Flight Testing, Aerodynamic Parameter Identification and Dynamic Simulation of Rigid and Flexible Kites Applied to Airborne Wind Energy systems

Simulation, state estimation, and aerodynamic parameter identification from in-flight data are actual research topics in AWE [1,2]. This work summarizes the status of four infrastructures developed at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid that are related with them: (i) a portable experimental rig for the acquisition of flight data like kite position...

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...

Development of a Toolchain for Aero-structural Design of Composite AWE Kites

The earlier in the design process the trade-offs between a system’s cost and its performance can be determined, the easier it is to narrowin on an optimal final design. In order to explore the initial design space for composite carbon kites, it is imperative to assess the load couplings effects and its impact on the aerodynamics of the wing, and...

Airborne Wind Energy Resource Analysis: From Wind Potential to Power Output

Airborne Wind Energy Systems (AWES) have different power generation characteristics than conventional wind turbines, which can not be accurately captured in the traditional power curve. One important aspect is that it can harvest wind energy in a much wider range of altitudes than conventional wind turbines. Theoretically also High Altitude...

Clustering Wind Profile Shapes to Estimate Airborne Wind Energy Production

Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) systems use tethered flying devices to access higher altitudes, typically up to 500 meter, where wind is generally stronger and more persistent. To estimate the Annual Energy Production (AEP) of AWE systems, the wind speed statistics close to the ground are typically extrapolated to higher altitudes, introducing...

Rare Event Prediction for Enhanced Control System Reliability of AWE Systems

Reliable autonomous operation of Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) systems requires control algorithms that are able to attenuate the effect of stochastic disturbances on the control performance in continuously changing wind conditions. Assessing the stability and robustness of the control system is in general carried out using simplified system models...

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

Open Data Project: Flight Data Analysis of Kitepower Systems

Due to support from the Data Refinement Fund from ł4TU.ResearchDataž we are able to publish a large data set with logged flight data from42 flights in the years 2011 to 2015 [1]. These flights were executed by the Kitepower research group of Delft University of Technology. In total 81 different physical values and control signals where logged...