Surface turbines, in high wind/wave seas, would need extraordinary levels of engineering with a corresponding extraordinary costs. High wind tethered turbines<http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/next-generation/5-wild-flying-turbines#slide-5>, however, may be a lower cost option for this scenario. Beyond wind energy conversion, high wind tether farms would provide highly useful platforms for a multitude of scientific/security uses. Also, if such wind farms were to be combined with a stratospheric based energy distribution grid, similar in physical design to Googles' Project Loon<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Loon> with energy management systems envisioned in many space based solar energy concepts<http://www.atmos.washington.edu/2009Q1/111/Readings/Hoffert2002_world_energy_needs.pdf>, the wind farms could be distributed along the primary storm development paths and function as a means of storm prevention rather than mitigation while delivering commercial scale energy for the terrestrial grid.
The concept of using stratospheric aircraft for energy distribution is well within the scope of using these same craft as internet links. Best, Michael On Friday, February 28, 2014 6:39:52 AM UTC-8, David Hawkins wrote: > > Interesting analysis suggesting an action that is both a type of > geo-engineering and emissions mitigation. > > > Abstract of Nature Climate Change paper > > Hurricanes are causing increasing damage to many coastal regions > worldwide. Offshore wind turbines can provide substantial clean electricity > year-round, but can they also mitigate hurricane damage while avoiding > damage to themselves? This study uses an advanced climate–weather computer > model that correctly treats the energy extraction of wind turbines to > examine this question. It finds that large turbine arrays (300+ GW > installed capacity) may diminish peak near-surface hurricane wind speeds by > 25–41 m s−1 (56–92 mph) and storm surge by 6–79%. Benefits occur whether > turbine arrays are placed immediately upstream of a city or along an > expanse of coastline. The reduction in wind speed due to large arrays > increases the probability of survival of even present turbine designs. The > net cost of turbine arrays (capital plus operation cost less cost reduction > from electricity generation and from health, climate, and hurricane damage > avoidance) is estimated to be less than today’s fossil fuel electricity > generation net cost in these regions and less than the net cost of sea > walls used solely to avoid storm surge damage. > > REFERENCES: > > * Mark Z Jacobson, Cristina L Archer, Willett Kempton, Taming > hurricanes with arrays of o ffshore wind turbines, Nature Climate Change, > 2014, DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE2120<http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2120> > > > Sent from my iPad > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
