Founded by alumni Ben Glass '08, SM '10 and Adam Rein MBA '10, Altaeros has developed the world's first commercial airborne wind turbine, which uses a helium-filled shell to float as high as a skyscraper and capture the stronger, steadier winds available at that altitude. . China has successfully completed the first flight of its home-designed floating wind turbine, the S1500, in Hami, Xinjiang. The system passed strict tests, including full desert assembly and repeated deployments in high winds. This marks a major milestone for airborne wind power. The Buoyant Air Turbine (or BAT), developed by Altaeros Energies, uses an inflatable shell to float 1,000 to 2,000 feet above ground, where winds blow five to eight times stronger, and more. . An airborne wind turbine is a design concept for a wind turbine with a rotor supported in the air without a tower, [1] thus benefiting from the higher velocity and persistence of wind at high altitudes, while avoiding the expense of tower construction, [2] or the need for slip rings or yaw. . A torus‑shaped airborne wind turbine floats above land and water, its quiet presence hinting at the powerful energy streams turning high overhead — a reminder that innovation often works far beyond the reach of the eye. (Photo: Xinhua News) Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) is an innovative technology. . A Chinese startup is harnessing the constantly breezy conditions of the upper atmosphere to change the way we create wind power. Wind turbines usually jut up from the ground like giant pinwheels. The flying turbine measures 60×40×40 m and is built according to an aerostat + ring wing design, forming a giant air duct. Inside, there are 12 turbo generators, each with a. .
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