[ExI] kite power?

[spike]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org 
> [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of BillK
> Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 12:53 AM
> To: ExI chat list
> Subject: Re: [ExI] kite power?
> 
> On 6/19/09, Damien Broderick wrote:
> >  Kites could power world 100 times over  Friday, 19 June 2009
> >
> >  SYDNEY: High-flying Kites could harness enough energy to power the 
> > world 100 times over, according to a survey of high-altitude winds.
> >
> 
> 
> The main problem I see with high-flying kites harnessing 
> jetstream windpower is that it reminds me of barrage balloons in WWII.
> So these kites would have to be concentrated in defined areas 
> that all aircraft (commercial and private) would 
> automatically avoid. And the kites couldn't be too close 
> together, to avoid the risk of cables tangling. This 
> restricts the number of kites that could be flown...

> BillK

True, however we already have highways in the sky.  There are plenty of
stay-out zones for aviation, such as over military bases and such.  The
number of aviation stay-out zones will surely increase.  I can easily see
the advantages of hauling the power generation cables aloft, so that they
don't swat birds all over the neighborhood, and stay in contact with better
wind.  A cable is much easier to build than a tower.  I could imagine these
kinds of schemes eventually contributing a percent or possibly two percent,
to total power generation.

spike