned with energy production. The research literature on airborne wind turbines is much smaller, but a number of commercial companies have entered the field [14,15], and research and development on the topic is being undertaken at a large number of institutions [16]. Where information was available, each of the new technologies chosen was examined using the following criteria: An important point to remember when comparing the new technologies with their conventional RE technologies is to compare like with like.…”