Articles | Volume 9, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2195-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2195-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
14 Nov 2024
Research article |
| 14 Nov 2024
| 14 Nov 2024
Power curve modelling and scaling of fixed-wing ground-generation airborne wind energy systems
Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Kluyverweg 1, 2629 HS Delft, the Netherlands
Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Kluyverweg 1, 2629 HS Delft, the Netherlands
Michiel Kruijff
Ampyx Power B.V., Lulofsstraat 55, Unit 13, 2521AL The Hague, the Netherlands
Related authors
Rishikesh Joshi, Dominic von Terzi, and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-161, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-161, 2024
Preprint under review for WES
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents a methodology for system design of airborne wind energy (AWE). A multi-disciplinary design, analysis, and optimization (MDAO) framework was developed, integrating power, energy production, and cost models for fixed-wing ground-generation (GG) AWE systems. Using the levelized cost of electricity (LCoE) as the design objective, we found that the optimal size of systems lies between the rated power of 100 kW and 1000 kW.
Dylan Eijkelhof, Nicola Rossi, and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-139, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-139, 2024
Preprint under review for WES
Short summary
Short summary
This study compares circular and figure-of-eight flight shapes for flying kite wind energy systems, assessing power output, stability, and system lifespan. Results show that circular patterns are ideal for maximizing energy in compact areas, while figure-of-eight paths, especially flying up in the centre of the figure, deliver smoother, more consistent power and have a longer expected kite lifespan. These findings offer valuable insights to enhance design and performance of kite systems.
Christoph Elfert, Dietmar Göhlich, and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 2261–2282, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2261-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2261-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This article presents a tow test procedure for measuring the steering behaviour of tethered membrane wings. The experimental set-up includes a novel onboard sensor system for measuring the position and orientation of the towed wing, complemented by an attached low-cost multi-hole probe for measuring the relative flow velocity vector at the wing. The measured data (steering gain and dead time) can be used to improve kite models and simulate the operation of airborne wind energy systems.
Rishikesh Joshi, Dominic von Terzi, and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-161, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-161, 2024
Preprint under review for WES
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents a methodology for system design of airborne wind energy (AWE). A multi-disciplinary design, analysis, and optimization (MDAO) framework was developed, integrating power, energy production, and cost models for fixed-wing ground-generation (GG) AWE systems. Using the levelized cost of electricity (LCoE) as the design objective, we found that the optimal size of systems lies between the rated power of 100 kW and 1000 kW.
Helena Schmidt, Renatto M. Yupa-Villanueva, Daniele Ragni, Roberto Merino-Martínez, Piet van Gool, and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-125, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-125, 2024
Preprint under review for WES
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates noise annoyance caused by airborne wind energy systems (AWESs), a novel wind energy technology that uses kites to harness high-altitude winds. Through a listening experiment with 75 participants, sharpness was identified as the key factor predicting annoyance. Fixed-wing kites generated more annoyance than soft-wing kites, likely due to their sharper, more tonal sound. The findings can help improve AWESs’ designs, reducing noise-related disturbances for nearby residents.
Mark Schelbergen and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 1323–1344, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1323-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1323-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We present a novel two-point model of a kite with a suspended control unit to describe the characteristic swinging motion of this assembly during turning manoeuvres. Quasi-steady and dynamic model variants are combined with a discretised tether model, and simulation results are compared with measurement data of an instrumented kite system. By resolving the pitch of the kite, the model allows for computing the angle of attack, which is essential for estimating the generated aerodynamic forces.
Maaike Sickler, Bart Ummels, Michiel Zaaijer, Roland Schmehl, and Katherine Dykes
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1225–1233, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1225-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1225-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper investigates the effect of wind farm layout on the performance of offshore wind farms. A regular farm layout is compared to optimised irregular layouts. The irregular layouts have higher annual energy production, and the power production is less sensitive to wind direction. However, turbine towers require thicker walls to counteract increased fatigue due to increased turbulence levels in the farm. The study shows that layout optimisation can be used to maintain high-yield performance.
Mark Schelbergen, Peter C. Kalverla, Roland Schmehl, and Simon J. Watson
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1097–1120, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1097-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1097-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We have presented a methodology for including multiple wind profile shapes in a wind resource description that are identified using a data-driven approach. These shapes go beyond the height range for which conventional wind profile relationships are developed. Moreover, they include non-monotonic shapes such as low-level jets. We demonstrated this methodology for an on- and offshore reference location using DOWA data and efficiently estimated the annual energy production of a pumping AWE system.
