Infinite Winds Dummies' Guide

Fred Ferguson, a Canadian engineer specializing in airships, thinks the answer to climate change lies in the wind, literally. He's designed a turbine that will use the constant winds that exist at 1,000 feet above sea level to produce energy. The the M.A.R.S. (Magenn Air Rotor System) Floating Wind Generator — essentially a turbine attached to a blimp-like structure — will ultimately be deployed in Mexico.

Test 1: Dominican Republic — Airspeed

In this test, Dr. Singer will launch himself into the air on a paramotor (a propeller-powered parachute) where he'll deploy a GPS device  to collect wind speeds at different altitudes. These measurements will be fed into further wind tunnel tests and will dictate the final build design and the flight height of the generator. 

The team chose to fly with a paramotor because they could obtain accurate readings without disturbing the air around the vehicle. Other options might have included a helicopter or paraglder, but a helicopter's rotor would contaminate the readings and paragliders are subject to convection currents, making flying height difficult to control and predict.

Test 2: Kentucky – Tether

This experiment will test a balloon tether for strength using a crank. The tether will be attached to a crane at one end and a long string of scrap cars on the other. It will slowly lift the cars off the ground one by one. The tether will conduct electricity as it lifts, lighting the car headlights. The tether must be able to hold five cars off the ground with lights on in order to prove it can withstand the equivalent force of the balloon.

Test 3: Virginia – Wind Tunnel

In this test, the team will explain the concepts of Magnus Effect, torque, drag and lift using a wind tunnel and smoke on a model, which will be held by one of the scientists inside the tunnel.

Wind speed data collected during the paramotoring experiment will be used here. Sensors in the specially built wind tunnel test model will feed into a computer providing detailed information about each of these forces and also providing the build team with vital information for the build of the prototype.

Final Test

A test model of the M.A.R.S. Generator will be erected in a village in Mexico. The generator will power a water-purification unit.

The test model will be constructed and built in Wiarton, Canada. Once finished, the test model will be inflated with helium and tested to make sure that it will function correctly. Then, the test model will be shipped to Mexico, where it will be re-inflated and erected in the village location.

The M.A.R.S. Generator will be connected to a bank of batteries, which will convert the harnessed energy into 10 kilowatts of power.