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Power: Propulsion Optimization by Wind-Energy Resources; Leveraging Jet Stream Energy

AJAS · 2026 Energy and Transport (inferred)

Aryaman Shukla · North Carolina Academy of Science

Overview

Jet streams are an underexploited renewable energy source, positioned at 7,000-10,000 meters with 90-120 mph speeds. Their average annual power density of 10 kW/m² far surpasses other renewable options. As global temperatures rise due to CO2 emissions, the freight industry struggles to meet net-zero targets. This study evaluates the eco-viability of jet stream propelled airship using engineering design and computational modeling within a Process-Based Methodology framework. A 120m airship with a 24-ton buoyant lift and operational altitude of 6,000-8,000m was designed with two 79m² wind turbines and five 15m² fixed sails. CAD and Finite Element Analysis, with Navier-Stokes equations, were used to determine specifications for wind harvesting features and optimize their performance. Historical wind data, including speed, temperature, air density, and altitude, were collated from NREL and NOAA, and smoothed using a Savitzky-Golay filter. Six ML regression models were trained to predict wind speeds and evaluated for performance. Coefficients from Polynomial regression (R² = 0.76) enabled the construction of over 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations for power generation at 6,000–8,000m. CFD simulations replicating a wind tunnel corroborated flight stability and wind power generation. At wind speeds of 25–30 m/s, the airship produces 800–1,000 kW of renewable power, and over 30 m/s, it generates the full 1,000 kW of required propulsion energy from the wind with zero CO2 emissions. If only 10% of the US, EU, and China’s $1.0 trillion annual air cargo transportation were to shift to airships, the opportunity exceeds $100 billion for green energy-powered airships to minimize fossil fuel dependence.

Competition history

  • AJAS 2026 Category not listed

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Source: AAAS Annual Meeting (Confex) / American Junior Academy of Science

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