Design and Fabrication of a Lighter than Air Wind Turbine

The Lighter than Air (LTA) Wind Turbine system utilizes the stronger wind currents at higher altitudes to generate electricity. Suspended in the air with the help of tethers, this system is capable of rotating about its axis which further actuates an onboard AC generator that transfers the current to the ground, where the alternating current is transformed into useful direct current. The envelope and wing design of the system is such that it can operate under conditions with wind flow from two directions and a spherical envelope further increases the balloon’s stability in turbulent weathers due to an acting Magnus effect. Such systems have the efficacy of being used very efficiently in metropolitan cities where the establishment of conventional wind turbines is not feasible due to space constraints. Such lighter than air systems have a huge latent potential in building a sustainable future and this project works towards the manifestation of the same. This paper offers an alternative which can be further worked upon to make a viable solution for this concept.