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Hall, Alize (author)A method to help renewables flourish is mitigating the variability that is inherent in natural resources. To do so, we explore the intricacies of the relationship between airborne wind (AWE) and solar energy to uncover the possibilities of future energy-generating hybrid power plants (HPP). Which leads to steering away from fossil fuel reliance,...master thesis 2023
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Joshi, R. (author), Kruijff, Michiel (author), Schmehl, R. (author)In the current auction-based electricity market, the design of utility-scale renewable energy systems has traditionally been driven by the levelised cost of energy (LCoE). However, the market is gradually moving towards a subsidy-free era, which will expose the power plant owners to the fluctuating prices of electricity. This paper presents a...journal article 2023
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Thedens, Paul (author), Schmehl, R. (author)Similar to parafoils, ram-air kites are flexible membrane wings inflated by the apparent wind and supported by a bridle line system. A major challenge in estimating the performance of these wings using a computer model is the strong coupling between the airflow around the wing and the deformation of the membrane structure. In this paper, we...journal article 2023
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Salma, V. (author), Schmehl, R. (author)Integrating the operation of airborne wind energy systems safely into the airspace requires a systematic qualification process. It seems likely that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency will approve commercial systems as unmanned aircraft systems within the “specific” category, requiring risk-based operational authorization. In this paper,...journal article 2023
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Eijkelhof, D. (author), Buendía Vela, Gabriel (author), Schmehl, R. (author)High aerodynamic efficiency is a key design driver for airborne wind energy systems as it strongly affects the achievable energy output. Conventional fixed-wing systems generally use aerofoils with a high thickness-to-chord ratio to achieve high efficiency and wing loading. The box wing concept suits thinner aerofoils as the load distribution...journal article 2023
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van Hagen, L.J.A. (author), Petrick, Kristian (author), Wilhelm, Stefan (author), Schmehl, R. (author)A key motivation for airborne wind energy is its potential to reduce the amount of material required for the generation of renewable energy. On the other hand, the materials used for airborne systems’ components are generally linked to higher environmental impacts. This study presents comparative life-cycle analyses for future multi-megawatt...journal article 2023
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Cayon, O. (author), Gaunaa, Mac (author), Schmehl, R. (author)Soft-wing kites for airborne wind-energy harvesting function as flying tensile membrane structures, each of whose shape depends on the aerodynamic load distribution and vice versa. The strong two-way coupling between shape and loading poses a complex fluid-structure interaction problem. Since computational models for such problems do not yet...journal article 2023
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Breuer, J.C.M. (author), Luchsinger, Rolf (author), Schmehl, R. (author)Inflatable wings are of interest for applications where low weight, compact transport volume, and easy set-up are important. Examples are unmanned aerial vehicles with inflatable wings, paragliders and softkites for sport or airborne wind-energy applications. In this paper, a new method of designing and fabricating conformable inflatable wings...journal article 2023
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Reuchlin, S.P.A. (author), Joshi, R. (author), Schmehl, R. (author)The majority of remote locations not connected to the main electricity grid rely on diesel generators to provide electrical power. High fuel transportation costs and significant carbon emissions have motivated the development and installation of hybrid power systems using renewable energy such these locations. Because wind and solar energy is...journal article 2023
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Porta i Ko, Agustí (author)Airborne wind energy (AWE) systems benefit from a high lift airfoil to increase the power output, to that end, multi-element airfoils are investigated for AWE applications. This thesis aims to optimize a multi-element airfoil for a rigid AWE kite that operates in a pumping cycle. Since the kite has distinct operational phases, i.e., reel-out and...master thesis 2022
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Rodriguez, Mario (author)Using renewable energy to power a Mars habitat is a technological challenge because resources such as solar and wind are significantly weaker than on Earth. This work investigates the feasibility of using airborne wind energy (AWE) systems in combination with solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to power a Mars habitat. The Luchsinger model and the...master thesis 2022
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Cayón Domingo, Oriol (author)When designing an airborne wind energy system, it is necessary to be able to estimate the traction force that the kite produces as a function of its flight trajectory. Being a flexible structure, the geometry of a soft kite depends on its aerodynamic loading and vice versa, which forms a complex fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problem.<br/...master thesis 2022
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Reuchlin, Sweder (author)Currently, in remote off-grid locations, electricity is primarily generated using diesel generators, which is expensive and has significant carbon emissions. Alternatively, these remote locations have a huge potential for utilizing renewable energy sources. In such locations, airborne wind energy (AWE) systems could have an advantage over...master thesis 2022
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Buendía Vela, Gabriel (author)Airborne wind energy systems convert the kinetic energy of wind into usable power. In general terms, this power is proportional to the ratio CL<sup>3</sup>/CD<sup>2</sup> of aerodynamic coefficients. From a structural perspective, the thickness-to-chord ratio of conventional AWE wings needs to be high to withstand the high aerodynamic loads. The...master thesis 2022
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- van der Voort, Robbin (author), de Lint, Joris (author), Mingelen, Coen (author), Grootes, Ole (author), Oostwoud, Winter (author), Derie, Camille (author), Paddeu, Julie (author), Masure, Kasper (author), Van der Straeten, Mathieu (author), Wennink, Thom (author) bachelor thesis 2022
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Blom, Jelmer (author)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...master thesis 2022
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Poland, Jelle (author)Several structural models that could serve as building blocks for a next-generation FSI-based kite design tool have been developed. The models represent the leading-edge inflatable V3 soft wing membrane kite of Kitepower B.V., by using a wireframe multi-plate representation. Where the shape deformations are calculated using bridle line system...master thesis 2022
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Eijkelhof, D. (author), Schmehl, R. (author)Currently developed airborne wind energy systems have reached sizes of up to several hundred kilowatts. This paper presents the high-level design and a six-degrees-of-freedom model of a future fixed-wing airborne wind energy system operated in pumping cycles. This framework is intended to be used as an open-source reference system. The fixed...journal article 2022
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van der Burg, S. (author), Jurg, M.F.M. (author), Tadema, F.M. (author), Kamp, L.M. (author), van de Kaa, G. (author)This paper focuses on the design of the wings used in airborne wind energy systems. At the moment, two different designs are being developed: soft wings and rigid wings. This paper aimed to establish which of the two alternative design choices has the highest chance of dominance and which factors affect that. We treated this problem as a battle...journal article 2022
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Schmidt, H.S. (author), de Vries, G. (author), Schmehl, R. (author), Renes, Reint Jan (author)Airborne wind energy (AWE) systems use tethered flying devices to harvest higher-altitude winds to produce electricity. For the success of the technology, it is crucial to understand how people perceive and respond to it. If concerns about the technology are not taken seriously, it could delay or prevent implementation, resulting in increased...journal article 2022