The makers of Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT) think they’ve got the next step in alternative wind energy, without the large grounded turbines. The BAT is a high-altitude mobile wind-powered generator, that’s able to convert the more powerful wind currents into a substantial amount of electricity. It can also hoist cellular transmitters and meteroological equipment.
It sounds great, but the BAT isn’t perfect…right? Kim Horcher, Tim Frisch, and Christina Ochoa (Scirens, Chaotic Awesome) discuss!
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/altaer…
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Comments
They should be using hydrogen instead of helium. Hydrogen is more buoyant than helium, and can be generated easily (and locally) with the electrolysis of water. A small portion of the electricity generated by the BAT can be used to generate new hydrogen to replace any that leaks out over time. The Hindenburg’s fire was initially fueled by the canvas skin, which was doped with aluminum and iron oxide (the same constituents of thermite and rocket fuel). The hydrogen of course burned later, but it was not the initial fuel for the fire.
While relatively more expense, helium can be distilled from the atmosphere
http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2011/ph240/tilghman1/