Jan Hummel, Dietmar Göhlich, and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 41–55, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-41-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-41-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We describe a tow test setup for the reproducible measurement of aerodynamic, structural dynamic and flight dynamic properties of tethered membrane wings. The test procedure is based on repeatable automated maneuvers with the entire kite system under realistic conditions. The developed measurement method can be used to quantitatively compare different wing designs, to validate and improve simulation models, and to systematically improve kite designs.
Johannes Oehler and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 1–21, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-1-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-1-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We present an experimental method for aerodynamic characterization of flexible membrane kites by in situ measurement of the relative flow, while performing complex flight maneuvers. We find that the aerodynamics of this type of wing depend not only on the angle of attack, but also on the level of aerodynamic loading and the aeroelastic deformation. We recommend using the relative power setting of the kite as a secondary influencing parameter.
Tarek N. Dief, Uwe Fechner, Roland Schmehl, Shigeo Yoshida, Amr M. M. Ismaiel, and Amr M. Halawa
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 275–291, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-275-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-275-2018, 2018
Related subject area
Thematic area: Wind technologies | Topic: Airborne technology
Measurement of the turning behaviour of tethered membrane wings using automated flight manoeuvres
Swinging motion of a kite with suspended control unit flying turning manoeuvres
Dynamic analysis of the tensegrity structure of a rotary airborne wind energy machine
Wake characteristics of a balloon wind turbine and aerodynamic analysis of its balloon using a large eddy simulation and actuator disk model
Refining the airborne wind energy system power equations with a vortex wake model
Impact of wind profiles on ground-generation airborne wind energy system performance
Flight trajectory optimization of Fly-Gen airborne wind energy systems through a harmonic balance method
Scaling effects of fixed-wing ground-generation airborne wind energy systems
Parameter analysis of a multi-element airfoil for application to airborne wind energy
Christoph Elfert, Dietmar Göhlich, and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 2261–2282, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2261-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2261-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This article presents a tow test procedure for measuring the steering behaviour of tethered membrane wings. The experimental set-up includes a novel onboard sensor system for measuring the position and orientation of the towed wing, complemented by an attached low-cost multi-hole probe for measuring the relative flow velocity vector at the wing. The measured data (steering gain and dead time) can be used to improve kite models and simulate the operation of airborne wind energy systems.
Mark Schelbergen and Roland Schmehl
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 1323–1344, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1323-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1323-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We present a novel two-point model of a kite with a suspended control unit to describe the characteristic swinging motion of this assembly during turning manoeuvres. Quasi-steady and dynamic model variants are combined with a discretised tether model, and simulation results are compared with measurement data of an instrumented kite system. By resolving the pitch of the kite, the model allows for computing the angle of attack, which is essential for estimating the generated aerodynamic forces.
Gonzalo Sánchez-Arriaga, Álvaro Cerrillo-Vacas, Daniel Unterweger, and Christof Beaupoil
Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 1273–1287, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1273-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1273-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Rotary airborne wind energy (RAWE) machines transform wind energy into electric energy by transmitting the mechanical torque produced on a rotor to a generator on the ground by using its own structure, which is a spinning helix. Having a good understanding of the behavior of the helix is crucial in the design of RAWE machines. This work presents a theoretical model to simulate the helix’s dynamics and experimental tests to characterize it.
Aref Ehteshami and Mostafa Varmazyar
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1771–1793, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1771-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1771-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we numerically studied the wake characteristics and aerodynamics of a balloon wind turbine, an airborne system operating at altitudes of about 400–1000 m. The system can benefit from a stronger and steady wind flow at these altitudes. Results contribute to the wake structure and the magnitude of aerodynamic loads on the balloon in varying wind conditions at high altitudes. Findings are valuable in designing future optimized wind farms and control systems for balloon wind turbines.
Filippo Trevisi, Carlo E. D. Riboldi, and Alessandro Croce
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1639–1650, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1639-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1639-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The power equations of crosswind Ground-Gen and Fly-Gen airborne wind energy systems (AWESs) are refined to include the contribution from the aerodynamic wake. A novel power coefficient is defined by normalizing the aerodynamic power with the wind power passing through a disk with a radius equal to the AWES wingspan, allowing us to compare systems with different wingspans. Ground-Gen and Fly-Gen AWESs are compared in terms of their aerodynamic power potential.
Markus Sommerfeld, Martin Dörenkämper, Jochem De Schutter, and Curran Crawford
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1153–1178, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1153-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1153-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the performance of pumping-mode ground-generation airborne wind energy systems by determining power-optimal flight trajectories based on realistic, k-means clustered, vertical wind velocity profiles. These profiles, derived from mesoscale weather simulations at an offshore and an onshore site in Europe, are incorporated into an optimal control model that maximizes average cycle power by optimizing the kite's trajectory.
