A Kite That Might Fly

The notion of tethered wind turbines that generate electricity from abundant and reliable high-altitude winds seems futuristic. Now, KAUST research led by Georgiy Stenchikov has identified the most favorable areas for high-altitude wind-energy systems in the Middle East.

Windmills could harvest wind energy from the lower
 100-150 m and suffer from intermittent wind supply.
 But there is abundant wind resource higher up which has led
 researchers and energy companies to explore the potential
for using winds at high altitudes. © ImageSource

The results confirm that there is abundant wind energy up there that could feasibly be harnessed, bringing the possibility of high-altitude power generation a step closer.

“We are very enthusiastic about taking this work forward,” says Udaya Gunturu, who studies atmospheric processes at KAUST.

Read the Science and Technology Research News story - “A Kite That Might Fly.”

The real 'great race' starts in Darwin

The world's first - a Dutch built
four-seater solar powered car.

Each October the petrol-powered V8 dinosaurs gather at Bathurst for what has become traditionally known as “the great race”.

Little do the participants, organizers and fans of the Bathurst event realise, the real “great race” began today in Darwin when 40 solar-powered cars set out to race across Australia.

Bathurst is about yesterday and Darwin is about tomorrow.

An ABC story headed: “Futuristic solar cars launch from Darwin for World Solar Challenge”, tells about years of engineering and thousands of dollars in technology, that relies only on energy from the sun, being tested as the cars race through the Australian desert.