An integrated aero-structural model for ram-air kite simulations: with application to airborne wind energy

The airborne wind energy (AWE) technology aims to utilise tethered wings to harvest wind energy at altitudes conventional wind turbines cannot reach. There are two distinct methods to harvest airborne wind energy: onboard and ground-based generation. The onboard generation is achieved through flying fast manoeuvres driving propellers attached to...

Ram-air kite airfoil and reinforcements optimization for airborne wind energy applications

We present a multidisciplinary design optimization method for the profile and structural reinforcement layout of a ram‐air kite rib. The aim is to minimize the structural elastic energy and to maximize the traction power of a ram‐air kite used for airborne wind energy generation. Because of the large deformations occurring during flight, a fluid...

Steady-State Solver for a Ram-Air Kite Aeroelastic Model Based on Dynamic Relaxation

We present a computationally efficient steady-state solution method to model the aeroelastic deformation of a ram-air kite for airborne wind energy applications. The kite’s weight in comparison to the aerodynamic forces is small which justifies a quasi-steady analysis, neglecting gravitational and inertial force effects [1]. The approach is...

Fluid-Structure Interaction of Inflatable Wing Sections

We investigate inflatable kites made of membranes such as ram-air [1] and leading edge inflatable [2] kites. The kites are very flexible and therefore exhibit a strong coupling between fluid and structure. An accurate aerodynamic model is essential to design kites which are aerodynamically efficient and of high steering capability

Topology Optimisation of Thin Membranes Applied on a Parafoil Rib

Membrane structures have a wide field of application in modern engineering due to their low weight-to-area ratio, which is especially exploited in kite design. The internal pressure of ram-air kites has to be well distributed over all cells in order to maintain the aerodynamic shape. By cutting holes in each rib the stagnated air can provide the...