Filippo Trevisi, Iván Castro-Fernández, Gregorio Pasquinelli, Carlo Emanuele Dionigi Riboldi, and Alessandro Croce
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 2039–2058, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-2039-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-2039-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The optimal control problem for the flight trajectories of Fly-Gen AWESs is expressed with a novel methodology in the frequency domain through a harmonic balance formulation. The solution gives the optimal trajectory and the optimal control inputs. Optimal trajectories have a circular shape squashed along the vertical direction, and the optimal control inputs can be modeled with only one or two harmonics. Analytical approximations for optimal trajectory characteristics are also given.
Markus Sommerfeld, Martin Dörenkämper, Jochem De Schutter, and Curran Crawford
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1847–1868, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1847-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1847-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This research explores the ground-generation airborne wind energy system (AWES) design space and investigates scaling effects by varying design parameters such as aircraft wing size, aerodynamic efficiency and mass. Therefore, representative simulated onshore and offshore wind data are implemented into an AWES trajectory optimization model. We estimate optimal annual energy production and capacity factors as well as a minimal operational lift-to-weight ratio.
Gianluca De Fezza and Sarah Barber
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1627–1640, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1627-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1627-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
As part of a master's thesis, this study analysed the aerodynamic performance of a multi-element airfoil using numerical flow simulations. The results show that these types of airfoil are very suitable for an upcoming wind energy generation concept. The parametric study of the wing led to a significant improvement of up to 46.6 % compared to the baseline design. The increased power output of the energy generation concept contributes substantially to today's energy transition.
Cited articles
Anderson, J. D.: Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, 6th Edn., McGraw-Hill, ISBN 1259129918, 2016. a
Argatov, I., Rautakorpi, P., and Silvennoinen, R.: Estimation of the mechanical energy output of the kite wind generator, Renew. Energ., 34, 1525–1532, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2008.11.001, 2009. a
Bartsch, T., Knipper, P., Grazianski, S., Noga, R., and Paulig, X.: SkySails PN-14 Power Curve Measurement, in: The 10th International Airborne Wind Energy Conference (AWEC 2024): Book of Abstracts, edited by: Sánchez-Arriaga, G., Thoms, S., and Schmehl, R., Delft University of Technology, Madrid, Spain, http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:24968992-e316-4fa5-be53-4b601f92bf09 (last access: 8 November 2024), 2024. a, b
Bechtle, P., Schelbergen, M., Schmehl, R., Zillmann, U., and Watson, S.: Airborne wind energy resource analysis, Renew. Energ., 141, 1103–1116, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.03.118, 2019. a
Bonnin, V.: An Analytical Performance Model for AP-4 Conceptual Design Phase, in: The 8th International Airborne Wind Energy Conference (AWEC 2019): Book of Abstracts, edited by: Schmehl, R. and Tulloch, O., University of Strathclyde | Delft University of Technology, Glasgow, United Kingdom, https://repository.tudelft.nl/record/uuid:e0a4471b-c11b-4c47-b409-45d62974ce94 (last access: 8 November 2024), 2019. a
Bosman, R., Reid, V., Vlasblom, M., and Smeets, P.: Airborne Wind Energy Tethers with High-Modulus Polyethylene Fibers, in: Airborne Wind Energy, edited by: Ahrens, U., Diehl, M., and Schmehl, R., Green Energy and Technology, chap. 33, 563–585, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39965-7_33, 2013. a
Echeverri, P., Fricke, T., Homsy, G., and Tucker, N.: The Energy Kite: Selected Results From the Design, Development and Testing of Makani’s Airborne Wind Turbines, Technical report, Makani, https://storage.googleapis.com/x-prod.appspot.com/files/Makani_TheEnergyKiteReport_Part1.pdf, (last access: 19 January 2024), 2020. a, b
Eijkelhof, D., Rossi, N., and Schmehl, R.: Optimal Flight Pattern Debate: Circular vs. Figure-Of-Eight, in: The 10th International Airborne Wind Energy Conference (AWEC 2024): Book of Abstracts, edited by: Sánchez-Arriaga, G., Thoms, S., and Schmehl, R., Delft University of Technology, Madrid, Spain, https://pure.tudelft.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/203215332/Optimal_Flight_Pattern_Debate.pdf (last access: 8 November 2024), 2024. a
