this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2025
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'Windmill': China tests world’s first megawatt-level airship to capture high winds (interestingengineering.com)
submitted 1 day ago by kalkulat@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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"High-altitude winds between 1,640 and 3,281 feet (500 and 10,000 meters) above the ground are stronger and steadier than surface winds. These winds are abundant, widely available, and carbon-free.

"The physics of wind power makes this resource extremely valuable. “When wind speed doubles, the energy it carries increases eightfold, triple the speed, and you have 27 times the energy,” explained Gong Zeqi "

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[–] Redjard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 10 hours ago

It is actually a notable fraction (~60%) and more importantly constant.
Meaning if your wind has 27x more energy, you can also capture 27x more energy.

This is the energy taken from the wind passing through the disk the turbine spins in, so turbines are placed in spaced out rows to let the wind mix with all the air that didn't pass through a turbine and pick up speed again.