New Mars Forums

Michael Bloxham

Member

From: Auckland, New Zealand

Registered: 2002-03-31

Posts: 426

Re: Wind Power

Researchers in Australia are currently testing a new type of wind turbine. Heres how it works: The device consists of a long tether; anchored to the ground, a helicopter-like turbine, and a small generator. It is launched by feeding power to the small generator, which doubles as a motor. The motor turns the turbine, which helicopters into the atmosphere. Once the tether is taught, and the turbine is at its highest altitude, the motor is turned off and is now kept aloft only by the continual pressure of the jet stream. The turbine is spun by the jet stream, and the power produced is sent back down the tether.

   My question is whether or not mars has jet streams. Jet streams are often one-hundred times the speed of surface winds, and are therefore a much better source of wind power.

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- Mike,  Member of the [b][url=http://cleanslate.editboard.com]Clean Slate Society[/url][/b]

Michael Bloxham

Member

From: Auckland, New Zealand

Registered: 2002-03-31

Posts: 426

Re: Wind Power

Adrian can you please delete this topic? I accidentally posted my message as a new topic. Oops. I reinstalled it as a reply to the 'Power generation on mars' post. So you can go ahead and delete this one if you will. Thanks.

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- Mike,  Member of the [b][url=http://cleanslate.editboard.com]Clean Slate Society[/url][/b]

dicktice

Member

From: Nova Scotia, Canada

Registered: 2002-11-01

Posts: 1,764

Re: Wind Power

Researchers in Australia are currently testing a new type of wind turbine. Heres how it works: The device consists of a long tether; anchored to the ground, a helicopter-like turbine, and a small generator. It is launched by feeding power to the small generator, which doubles as a motor. The motor turns the turbine, which helicopters into the atmosphere. Once the tether is taught, and the turbine is at its highest altitude, the motor is turned off and is now kept aloft only by the continual pressure of the jet stream. The turbine is spun by the jet stream, and the power produced is sent back down the tether.

   My question is whether or not mars has jet streams. Jet streams are often one-hundred times the speed of surface winds, and are therefore a much better source of wind power.

My only thought is, in Australia this should be considered a monumental hazard to air navigation!

Josh Cryer

Moderator

Registered: 2001-09-29

Posts: 3,830

Re: Wind Power

Hmm, I never saw this post. Very interesting concept. Probably even more dooable on thicker atmosphere Mars with it's lower G and all. Currently, I don't think Mars has a jet stream of any appreciable size. Venus certainly does, but not Mars; the atmosphere is too thin.

I don't think air space is a problem, though. The sky is vast, and all you need is about a cubic mile of space. Planes ought to be able to navigate around something like it quite easily.

I just wonder what kind of power generation we're talking about here. It seems that most of the energy would be exhausted keeping it aloft.

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Some useful links while MER are active. [url=http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html]Offical site[/url] [url=http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Web.html]NASA TV[/url] [url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/]JPL MER2004[/url] [url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/statustextonly.html]Text feed[/url]
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The amount of solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth totals some 3.9 million exajoules a year.

Sir Bloxham

Member

From: Auckland, New Zealand

Registered: 2003-01-14

Posts: 5

Re: Wind Power

The frame of the device acts like a kite, keeping it aloft.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,832

Re: Wind Power

Since ingenuity has been able to fly can a simple Kite do it as well....

Gigantic kites could provide power to human colonies on Mars