Enerkíte: Homepage, https://enerkite.de/en/ (last access: 7 August 2024), 2024. a
Faggiani, P. and Schmehl, R.: Design and Economics of a Pumping Kite Wind Park, in: Airborne Wind Energy – Advances in Technology Development and Research, edited by: Schmehl, R., Green Energy and Technology, chap. 16, 391–411, Springer, Singapore, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1947-0_16, 2018. a
Fechner, U. and Schmehl, R.: Model-Based Efficiency Analysis of Wind Power Conversion by a Pumping Kite Power System, in: Airborne Wind Energy, edited by: Ahrens, U., Diehl, M., and Schmehl, R., Green Energy and Technology, chap. 14, 249–269, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39965-7_14, 2013. a, b
Haas, T., Schutter, J. D., Diehl, M., and Meyers, J.: Wake characteristics of pumping mode airborne wind energy systems, J. Phys. Conf. Ser., 1256, 012016, https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1256/1/012016, 2019. a, b
Hagen, L. V., Petrick, K., Wilhelm, S., and Schmehl, R.: Life-Cycle Assessment of a Multi-Megawatt Airborne Wind Energy System, Energies, 16, 1750, https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041750, 2023. a, b
Heilmann, J. and Houle, C.: Economics of Pumping Kite Generators, in: Airborne Wind Energy, edited by Ahrens, U., Diehl, M., and Schmehl, R., Green Energy and Technology, chap. 15, 271–284, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39965-7_15, 2013. a
Houska, B. and Diehl, M.: Optimal Control of Towing Kites, in: Proceedings of the 45th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, 2693–2697, IEEE, https://doi.org/10.1109/CDC.2006.377210, 2006. a, b
Joshi, R.: awegroup/AWE-Power, GitHub [code], https://github.com/awegroup/AWE-Power (last access: 8 November 2024), 2024a. a
Joshi, R.: AWE-Power (v0.1.0), Zenodo [code], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13842298, 2024b. a
Joshi, R. and Trevisi, F.: Reference economic model for airborne wind energy systems, Technical report, IEA Wind TCP Task 48, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10959930, 2024. a
Joshi, R., von Terzi, D., Kruijff, M., and Schmehl, R.: Techno-economic analysis of power smoothing solutions for pumping airborne wind energy systems, J. Phys. Conf. Ser., 2265, 042069, https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2265/4/042069, 2022. a, b
Joshi, R., Kruijff, M., and Schmehl, R.: Value-Driven System Design of Utility-Scale Airborne Wind Energy, Energies, 16, 2075, https://doi.org/10.3390/en16042075, 2023. a, b, c
Kitekraft: Homepage, https://www.kitekraft.de/ (last access: 7 August 2024), 2024. a
Kitemill: Homepage, https://www.kitemill.com/, (last access: 7 August 2024), 2024. a
Kitepower: Homepage, https://thekitepower.com/, (last access: 7 August 2024), 2024. a
Kruijff, M. and Ruiterkamp, R.: A Roadmap Towards Airborne Wind Energy in the Utility Sector, in: Airborne Wind Energy – Advances in Technology Development and Research, edited by: Schmehl, R., Green Energy and Technology, chap. 26, 643–662, Springer, Singapore, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1947-0_26, 2018. a, b, c, d, e, f, g
Licitra, G., Koenemann, J., Bürger, A., Williams, P., Ruiterkamp, R., and Diehl, M.: Performance assessment of a rigid wing Airborne Wind Energy pumping system, Energy, 173, 569–585, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2019.02.064, 2019. a, b
Loyd, M. L.: Crosswind kite power, J. Energy, 4, 106–111, https://doi.org/10.2514/3.48021, 1980. a, b
Luchsinger, R. H.: Pumping Cycle Kite Power, in: Airborne Wind Energy, edited by: Ahrens, U., Diehl, M., and Schmehl, R., Green Energy and Technology, chap. 3, 47–64, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39965-7_3, 2013. a, b
Makani: Homepage, https://x.company/projects/makani/ (last access: 7 August 2024), 2020. a
Malz, E., Koenemann, J., Sieberling, S., and Gros, S.: A reference model for airborne wind energy systems for optimization and control, Renew. Energ., 140, 1004–1011, 2019. a
Mozaero: Homepage, https://www.mozaero.com/ (last access: 7 August 2024), 2024. a
Oehler, J. and Schmehl, R.: Aerodynamic characterization of a soft kite by in situ flow measurement, Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 1–21, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-1-2019, 2019. a
Paelink, R. and Rand, K.: Progress Along the Long and Windy Road, in: The 10th International Airborne Wind Energy Conference (AWEC 2024): Book of Abstracts, edited by: Sánchez-Arriaga, G., Thoms, S., and Schmehl, R., Delft University of Technology, Madrid, Spain, http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:5b930d4b-7f26-42c2-a94f-8857f9641d96 (last access: 8 November 2024), 2024. a, b
