Airloom Energy

[EEVblog]

https://airloomenergy.com/

Claims:
- Less than 1/10 the cost of a turbine
- Under 1/4 the cost to build a windfarm
- 1/3 the LCOE compared to traditional wind energy
- Can be built vertically or horizontally, either onshore or offshore
- Easy to transport: a 2.5 MW Airloom fits inside a standard tractor trailer
- Better for viewplanes: less mass, lower profile
- Quickly manufactured: uses readily sourced materials and parts

I haven't looked into, so haven't put in the Dodgy Technology section yet, but knock yourself out.

Robert Lumley
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT
Robert Lumley (MBA, UCLA, Finance; BA Williams College Chemistry and Economics) is the inventor of the Airloom and founder of Airloom Energy, Inc. After earning his corporate badges (Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo), Mr. Lumley embarked on an entrepreneurial career spanning three decades. Innovative endeavors include pioneering work in business process outsourcing (Haystack Systems) and operating as principal in over $20 million in real estate investments and retail (island of Kauai).

Inspired by mathematics, optimization modeling, and kiteboarding, Mr. Lumley conceived of the Airloom one evening in a pub in Berlin after a wind energy conference. The Airloom has since been awarded numerous grants from the National Science Foundation and the state of Wyoming. US and international patents have been issued and more are in process.

At Airloom, Mr. Lumley oversees technical strategy and implementation (including “in-the-weeds” modeling, implementation, and troubleshooting). He also directs R&D; oversees general operations and facilities; manages fund-raising, and develops commercialization strategies.

He still owns the original sketch of the AirLoom drawn on a cocktail napkin in Berlin.

[EEVblog]

It's gotten the Matt Ferrell kiss of death:

[WillTurner]

I have doubts about any wind machine that is not horizontal axis (HAWT).

[HarryDoPECC]

Promoter is a finance bro and real estate salesman.
Despite no training in engineering or education in laws of physics, he thinks he can invent a new energy source that deliberately operates at heights where available wind energy is least.

And then the “cocktail napkin” origin story, lovely touch for the future “investors”. 

[ejeffrey]

Cost estimates comparing established technology to something that only exists on a cocktail napkin are worth less than the paper they are drawn on.

Other than that, their systems seems like it must be strictly inferior to a bunch of wind turbines with 30 m hub height and 10 m blades.  Like it basically is a farm of small wind turbines with an extra roller coaster rail tacked on for... some reason.

Small wind turbines like that would be a lot easier to manufacture, transport around, and install, too compared to the 100 m behemoths we are now.  The reason we don't do that so much is that taller ones can access more, stronger, steadier wind that more than  makes up for the extra cost.

[Gyro]

It looks remarkably similar to this hydropower generator design...  https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/unusual-design-of-a-free-flow-hydropower-station/

[MarkT]

Clearly its too flimsy and will fall apart, there's so little stiffness in the system that aerodynamic flutter is surely going to wreck it just like Tacoma Narrows - a single track in the middle of the aerofoils?  Wind is gusty, especially near the ground, so I expect rapid failure on windy days from this weak point of mounting to the track.

The giveaway is the talk of testing each component separately - that's never the hard part!

And so much friction in a track too.

Can the aerofoils be feathered to avoid damage in extreme wind conditions?  How do you stop it for maintanence?

What mechanism can transfer the track power to generators whilst open to the elements and not wear out rapidly? One mild duststorm and its game over.

I'm calling this one out as doomed.