Aeroacoustics of Airborne Wind Energy Systems

Airborne wind energy systems offer a promising approach for renewable energy generation. However, the noise emissions associated with these systems should be understood and minimized as well to promote their integration and (social) acceptance. This research aims to identify the noise sources of airborne wind energy systems, systems with leading...

An FSI model for fixed-wing airborne wind energy systems

Accurate yet computationally efficient modelling of fixed-wing airborne wind energy systems is key in the preliminary design phase. For the simulation framework of large scale fixed-wing airborne wind energy systems an FSI model is developed that can evaluate flight states in the order of seconds and is able to account for viscosity and multi...

Bleed Air Spoiler Optimisation for AWE Purposes: An aerodynamic optimisation of upper surface bleed air control to minimise reel-in power loss for soft-kite-based Airborne Wind Energy systems

A key challenge in the Airborne Wind Energy industry is the minimisation of the time and energy required for the transfer and return phases inherent to the power cycles of ground-generator-based kite power systems. This thesis contributes to solving this problem by exploring the use of bleed air spoilers during the return phase in terms of their...

Quasi-Steady Model Enhancements of Airborne Wind Energy Systems

The quasi-steady model (QSM) was developed to calculate the power output of a soft-wing airborne wind energy (AWE) system operated in pumping cycles. The comparison with experimental data shows that the original formulation of the model underestimates the power output. The model does not take inertial forces into account and highly simplifies...

In-flight measurement of kite deformations with inertial sensors

The control and design of kites for airborne wind energy requires an extensive understanding of kite dynamics. While these have been thoroughly analyzed with fluid-structure interaction models, very little experimental data exists to validate them. Specifically, most experiments on kites so far have not obtained local measurements that can be...

Life Cycle Assessment of Multi-Megawatt Airborne Wind Energy

Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) technology provides an interesting re-design for energy generation from the wind. The value of renewable energy systems is their ability to generate electricity with reduced environmental impacts, most crucially being the Global Warming Potential. In this project, it is assessed what the impacts of a potential Multi...

Steady-state RANS simulation of a leading edge inflatable wing with chordwise struts

A crosswind pumping kite power system is an Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) system that uses a flying tethered device for energy generation through a ground-based generator. The AWE research group of the TU Delft was one of the first to demonstrate the functioning of such a system. The spin-off Kitepower later on continued the technological...

Optimisation of control for an airborne wind turbine: with maximum power point tracking

Airborne wind energy is a promising newly emerging wind energy harvesting technology. Due to low material use and high potential harvesting density it aspires to be competitor to the conventional wind turbines we see today. Kitepower bv, a company in the Netherlands, is developing a airborne wind energy system based on a flexible kite. To be...

Arcadian Renewable Energy System: Renewable Energy for Mars Habitat

The human eye has turned itself back to the sky with the commercialisation of the space industry, and a new goal has been set. Setting foot on the Red Planet is the next stage of the human exploration of the universe. The travel to Mars is very lengthy and costly, nonetheless the planet still shows great potential for sustaining human life. To...

Kite Farm Simulation: Assessing the impact of flight paths for multiple-unit airborne wind energy systems

As airborne wind energy is a relatively new field, much of the current research is rapidly progressing towards the development of larger commercial systems with larger airborne components. Farms of airborne wind energy systems can provide higher power generation than a single kite system and offer a potential solution to issues that single kite...

Airborne Wind Energy Airfoils: Design of Pareto-optimal airfoils for rigid wing systems in the field of Airborne Wind Energy

A new field of study has arisen within Wind Energy known as ‘Airborne Wind Energy’ (AWE). Although the concept of AWE has been around for a long time, there has been little development in this field until recently. This thesis adds to this development.<br/><br/>The focus lies on airfoil design in order to improve existing AWE systems and...

Methodology Improvement for Performance Assessment of Pumping Kite Power Wing

Pumping kite power systems are a promising way of harnessing clean energy from high-altitude winds. A large kite flies crosswind developing a strong pulling force through a tether which is connected at the ground to an electrical generator. The power output of such innovative systems is directly related to the wing aerodynamic properties which...

Dynamic Nonlinear Aeroelastic Behaviour of Flexible Wings in an Airflow

Since the beginning of the century the field of airborne wind energy has emerged to provide with new means of generating renewable energy. It's ability to access higher altitudes and it's relatively low material requirements with respect to conventional wind turbines, have inspired several research institutes and commercial parties to invest...

Niche strategy selection for kite-based Airborne Wind Energy technologies

Through the analysis of historic cases high-tech innovations, a selection process has been devised to accelerate sustainable innovations to large-scale adoption. The niche strategy selection process has been applied to, and validated with, the case of kite-based Airborne Wind Energy, resulting in an overview of its barriers and guidance to...

Up! How to Launch and Retrieve a Tethered Aircraft

The basic model of the principle of crosswind power as described by Miles M. Loyd in 1980 (Loyd, 1980), promises a high energy revenue from airborne wind energy. With a growing awareness of the need of sustainable energy resources and the current technological possibilities, different initiatives are undertaken to harvest the energy of wind at...