10kW PowerPlane Prototype

The 10kW PowerPlane prototype system which is used for finalizing the full automation of power production has the following dimensions:

Commercial 100kW PowerPlane system

The dimensions of a commercial 100kW PowerPlane system are comparable to manned glider planes. The commercial 100kW PowerPlane system is designed such that it is transportable in standard containers and can be installed without requiring large cranes.

Commercial 1MW PowerPlane system

The dimensions of a commercial 1MW PowerPlane system are modest compared to conventional wind turbines of similar power rating. For instance, the rotor diameter of a 1MW conventional wind turbine is 50 meters.

PowerPlane windpark

Permits
A PowerPlane wind park will always exist of 3 or more PowerPlane systems. The process of obtaining permits from the relevant airspace authorities  for operating a PowerPlane wind park implies the same effort largely  independent of the number of systems installed. It is therefore more practical to install several systems in one location.

Levelling power production
Furthermore, the power production of one single PowerPlane system is not continuous. No power is produced during the phase that the plane descends and the cable is reeled in.  This phase comprises about 1/6th of the cycle time Whereas the power production / pattern flying phase comprises about 5/6 of the cycle time. The phasing of several PowerPlane systems is tuned such that the power production of the wind park as a whole is levelled over time.

Placement of PowerPlane systems
PowerPlane systems are placed at a distance in between of half their maximum cable length.  In comparison, conventional wind turbines are placed at about 6 times their rotor diameter which translates to a spacing of 300 meters for  conventional 1MW wind turbines. Due to the higher capacity factor realized by PowerPlane systems, the MWh produced per Ha of land is slightly higher for PowerPlane systems.