Comment on 'Windmill': China tests world’s first megawatt-level airship to capture high winds

• humanspiral@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Contentious. Thethering increases power production by restricting the “sail movement power”. The blimp part is highly/perfectly aerodynamic, and the betz limit means that a turbine does not fully “act like a parachute”. Ground vehicles that proved faster than wind speed directly upwind could use similar principle to turn a propulsion prop, that increases forward/apparent wind speed generating more power.

  This relates to same incredulity for faster than wind upwind ground experiment, and needs experimental proof. But principles of sailing are indeed magical, and simply generating enough power to move forward is extremely useful, even if tacking were needed.

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  • 5gruel@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    In all your examples there is the ground to provide a counteracting force. Maybe I am misunderstanding what you mean by untethered, but any initial airspeed difference between the wind and your system will eventually vanish and you’ll move along with the surrounding air.

    I co-founded an AWE startup 8 years ago and let me tell you, literature does not support your claim.

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