Airborne Wind Energy Conversion Using a Rotating Reel System

Abstract

The study proposes a new airborne wind energy system based on the carousel concept. It comprises a rotary ring kite and a ground-based rotating reel conversion system. The moment generated by the ring kite is transferred by several peripheral tethers that connect to winch modules that are mounted on the ground rotor. A generator is coupled to this rotor for direct electricity generation. Because the ring kite is inclined with respect to the ground-rotor the length of the peripheral tethers has to be adjusted continuously during operation. The proposed system is designed to minimize the used land and space. This first study describes the fundamental working principles, results of a small-scale experimental test, a kinematic analysis of steady-state operation of the system and a power transmission analysis. Design choices for the ring kite are discussed, a strategy for launching and landing and methods for passive and active control are described.

Dynamic Analysis of the Tensegrity Structure of a Rotary Airborne Wind Energy Machine

“…An example is a tethered autogyro system with four rotors in a quadrotor configuration that harvests energy and transmits it to the ground via the tether (Mackertich and Das, 2016). Rotating reel parotors, which combine rotary ring kites with ground-based rotating reel conversion systems (Benhaiem and Schmehl, 2018) and gyrocopter-type airborne wind turbines (Rancourt et al, 2016;Roberts et al, 2007), have been proposed. Prototypes of AWE systems aimed at the direct transmission of the mechanical torque produced by a set of kites or a flying rotor to a generator on the ground have also been manufactured and tested.…”

Electricity in the air: Insights from two decades of advanced control research and experimental flight testing of airborne wind energy systems

“…• Auto-gyro concepts (flying rotors) with tensile torque transfer to the ground and ground-based energy conversion (Beaupoil, 2019;Benhaïem & Schmehl, 2018;Tulloch, Kazemi Amiri1, Yue, Feuchtwang, & Read, 2020). • Several lighter-than-air concepts, including the EAGLE System project (Garia-Sanz, White, & Tierno, 2011) (where cross-flow turbines were suspended from a high-lift aerostat), the Altaeros Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT) (where a horizontal-axis turbine was suspended in the central duct of a high-lift shroud (Vermillion, Glass, & Rein, 2013), the Omnidea airborne module (ABM) (which uses a rotating cylindrical balloon to exploit the Magnus effect for flying pumping cycles) (Penedo, Pardal, Silva, Fernandes, & Fernandes, 2013), and the Magenn Power Air Rotor System (MARS) (where a Magnus effect aerostat simultaneously served the purposes of lift and power generation).…”