KiteX windmill

[PierreB]

@dougselsam

I do not agree though, with what was said at the beginning of their interview, that their small turbine’s mass-to-power ration can be compared to MegaWatt turbines. We all know about the cube/square laws of scaling. Pretty much ALL small wind turbines make a lot more power per unit weight than larger ones, just as a radio-controlled stunt plane can always outperform a full-scale airplane.
I don’t think the Kite-X turbine has a better power-to-weight ratio than other small turbines

At about 4:00, KiteX is given for 16 W/ kg, in contrast to 2 W/kg for a large wind turbine.
Part of the difference can actually be attributed to “the cube/square laws of scaling”.

But this is not enough to explain the low mass of KiteX which is due (and this is well explained in the interview) to its structure which is similar to that of some AWES.

Indeed, if I am correct, almost all tension forces are absorbed by a sort of TRPT, which allows to relieve the rigid parts and makes them lighter.