MAY 06

Magenn Power Inc. has moved forward and begun testing a prototype of their MARS (Magenn Air Rotor System) inside an old US Navy airship hangar before beginning outdoor trials at a customer's site in a few weeks. The MARS is a lighter-than-air turbine which is tethered to the ground between 300 and 1000 feet (roughly 90 to 300 meters) with conducting cables that transmit electricity to the ground. It is basically a blimp with its body configured with blades to catch the wind in order to generate power.

{digg}http://digg.com/environment/Spinning_Blimp_Wind_Turbines_Take_Test_Flight_PICS{/digg}

The MARS can be quickly deployed without extensive site-preparation or construction, and can reach higher into the atmosphere than traditional turbines, making it better suited for use on sites where the land is not flat. It is also better suited for providing power to remote, off-grid locations. Because the equipment is lightweight and readily transportable, it could make access to power for remote villages easier to supply. And, with its much higher reach, it provides an opportunity to use wind power in locations where a tower mounted turbine would not get enough wind to be useful.

Magenn plans to begin installing their turbines starting next year. According to the company, four units are expected to be installed next year. The first MARS turbines are going to be roughly 25 x 65 feet (7.6 x 19.8 meters) and will produce up to 10 kW. Apparently plans for a smaller-sized MARS turbine have been put aside for now. However, future versions of the MARS could reach much larger sizes and be capable of generating up to 2000 kW. The company says the price for a 10-25 kW MARS unit is yet to be determined, but is expected to be in the range of $3 to $5 per watt. Comparabl with current wind technology.

Keep reading for a ton of pictures (actual and art) of the technology.

Previously on EcoGeek: Spinning Blimp Wind Turbine

via: GreenTechMedia and EcoTech Daily

Comments (25)

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written by sarah, May 06, 2008

this seems like a great idea, but I can't help but wonder what it will to do airplane paths?

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What a dangerous irresponsible thing to
written by Graeme Brown, May 07, 2008

This is just asking for trouble. These things will come down and kill people.

Moronic greeners.

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nuclear = dangerous irresponsible
written by Steven, May 07, 2008

@Graeme Brown: so, floating, inflatable wind turbines are "dangerous irresponsible(sic)" are they? What a bizarre statement. Because nuclear, of course, has never hurt anyone...

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written by Michael Norden, May 07, 2008

Also, mercury and acid rain from coal fired plants never hurt anyone either?

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written by Dave, May 07, 2008

@Graeme Brown: Really it would be more irrisponsible to not find a renewable source of energy. As far as hurting anyone, they're pretty much just balloons. So calm down

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what
written by joel, May 11, 2008

I have never seen acid rain in my life

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Pretty brilliant
written by pedicuresandblackeyes, May 13, 2008

I could see this being very useful post-major-disaster where immediate electricity is needed but the power grid has been destroyed. Could you hook this contraption up to a hospital to be used as emergency power after the major event?

Pretty brilliant, if you ask me.

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Good to see there are fresh ideas around
written by Tim, May 14, 2008

It looks different i'll give it that! It is good to see that there are some fresh ideas out there for wind power.

The truly brilliant part is that this design is relocatable.

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just
written by Taylor, May 14, 2008

this seems like a great idea, but I can't help but wonder what it will to do airplane paths?

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written by P Proefrock, May 14, 2008

Since these are tethered at 300 to 1000 feet, the only airplane issue would be that they could not be deployed within 5 miles of an airport. Otherwise, they are well below the altitude that any aircraft would be operating at.

And, since they will most likely be deployed in remote locations, they are unlikely to cause great harm, even if one does loose lift and come back to ground. They are probably more dangerous electrically (and not very much so there, either) than they are as a flight hazard.

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:))
written by jhon, May 16, 2008

This seems like a great idea placing it somewhere in the country or mountains where it’s hard to stretch the electric wires and polls.

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written by cj, May 16, 2008

Finally some fresh thinking outside the smoke box about solutions to modern problems. Creative thinkers are beginning to infiltrate the ivory tower of engineering. Hopefully some of the political evil-genius' like the above hindenburg blogger will go AWOL on establishment and start fighting for the environment.

