Microvibrations are an undesirable by-product of spacecraft flywheel rotor systems that can disturb the measurements of onboard instruments. Existing attenuation solutions tend to be bulky and/or complex.

This thesis explores a passive solution in which Tuned Liquid Column Dampers (TLCDs) are implemented in the flywheel to attenuate vibration through counter-oscillation at a predefined frequency bandwidth. A Python-based tool was developed to fine-tune the damper geometry for any given flywheel configuration and angular velocity. Subsequently, a breadboard Momentum Bias Wheel (MBW) design was created, built, and tested to verify this proof-of-concept experimentally.

It was found that the TLCD dampers in the meridional direction are ineffective at significantly damping vibrations in a flat-shaped MBW. The minor theoretical effect could not be detected by the experimental setup used. However, the application of a TLCD in alternative configurations, such as those positioned in the equatorial direction, remains a more promising field of research.

The aim of this executive overview is to summarise the content of this extensive report regarding the design of an Landing, Launching and Storage (LLS) system for a soft kite Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) system.
An innovative idea does not translate automatically to financial gain. With new technologies, such as AWEs it is crucial to assess the potential market for a product and the associated economic performance. Four market segments exist for energy generation: on-shore on-grid, on-shore off-grid, off-shore on-grid and off-shore off-grid. AWE performs best in on-shore offgrid applications due to its high mobility, higher capacity factor compared to wind and relatively lower land usage. AWE soft kites are currently targeting 100 kW to 500 kW range, which is currently dominated by medium-power diesel generators.