The umbrella-ladder combination adopted in the megawatt-level high-altitude wind power demonstration project in Jixi County, east China's Anhui Province. /Energy China
China's first megawatt-level high-altitude wind power demonstration project successfully generated electricity on Sunday in east China's Anhui Province, said China Energy Engineering Group (Energy China), the investor, constructor and operator of the project.
Located in Jixi County, the project boasts a total installed capacity of 2x2.4 megawatts, and can utilize wind energy at altitudes between 500 meters and 3,000 meters for power generation.
The umbrella-ladder combination adopted in the megawatt-level high-altitude wind power demonstration project in Jixi County, east China's Anhui Province. /Energy China
High-altitude wind energy is a kind of renewable and clean energy with abundant reserves and wide distribution. Compared with offshore and onshore wind energy, it has the advantages of high power density and stable wind direction, offering great potential for development and utilization.
The project adopts a land-based high-altitude wind power generation technology, forming an umbrella-ladder combination in which the umbrella part is tied to a cable and flied to a certain altitude like a kite.
More specifically, the umbrella unit first rises to a height of over 500 meters by an initial lift provided by a helium balloon, where it opens up to capture wind energy. Then the part, affected by wind, reciprocates the cable, driving the ground-based equipment to convert wind energy into mechanical energy, and finally the ground power generator converts mechanical energy into electricity.
It is the country's first engineering project using high-altitude wind power generation technology, which has great significance for promoting the technology and its industrialization, said Energy China.