Joby Energy hopes to be able to harness atmospheric wind with a 500-kilowatt winged turbine by next year. Although this is a pretty ambitious undertaking, the success of this project could mean big things in terms of eco-conscious power generation.
The smartest part of this idea lies in the fact that the highest levels of our planet's atmosphere contain a staggering 870 terawatts of power (870 trillion watts). In addition to this, it would require significantly less raw material used per watt of power. In fact, Joby Energy would use just "20 tons of material per megawatt, compared to the conventional wind power industry average of 96 tons."
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Atmospheric Wind Power
- The development of kite-like turbines to harness atmospheric wind for power generation creates new opportunities for renewable energy.
- Reduced Material Usage
- Joby Energy's innovative turbine design could disrupt the wind power industry by significantly reducing the amount of raw material used per watt of power.
- High Altitude Power Generation
- The huge amount of power potential in the earth's highest atmosphere presents an opportunity for advancement in high altitude power generation technology.
Where This Applies
- Renewable Energy
- The kite-like turbine design could revolutionize how the wind power industry generates renewable energy.
- Raw Materials
- Reducing the amount of raw materials needed to generate renewable energy could have a significant impact on the raw materials industry.
- High Altitude Aviation
- Aircraft technology industries could benefit from advancements in high altitude power generation as it aligns with their field of expertise.
