Saturday, 9 November 2013 - 00:01
Gliders compete with windmills
When driving through the Noord-Oostpolder, one might just see a glider, hanging from a cable in the air. These gliders are to generate electricity. The Dutch company Ampyx Power has started test flights.
A glider can generate as much power as a medium-sized windmill, according to Wolbert Allaart, director of Ampyx Power. The first commercial flights should be on the market in two years.
glider
Paul Hailday
Wikimedia commons The gliders are tied to a cable. They will be controlled by an automatic pilot in a set trajectory. The resistance, caused by their position in the wind, creates a big pull on the cable, generating electricity. The gliders can be made with less material than windmills. They weigh much less, and the visual impact is also smaller than that of windmills, according to Allaart.
Paul Hailday
Wikimedia commons The gliders are tied to a cable. They will be controlled by an automatic pilot in a set trajectory. The resistance, caused by their position in the wind, creates a big pull on the cable, generating electricity. The gliders can be made with less material than windmills. They weigh much less, and the visual impact is also smaller than that of windmills, according to Allaart.