50 MWe wind turine design at Uiv of Virginia, 200 m blades (SUMR)

[davefitz]

Based on the below link, it was announced that Sandia labs + univ of Virginia are investigating the design of a 50 MWe wind turbine, with 200m long individual blades. Called a segmented ultralight morphing rotor ( SUMR) , it uses flexible backward inclined blades that will fold into themselves during high wind conditions, similar to a palm leaf.

No mention of how they were going to lift the generator 300 m into the air.

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

 

[racookpe1978]

Sea-mounted system, so the 200 meter blade would be about those 300 meter above water level, and that crane for the generator then needs to be fixed to the bottom. Can be done. If the federal government wants to keep paying its donors to make and promote that small a generator at that small a capacity factor at that great an expense. Without subsidies and tax breaks?

 

[ornerynorsk]

I wonder what a beast like that would cost. The "small" 2 megawatt units near me have an installed cost of about $1/kw.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[ornerynorsk]

Oops, I mean $1/watt.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.