Wind Energy Science
Wind Energy Science
WES
Articles | Volume 11, issue 8
Articles | Volume 11, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-2987-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-2987-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 11, issue 8
Research article
 | 
14 Aug 2026
Research article |  | 14 Aug 2026

Controlling rigid-wing airborne wind energy systems during circular flight without exact path following

Duc H. Nguyen, Agustí Porta Ko, Tallak Tveide, Mark H. Lowenberg, and Espen Oland

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Short summary
A new flight control architecture for airborne wind energy systems is proposed for circular-pattern flight during the power production phase. The controller 'wraps' around a reference cylinder and thereby does not require exact path planning or waypoint-based navigation. This simple guidance method enables the controller to function with only proportional-integral regulators. Further extensions to the controller enable flying with near-constant angle of attack and multi-kite synchronisation.
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