Blimpy Wind Generators - Fashion, Fad or Cool Toy to Annoy Your Neighbor?

And, of course, in the heat of the moment, I forgot to send y'all there...

<wiggles nose>

http://www.magenn.com/index.php

Fad...

It strikes me that if your location is suitable for one of those it is probably suitable for a more conventional wind generator, which would be presumably cheaper and more reliable....but maybe not so much fun?...Ah to hell with it I'll have a dozen

Del

No set price yet, but they are estimating in the $3-5 per watt range. That should put it inline with fixed systems when you take into account structural elements. Benefits I see (other than the nasty rumors you can paint on it as advertising) are that it can take advantage of the relatively higher average wind speeds at elevation. And if you move, you can take it with you.

Just sayin'...

And if your neighbor gives you any crap about it, you can paint "My neighbor is a Peeper" on it. When the cops come, you can feign incredulity and blame it on vandal pilots.

The thing about these is they are easier on the birds then conventional wind generators.

Hi ,

Last week I read an article (IEEE spectrum)

http://spectrum.ieee.org/mar08/6033

about installing wind turbines on the Galapagos Islands, as the existing diesel generators were a bit polluting, and the place was crawling with eco tourists, and it's a major logistical nightmare getting diesel into the place anyway. Apparently there was a lot of difficulty getting the large cranes required off the barges and onto the island. and ditto for turbine blades and mast. Most places where wind turbines are installed already have some kind of existing infrastructure.

The inflatable wind turbines might have been a better choice, you could probably get it all in a couple of shipping containers for transport. And they also had issues with endangered bird species.

PS , What happens when lightning hits one of these blimpy things?

Cheers, BobT

No, I was not asking what happens when lightning hits it...it's called a ground wire. Can we incorporate that into the system...probably not, at least not cost effectively.

What I'm looking at with this are the upsides vs any downsides that may have bypassed me.

There are HUGE problems with using helium to lift and sustain power generation equipment.

Ok, this is what I was looking for. What would those problems be? And can you beat the engineers that designed and are starting to produce the system? But these are the kinds of things I was looking for. I have no experience working with helium (or hydrogen as a lifting agent). Please enlighten.

'The reason for the delay is that it is taking longer than anticipated raising the funds necessary to finish prototypes and get the product ready for market.'

'A large object like the Magenn Air Rotor creates substantial lift, so much so that the device should actually work in a wind, without using a lifting gas.'

engineers should never say 'should'

'Demo units are NOT available yet. Magenn Power will have demo units available by

late 2006.' --please.. please update this site

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If it lasts 15 years(right) it will cost about 100-150K JUST to keep it filled.

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Just because the military can afford to float tons... does not make it affordable...

not questioning your numbers of 100 to 150k to float for a year, but where and how did you get that number? And I mentioned nothing about military, hence I'm assuming an agenda?

In the companies FAQ's they cite the lifting success of the military as a means to justify their own lifting goals.

they also say a couple or more refills per year with the 32,000 cubic foot envelope.. given the price of helium...

That is a fifteen year guess. Not a 1 year number.

It's still low considering they have never done a single successful test.

JE I think you are right. If the concept is so easy, I would have a couple up their working a windup radio or some such just to prove you can lift the kit and generate electricity through rotation. What are we talking for a small working prototype, £2,500 is my guess. If I saw film of that it would impress a lot more than computer generated graphics. If I want fantasy, I can always watch Lord of the Rings.

Simon

Here is yet another way to keep this dream alive

Is the tube "T' running to the guy in the gondola powered by legume ingestion and partial digestion?

That gives a new insite on "80 days around the World"...Mexicans would rule in that race : :P