China's self-developed airship harvests wind power at record height

WUHAN -- China's domestically developed buoyant airborne turbine reached a record height on Thursday in Central China's Hubei province, harnessing stronger, steadier winds from higher altitudes to generate power.

The helium-filled S500 blimp ascended to 500 meters above ground in the city of Jingmen, generating power at a rate of over 50 kW, according to Beijing SAWES Energy Technology Co Ltd, one of the developers of the system.

The operation broke records for both the maximum flying height and power generated by an airborne turbine of such a design, according to the company.

High-altitude wind is considered a widespread and stable source of clean energy that can be harvested at low cost. A BAT system employs a kite-like airship to fly up the generator and send down the electricity through the tethers to the ground.

The S500 airship is developed by the company in collaboration with Chinese institutes including Tsinghua University and the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"S500 is developed for scenarios such as emergency rescue, surveying and mapping, and urban security. When an earthquake or flood occurs, it can be quickly launched to ensure on-site power supply and communication," said the company's chief technology officer Weng Hanke.

Weng added that they plan to test a 100-kW power generation at a height of 1,000 meters using the turbine.