Peterson, E. W. and Hennessey, J. P. J.: On the use of power laws for estimates of wind power potential, J. Appl. Meteorol. Clim., 17, 390–394, 1978. a
Ranneberg, M., Wölfle, D., Bormann, A., Rohde, P., Breipohl, F., and Bastigkeit, I.: Fast Power Curve and Yield Estimation of Pumping Airborne Wind Energy Systems, in: Airborne Wind Energy – Advances in Technology Development and Research, edited by: Schmehl, R., Green Energy and Technology, chap. 25, 623–641, Springer, Singapore, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1947-0_25, 2018. a
Rossi, N.: Performance comparison and flight controller of circular and figure-of-eight paths for fixed-wing airborne wind energy systems, Master's thesis, University of Trento, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10160420, 2023. a
Ruiterkamp, R. and Sieberling, S.: Description and Preliminary Test Results of a Six Degrees of Freedom Rigid Wing Pumping System, in: Airborne Wind Energy, edited by: Ahrens, U., Diehl, M., and Schmehl, R., Green Energy and Technology, chap. 26, 443–458, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39965-7_26, 2013. a, b, c
Schelbergen, M. and Schmehl, R.: Validation of the quasi-steady performance model for pumping airborne wind energy systems, J. Phys. Conf. Ser., 1618, 032003, https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1618/3/032003, 2020. a
Schelbergen, M., Kalverla, P. C., Schmehl, R., and Watson, S. J.: Clustering wind profile shapes to estimate airborne wind energy production, Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1097–1120, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1097-2020, 2020. a, b
Schmehl, R., Noom, M., and Van der Vlugt, R.: Traction Power Generation with Tethered Wings, in: Airborne Wind Energy, edited by: Ahrens, U., Diehl, M., and Schmehl, R., Green Energy and Technology, chap. 2, 23–45, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39965-7_2, 2013. a, b, c, d, e
Schutter, J. D., Leuthold, R., Bronnenmeyer, T., Malz, E., Gros, S., and Diehl, M.: AWEbox: An Optimal Control Framework for Single- and Multi-Aircraft Airborne Wind Energy Systems, Energies, 16, 1900, https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041900, 2023. a
SkySails: Homepage, https://skysails-power.com/ (last access: 7 August 2024), 2024. a
Sommerfeld, M., Dörenkämper, M., De Schutter, J., and Crawford, C.: Scaling effects of fixed-wing ground-generation airborne wind energy systems, Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1847–1868, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1847-2022, 2022. a
Trevisi, F., Gaunaa, M., and McWilliam, M.: Unified engineering models for the performance and cost of ground-gen and fly-gen crosswind airborne wind energy systems, Renew. Energ., 162, 893–907, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.07.129, 2020. a
Trevisi, F., Riboldi, C. E. D., and Croce, A.: Refining the airborne wind energy system power equations with a vortex wake model, Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1639–1650, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1639-2023, 2023. a
TwingTec: Homepage, https://twingtec.ch/ (last access: 7 August 2024), 2024. a
Van der Vlugt, R., Bley, A., Noom, M., and Schmehl, R.: Quasi-steady model of a pumping kite power system, Renew. Energ., 131, 83–99, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2018.07.023, 2019. a, b, c, d
Van Deursen, V.: Dynamic simulation techniques for airborne wind energy systems – Evaluating the role of kite inertia in a soft-wing system operated in pumping cycles, Master's thesis, Delft University of Technology, https://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:bb32fc5b-300a-4789-9b48-90927f035378 (last access: 8 November 2024), 2024. a
Williams, P., Sieberling, S., and Ruiterkamp, R.: Flight Test Verification of a Rigid Wing Airborne Wind Energy System, in: 2019 American Control Conference (ACC), 2183–2190, https://doi.org/10.23919/ACC.2019.8814338, 2019. a, b
Short summary
This paper presents a fast cycle–power computation model for fixed-wing ground-generation airborne wind energy systems. It is suitable for sensitivity and scalability studies, which makes it a valuable tool for design and innovation trade-offs. It is also suitable for integration with cost models and systems engineering tools, enhancing its applicability in assessing the potential of airborne wind energy in the broader energy system.
This paper presents a fast cycle–power computation model for fixed-wing ground-generation...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint