CONCEPT OF AUTONOMOUS TEXTILE FOIL KITE - WIND ENERGY GENERATOR

Abstract

This paper presents the starting phase of a research project that aims to develop the technological demonstrator of a wind power generator system using a wind sail to capture the high altitude wind energy. The sail will capture the wind energy and will be raised to an altitude of minimum 100-200 meters to capture the stronger and more constant winds at this altitude. Flight attitude control will be done via an active control hub named WCU (Wing Control Unit) attached to the cable at about 10m from the sail. The ground station will be made up, at large, of a drum that will hold and wrap the push-pull towing and control cable, a flywheel for storing the mechanical energy, a centrifugal clutch coupled to an electric motor used in rewinding the towing cable on the drum and of course the electric generator. The system will have an electronic command and control unit that will launch the sail from the platform, guide the sail to the cruise altitude, control of the flight trajectory in the wind and on the return path, optimal landing on the platform in case of storm or other weather vagaries. The demonstrator system will be sized to generate approximately 20kVA. Current calculations show the need of a sail area of about 25m2 to achieve this power ratting.