Aerodynamic Load Modelling for Leading Edge Inflatable Kites

Aerodynamic Load Modelling for Leading Edge Inflatable Kites

Watchorn, John (TU Delft Aerospace Engineering)

Viré, A.C. (mentor)
Schmehl, R. (graduation committee)
van Zuijlen, A.H. (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Aerospace Engineering

2023-08-29

The purpose of this study has been to develop an aerodynamic load model for the energy harvesting (traction) phase of leading-edge inflatable (LEI) kites operating in an airborne wind energy (AWE) context. The load model stems from multivariate polynomial regression analyses expressing the airfoil lift, drag and moment coefficients as polynomial functions of the angle-of-attack and 2D non-dimensional (relative to the chord length) shape parameters: non-dimensional tube diameter, maximum camber magnitude and chordwise position of maximum camber. The regression analyses relied on numerical data attained from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the 2D flow fields around parameterised LEI wing profiles. The RANS equations, closed by the k-ω SST turbulence model, have been used for this purpose. The parameterisation and subsequent geometric construction of LEI wing profiles has been a key aspect of this study. As such, the effects of the shape parameters on the flow field have been assessed.

AWE
AWES
Kite
LEI
Membrane
Tube
Regression analysis
Load model
CFD

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:42f611a2-ef79-4540-a43c-0ea827700388

The source code of the MATLAB-Pointwise-OpenFOAM toolchain developed in the frame of this graduation project is publicly available from https://github.com/awegroup/ML-PW-OF-toolchain

Student theses

master thesis

© 2023 John Watchorn