Magenn gets its floating wind turbine off the ground — indoors, at least.

Canadian startup Magenn Power has been holed-up in a cavernous, World War 2 era blimp hangar trying to demonstrate that its Magenn Air Rotor System (MARS) will actually work. The tethered, helium filled turbine is designed to be a significant departure from the way most people think of wind power:

MARS is a lighter-than-air tethered wind turbine that rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind, generating electrical energy. This electrical energy is transferred down the 1000-foot tether for immediate use, or to a set of batteries for later use, or to the power grid.

–Magenn press release

It has taken Magenn about three years to get to the prototype stage: a scale model of its MARS system, now being put through its paces under carefully controlled conditions before an outdoor attempt. Magenn hopes a  successful demonstration will be enough to secure a $12 million round of fresh financing later this year.

A fresh take on wind power

If all goes well, Magenn will ramp up for its first production offering — a 100 kilowatt MARS turbine designed to provide an alternative to diesel generators at remote construction sites. A smaller unit for residential and recreational use has been shelved.

MARS offers a few advantages over conventional, earth-bound turbines. Due to their portable nature, siting is less critical. Winds aloft are generally stronger and more consistent than those closer to the ground, almost doubling a MARS unit’s utilization over standard windpower. It’s easy to imagine how MARS could bring power to particularly remote areas or disaster zones.

Path to production

But first, testing. A successful outdoor trial would be the cue for a quartet of working demonstration projects Magenn imagines in geographically distinctive areas: an out-of-the-way mining operation; a Caribbean island; a farm; or maybe a national park. Full-scale production would follow.

Magenn describes MARS as “bird and bat friendly,” capable of low-noise operation in winds from 4 to 60 miles per hour.

More reading:

A Balloon in the Wind (Market) (Greentech Media)
Magenn Air Rotor System Finally Floats (Treehugger)