Google invents a novel ship propelling system.
It seems Google is expanding its footprint in the transportation industry, with a novel ship propelling system.
A recently patent publication from Google shows that they have invented a new way to propel ships on water.
(courtesy of Patent Yogi)
It seems Google is expanding its footprint in the transportation industry, with a novel ship propelling system.
A recently patent publication from Google shows that they have invented a new way to propel ships on water.
(courtesy of Patent Yogi)
Patent is 'Airborne rigid kite with on-board power plant for ship propulsion'
It shows a vehicle-based ‘windmill’ system with rotors and rotating blades
This system could power and propel Google's floating data centers
An electrically conductive tether would link the two and transfer energy
It appears Google has shifted their sights from land to sea with a new innovation that makes with the firm's vision of floating data centers one closer to a reality.
A recent patent describes a vehicle-based ‘windmill’ system with a range of rotors and rotating blades on its wing, capable of generating enough power to run and cool down the massive servers.
The tech giant suggests putting these flying turbines on their 'ocean-going vessels' with an electrically conductive tether, which would produce power while flying and propel the ship through the water.
A recent patent describes a vehicle-based ‘windmill’ system (left) with a range of rotors and rotating blades on its wings, which could generate enough power to run and cool Google's floating data centers (right)
Makani's energy kite is an improved wind turbine, generating more energy, with less materials, and at lower costs.
The patent, first spotted by Patent Yogi, was filed in May 2016 and is named ‘Airborne rigid kite with on-board power plant for ship propulsion'.
It also lists three inventors who are kite engineers with the firm Makani Power, which was acquired by Google X in 2013.
Makani Power stated that the ‘energy kite’ has the potential to generate 50 per cent more energy while eliminating 90 per cent of the materials used and for half the cost of conventional wind turbine.
Now, it appears Google X is putting the technology to good use and combining it with their vision of floating data centers, which Google patented in 2009.
The document describes an environmentally-friendly sea-powered telecommunications and storage system that looks much like the vessels that have appears on both side of the continent.
'A system includes a floating platform-mounted computer data center comprising a plurality of computing units, a sea-based electrical generator in electrical connection with the plurality of computing units, and one or more sea-water cooling units for providing cooling to the plurality of computing units,' Google wrote in the patent.
Kites aren't just toys anymore.It also lists three inventors who are kite engineers with the firm Makani Power, which was acquired by Google X in 2013.
Makani Power stated that the ‘energy kite’ has the potential to generate 50 per cent more energy while eliminating 90 per cent of the materials used and for half the cost of conventional wind turbine.
Now, it appears Google X is putting the technology to good use and combining it with their vision of floating data centers, which Google patented in 2009.
The document describes an environmentally-friendly sea-powered telecommunications and storage system that looks much like the vessels that have appears on both side of the continent.
'A system includes a floating platform-mounted computer data center comprising a plurality of computing units, a sea-based electrical generator in electrical connection with the plurality of computing units, and one or more sea-water cooling units for providing cooling to the plurality of computing units,' Google wrote in the patent.
Makani's energy kite is an improved wind turbine, generating more energy, with less materials, and at lower costs.
The ‘windmills’ would save Google money, as the firm spends billions of dollars each quarter to power the servers.
The team believes these kites, or windmill system, could generate free power on the ship, which could also be stored for emergencies or during bad weather.
‘Conventional wind turbines typically include large turbine blades positioned atop a tower,’ reads the patent.
‘An alternative to the costly conventional wind turbine towers that may be used to harness wind energy is to use an aerial vehicle attached to a ground station with an electrically conductive tether’.
The team believes these kites, or windmill system, could generate free power on the ship, which could also be stored for emergencies or during bad weather.
‘Conventional wind turbines typically include large turbine blades positioned atop a tower,’ reads the patent.
‘An alternative to the costly conventional wind turbine towers that may be used to harness wind energy is to use an aerial vehicle attached to a ground station with an electrically conductive tether’.
