http://weather.uwyo.edu/upperair/sounding.html
Found a log of weather balloon soundings. Illuminating the effect of much taller, larger wind machines. It seems when going from around 500 foot level to the 1000 foot level wind speed at least doubles.
Since available power varies with the cube of the windspeed, that means the 1000 foot machine would average around 8 times the power with the same size rotor. The 3.6 MW GE machine at 1000 feet?
Maybe 30 mw, instead of 3.6. Rumors in Europe are of a new 20 mw machine. By expanding the rotor diameter by 40% and elevation to 1000 feet it maybe possible to reach 60 mw. And average the same kwh production over time as 20 mw of coal or natural gas power production.
50 of these larger machines would equal a 1000 mw coal or nuclear plant. With no fuel or waste ever. The great plains has plenty of room for these, plenty more could be floated offshore on all three US coasts. Waves could add additional power, as well as ocean and tidal currents.
Gulf stream current could power the southeast with these floating wind/wave platforms by extending an underwater rotor beneath into the flow. Only 5 mph of water flow has 180 times the power potential of the same speed wind through a wind machine rotor. And the gulf Stream will not vary, unless arctic ice melt due to GHG stops it.
When that happens it's too late to act.
Floating wind/wave/current platforms can be built in shipyard drydocks and towed into place. No crane work out on the rough seas and underwater construction anchoring towers to the seabed, as with Cape Wind for instance. And far less eco damage. These can be far enough offshore to dissappear on the horizon. Qwelling NIBMYism.
Norsk Hydro is about to test the full size version of its floating wind machine. These are analogous to the liberty ships that helped win WW 2. New energy devices and policy to stop oil wars. Stopping wars (before they start) is even better than winning them.
