Project Voleus

ecological + economical
reliable + renewable

Now Harvesting:
High Altitude Wind Energy

What is Project Voleus?

We are an initiative to make renewable energy a worldwide reality.

Harvesting wind energy 1000ft above the ground, we aim to supply the world's growing energy demands

w/o further degradation of our planet
w/o government subsidies

Voleus (def. the Wind-God)

Voleus is an autonomous tethered drone, capable of generating twice the power of traditional wind towers, at a quarter of the cost.

With 75% of savings compared to traditional wind turbines, Voleus is not only the best option among renewables but could replace fossil fuels today.

High altitude winds allow consistent electricity production on-demand, but minimal infrastructure and material usage enable Voleus to be truly sustainable

No Environmental Degradation
No Chemical pollutants
No Waste Production
No Wildlife Disturbance
No Negative Space

Viability of Voleus

Our tethered drone design yields three major factors that are imperative to producing environmentally friendly, economically feasible electricity

Less Material Usage

and associated costs

Half of the costs associated with expensive wind turbines is due to the enormous tower, blade, and foundation costs.

Given the advanatges of Voleus, further savings are to be expected in Grid-Connection and gearbox costs.

Higher Power Output

no intermittency periods

Using a tethered drone, there is a capability to extract energy where wind blows faster, and is available 24/7/365.

The result is exponentially larger power generation, that is not limited to a narrow range of peak hours.

Energy generation is concurrent with energy consumption.

* Power Consumption By facility Type
* Assumes 25 ft Voleus Turbine Radius

Locality!

No long range transmission

The nature of current wind and solar technologies require generation to take place in remote areas, far from where the energy is consumed.

High altitude wind energy is avaiable everywhere on the planet. Voleus can generate energy right where it is needed.

Urban, Rural, Flat, Mountainous, and Offshore locations are no exception.

The Voleus Team

Juan Villagomez

Project Lead

David Mendez

Project Member

Akila Ganlath

Project Advisor

Challenges in harvesting the most concetrated energy source on the planet

High-altitude wind power is not science fiction. It depends on currently available technologies and engineering know-how

High Net Energy Output

Energy produced in its lifetime must exceed all energy used to produce it. Net energy must account for energy used in manufacturing, extraction, processing, and recycling.

Non-Conditional Output

Energy generation should be available on-demand. Our standard for energy generation is the easy combustion of fossil fuels. Power interruptions can be costly to the nation's everyday activities.

Low-Ecological Footprint

Poject Voleus can not contribute to further degradation of the environment, degradation of wildlife, alterations of atmospheric chemistry, or rely on conflict materials.

Scalability

For largescale production, it must not be dependent on any scarce materials. Voleus will not exhange one material shortage for another.

Globally Available

Voleus should be deployable, mountain-side, in katabatic valleys, urban areas, offshore, and remote locations. With high-altitude winds available everywhere, the voleus platform needs to follow.

Infrastructure Costs

Costs to build and operate manufacturing plants and turbine sites must be significantly lower than traditional tower turbines. Lower costs must be a result of design, not federal subsidies.

Long Endurance

Materials should yield long lifecycles, enabling the turbines to be deployed unattended for months at a time. Designing for longer flight-times ensures safer operation and savings on maintenance.

Positive Parti

With the majority of the setup being airborne, the ground-area must be free to be used for a separate process. Current wind towers impede ground-level operations and wildlife migrations.

Project Voleus is led entirely by multidisciplinary university undergrads.
We can use all the help we can get to achieve this goal!

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