Home             Your notes are welcome: Editor@UpperWindpower.com       Most recent edit to this page: Wednesday, 01 June 2011    06/01/2011 01:46 PM -0600
 

Upper winds: Smoother, more dependable, more consistent, faster,
more directionally stable, more vertical installation space by far, more distant from human operations, 
higher energy potential, beyond boundary layer wind gradient, fewer bats and birds,
less particulates, and  more placement opportunity!

DRAFT (critique of phrasing, validation, references, links, further aspects, and suggestions are invited)
Most recent edit: Wednesday, 01. June 2011

The upper-wind resource
versus boundary-zone wind resource
Aspect Boundary-zone wind Upper
wind		 Comment References
Turbulence More turbulent Less turbulent.    
Access for turbines over land Sparse siting with turbine locked to seat over anchor Broad and thick access from remote anchors    
Access for turbines offshore Large boundary zone Huge upper zone even among towered turbine farms    
Thickness Thin opportunity Very thick vertical  opportunity    
Reliability Less predictable More predictable    
Velocity magnitude Slower Faster    
Velocity magnitude variability:
magnitude steadiness		 Less steady More steady    
Velocity direction variability:
direction steadiness		 Less steady More steady in direction:
Fewer changes of direction		    
Rate of change of magnitude Larger rate of change of direction Smaller rate of change of direction    
Rate of change of direction Larger rate of change of direction Smaller rate of change of direction    
Traffic More users and viewers Fewer users and viewers    
Vertical sheer Less opportunity for enhancing generation More opportunity for AWECS generation    
Velocity zone choices Fewer choices More choices, one of which is the boundary zone. But many more zones.    
Temperature Less consistent More consistent    
Moisture        
Icing        
Ultraviolet damage        
Power opportunity Less Greater by far    
Particulates Problematic Favorable    
Birds Problematic Favorable    
Bats Problematic Favorable    
Mobility Less More    
NIMBY noise Problematic Favorable    
Vulnerability to vandalism        
Dependence on ground topography Site challenging Favorable    
ROI        
Specific energy made for sale from the system        
Homogeneity of patterns Less Greater    
Predictability Less Greater    
Multiple uses Less Greater Any of thousands of kite applications.  

 

Rough notes:

Permit working with less efficiency and such costs for that efficiency.

Less dependent upon the conversion efficiency of the system