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Nuclear power
written by darth_brooks, May 31, 2008

@Steven: Who in this country, exactly, has been hurt by nuclear power? Know how many people died in Three Mile Island? None. No one else in the US has died because of nuclear power generation either.

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written by Drew, June 03, 2008

Crop Dusters. That could be a problem is these are in those "remote rural areas"... Crop Dusters

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written by nya, June 03, 2008

good idea. i think, one issue does come up though. is there any evidence that birds wont fly into it...what happens during a tornado..heavy wind gusts etc? i just want to make sure they doted their i's...but it is a great idea and im all for it!

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What have you come up with Grame?
written by Jessica, June 03, 2008

This is a great idea and they are TESTING IT! I am sure like every new idea there will be kinks to work out. For those of you who choose to criticize (GB)the creative thinkers out there you should just keep your negitave opinions to yourself and do what you do best NOTHING!

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Renewable Shall Overcome
written by Uncle B, June 06, 2008

Balloons to get to the higher speed wind flows are a brilliant contribution to the over-all energy crisis we all face. They may be higher maintenance, but will certainly be higher output. In the near-city farm fields, with proper retrieval winders, they could be brought in before big storms, and if they crashed it would maybe kill some corn! If all we can do is find fault with every new idea that comes along, we may as well sharpen our arrows and go long-bow hunting in Sherwood forest like most dreamers do! Support stuff like this! Invest in it! If you don't , the huge, multi-national corporations will, and you will be in the kiss-ass position all over again, only this time it will be for electricity, not oil!

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chemist
written by brooks, June 13, 2008

I'm wondering why they didn't build the balloon to go long ways into the wind and then make the blades like a corkscrew. Or have several blades at different distances in a similar corkscrew fashion. Since the back stroke of the balloons 'rotors' would be going against the wind on the under side in the current design.

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LOL @ Joel...
written by Jim, August 15, 2008

written by joel , May 11, 2008
"I have never seen acid rain in my life"

Unless your eyes start sensing pH you never will.

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Safe and clean
written by Matt, September 08, 2008

@Graeme Brown - The magenn project might seem like it would present significant risk if it were to fall, but associated with the actual lighter than air float/generator is a cleared perimeter of ground in which it will fall were it to fail. Also, they are currently intended for use in very rural areas such as African villages and/or over open water.

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To all who might listen
written by Mark Van Watteghem, September 18, 2008

All of these ideas out in the world of weird and new wind, geothermal and other renewable energy sytems are great and optimistic, I applaud them all. In my own city of Windsor, Ont. Canada, myself and others have come to a couple of realities that there is change in each of our hands. 1-stop buying as much gas as possible and convert to natural gas for vehicles, 2-convert each and every home to geothermally heated and cooled, 3-put up a guaranteed wind turbine and solar system, with solarthermal to power your home and or business, 4-put up green walls and green roofs, 5-rain water retension and purification, 6-your duty as being alive on this planet to tell all who will listen and make the change!!!

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president Save your money heating
written by lionel scott, June 09, 2009

great consept i have increased the effencey of my 20 year old oil boiler by modulating the water temperature below 120*f using an outdoor temperature control, no the boiler does not condensate.this is my contribution to reducing co2 small but effective.

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Make wind electric in many ways
written by Jim Warden, January 19, 2010

Storage of wind energy for days of no wind is the problem. WE found making GreenGas.cc has made us completely self sufficient even on days of no wind. Decentralize, that is the best thing we can do. Look at the problems like in Haiti when you get too many people in one place. Or Cairo or many others. see www.GreenGas.cc They are looking for places to do for free.

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FRIED!
written by george k, February 08, 2010

It's a very nice way to produce electrical power: In a single hour, it could produce 10kWh of wind power and 10GWh by lightnigs!

Do you really believe that this device could stand a single storm (even mild rain) without getting struck by a lightning????

Remember, the alternator is afloat, and the cables are conducting in order to bring the power to the earth (and connect to the grid)

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written by koach, October 06, 2010

nuclear! spent rods buried for 25k to 50k years. Now thats a bright idea.

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