The patent, first spotted by Patent Yogi , was filed in May 2016 and is named ‘Airborne rigid kite with on-board power plant for ship propulsion'.
t also lists three inventors who are kite engineers with the firm Makani Power, which was acquired by Google X in 2013
‘Such an alternative may be referred to as an Airborne Wind Turbine or ‘AWT’’.
The patent explains that an AWT includes a rigid wing with mounted turbines, which flies between 250 and 600 meters in the air – or in this case, over water.
This system is then linked to a ground station on the ship via an electrically conductive tether that gathers the energy produced by the device, which ‘may then be used for propulsive or auxiliary purposes’.
The patent explains that an AWT includes a rigid wing with mounted turbines, which flies between 250 and 600 meters in the air – or in this case, over water.
This system is then linked to a ground station on the ship via an electrically conductive tether that gathers the energy produced by the device, which ‘may then be used for propulsive or auxiliary purposes’.
The ‘windmills’ would save Google money, as the firm spends billions of dollars each quarter to power the servers.
The team believes these kites, or windmill system, could generate free power on the ship, which could also be stored for emergencies or during bad weather
Now, it appears Google X is putting the technology to good use and combining it with their vision of floating data centers, which Google patented in 2009.
Pictured is a concept drawing of Google's floating data center
‘During launch, the aerial vehicle may operate in a hover mode, with the fuselage generally perpendicular to the grounds, the rotors may operate in thrust generating mode,’ according to the patent.
‘In some embodiments, the power to rotate the turbine blades in the thrust generating mode is provided through the electrically conductive tether from the ground station, and in other embodiments the power to rotate the turbine blades is supplied from power stored on the aerial vehicle.’
Google continues to explain that this system ‘may lead to significant fuel savings and reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
When Google acquired Makani Power in 2013, Peter Fitzgerald, Google’s UK sales director, said the turbines could also save on construction costs. Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, he said the turbines could spell a solution to the world’s energy problems.
He said: ‘It can make a big difference when it comes to energy.
‘In some embodiments, the power to rotate the turbine blades in the thrust generating mode is provided through the electrically conductive tether from the ground station, and in other embodiments the power to rotate the turbine blades is supplied from power stored on the aerial vehicle.’
Google continues to explain that this system ‘may lead to significant fuel savings and reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
When Google acquired Makani Power in 2013, Peter Fitzgerald, Google’s UK sales director, said the turbines could also save on construction costs. Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, he said the turbines could spell a solution to the world’s energy problems.
He said: ‘It can make a big difference when it comes to energy.
The patent explains that an AWT includes a rigid wing with mounted turbines, which flies between 250 and 600 meters in the air – or in this case, over water.
And these flying systems would stay connected to the ship with a electrically conductive tether (pictured)
This system is then linked to a ground station on the ship via an electrically conductive tether that gathers the energy produced by the device, which ‘may then be used for propulsive or auxiliary purposes’
Links :
‘It is tethered, has wings and if you go to high altitude flying around bringing energy.
You have to spend a lot of money on steel and concrete to build these massive turbines and you can only do that in about 15 per cent of the world where the wind is fast enough.’
With the tethered turbines, he added, you could use them on ‘double the amount of land’.
He admitted: ‘It’s kind of out there.
You have to spend a lot of money on steel and concrete to build these massive turbines and you can only do that in about 15 per cent of the world where the wind is fast enough.’
With the tethered turbines, he added, you could use them on ‘double the amount of land’.
He admitted: ‘It’s kind of out there.
Links :
- CNET : Is Google building a hulking floating data center in SF Bay?
- Techcrunch : Google Says Its Mystery Barges May Be Used As Interactive Space Where People Can Learn About Its Technology
- TEdx : A Different Kind of Wind Power: Damon Vander Lind at TEDxEmbryRiddle
- YouTube : Kitemill, airborne wind energy
Alphr : Google to be 100% powered by renewable energy in 2017
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