Flight Test Verification of a Rigid Wing Airborne Wind Energy System

Williams, Paul; Sieberling, Sören; Ruiterkamp, Richard

doi:10.23919/acc.2019.8814338

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Figure 7: Techno-economic framework used to compare the three drivetrain concepts This analysis is performed considering a single standalone MW-scale pumping AWE system. The timeseries data are generated using the dynamic six DOF performance model introduced in [1,2]. The data used is a general representation of the power profiles of the pumping AWE systems and, hence, of the underlying power smoothing requirements.…”

Section: Smoothened Electrical Power Drivetrain Component Sizes Costs...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Alternating reel-in and reel-out phases in pumping cycles leads to a net production of electricity. Figure 2 shows a simulated cycle power output of a pumping AWE system using the performance models introduced in [1,2]. The integral area in green represents the power production phase and the one in red represents the consumption phase of the cycle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Techno-economic analysis of power smoothing solutions for pumping airborne wind energy systems

Joshi

Terzi

Kruijf³

et al. 2022

J. Phys.: Conf. Ser.

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In pumping airborne wind energy (AWE) systems, the kite is operated in repetitive crosswind patterns, pulling the tether from a winch that drives a generator on the ground. During the reel-out phase of its operation, it produces power, whereas, during the reel-in phase, it consumes a small fraction of the produced power. This leads to an oscillating power profile that requires smoothing before it can be supplied to the electricity grid. This paper proposes three drivetrain concepts as a solution to this power smoothing challenge. The three concepts are based on three different types of storage technologies: electrical, hydraulic and mechanical. Techno–economic models of the drivetrains were developed and a case-study on sizing and costing of the three drivetrain concepts for a MW–scale AWE system was performed. Conclusions were drawn that provide guidance to AWE developers for choosing a suitable drivetrain concept for their systems.

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Section: Smoothened Electrical Power Drivetrain Component Sizes Costs...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Techno-economic analysis of power smoothing solutions for pumping airborne wind energy systems

Joshi

Terzi

Kruijf³

et al. 2022

J. Phys.: Conf. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Power curve modelling and scaling of fixed-wing ground-generation airborne wind energy systems

Joshi,

Schmehl,

Kruijff

2024

Wind Energ. Sci.

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Abstract. The economic viability of future large-scale airborne wind energy systems critically hinges on the achievable power output in a given wind environment and the system costs. This work presents a fast model for estimating the net power output of fixed-wing ground-generation airborne wind energy systems in the conceptual design phase. In this quasi-steady approach, the kite is represented as a point mass and operated in circular flight manoeuvres while reeling out the tether. This phase is subdivided into several segments. Each segment is assigned a single flight state resulting from an equilibrium of the forces acting on the kite. The model accounts for the effects of flight pattern elevation, gravity, vertical wind shear, hardware limitations, and drivetrain losses. The simulated system is defined by the kite, tether, and drivetrain properties, such as the kite wing area, aspect ratio, aerodynamic properties, tether dimensions and material properties, generator rating, maximum allowable drum speed, etc. For defined system and environmental conditions, the cycle power is maximised by optimising the operational parameters for each phase segment. The operational parameters include cycle properties such as the stroke length (reeling distance over the cycle), the flight pattern average elevation angle, and the pattern cone angle, as well as segment properties such as the turning radius of the circular manoeuvre, the wing lift coefficient, and the reeling speed. To analyse the scaling behaviour, we present a kite mass estimation model based on the wing area, aspect ratio, and maximum tether force. The computed results are compared with 6-degree-of-freedom simulation results of a system with a rated power of 150 kW. The results show the interdependencies between key environmental, system design, and operational parameters. Gravity penalises performance more at low wind speeds than at high wind speeds, and excluding gravity does not yield optimistic performance since it assists in the reel-in phase by reducing the required power. Thin tethers perform better at lower wind speeds but limit power extraction at higher wind speeds and vice versa for thick tethers. Upscaling results in a diminishing gain in performance with an increase in kite wing area. The proposed model is suitable for integration with cost models and is aimed at sensitivity and scaling studies to support design and innovation trade-offs in the conceptual design of systems.

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Flight Test Verification of a Rigid Wing Airborne Wind Energy System

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

Techno-economic analysis of power smoothing solutions for pumping airborne wind energy systems

Techno-economic analysis of power smoothing solutions for pumping airborne wind energy systems

Power curve modelling and scaling of fixed-wing ground-generation airborne wind energy systems

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