The turning of kites
A quantification of known theories
Marc van Reijen (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
Roland Schmehl – Mentor
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Abstract
A method is introduced to measure the in flight flow field and geometric shape of an energy producing kite. The method is applied on beach tests during controlled flight maneuvers as well as equilibrium positions. The measurements of different sensors are validated by use of independent coherence of the found results. After this the deformations and performance as a result of altering power setting and steering inputs are analyzed and compared with current theory describing the behavior. It is concluded that the theory is correct in qualitatively describing the phenomena driving the steering behavior of the kite. It is also concluded that the proposed system can contribute to a more streamlined design process for energy producing kites.