Recently, a giant airship appeared in the sky over Fairbanks, a town in central Alaska. Its appearance resembles that of a stingray in the ocean, but its purpose is not for passenger sightseeing; rather, it is a high-altitude wind turbine invented by scientists.
According to foreign media reports, the Altaeros research team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is testing a new wind power system called the "Buoyant Airborne Turbine" (BAT), which is filled with helium and is typically placed at an altitude of 1,000 to 2,000 feet (approximately 305 to 610 meters) above the ground. The generated electricity will be transmitted back to ground equipment via wires.
As for why the airship is placed hundreds of meters in the air, the research team believes that the wind resources at this height are abundant, and there are few birds passing through, making it safer for both the equipment and the birds. Additionally, people on the ground can easily observe the operational status of the wind turbine.
The research team believes that the efficiency of high-altitude wind power is twice that of similar facilities on the ground, but this comes with increased costs.
Estimates indicate that the cost of generating 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity from high-altitude wind power is 18 cents, while the cost of traditional ground wind power is only 4 to 5 cents.
In response, the research team stated that high-altitude wind power will not be deployed on a large scale at present; the project's original intention is to provide electricity to those living in remote areas.
It is reported that the testing by the Altaeros team will last for 18 days and cost up to $1.3 million.