IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v16y2023i6p2610-d1092991.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Tensile Rotary Airborne Wind Energy System—Modelling, Analysis and Improved Design

Author

Listed:
  • Oliver Tulloch

    (Wind Energy and Control Centre, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, 204 George Street, Glasgow G1 1XW, UK
    Current address: REOptimize Systems, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, Scotland, UK.)

  • Hong Yue

    (Wind Energy and Control Centre, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, 204 George Street, Glasgow G1 1XW, UK)

  • Abbas Mehrad Kazemi Amiri

    (Wind Energy and Control Centre, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, 204 George Street, Glasgow G1 1XW, UK)

  • Roderick Read

    (Windswept and Interesting Limited, Nesbister, Shetland ZE2 9LJ, UK)

Abstract

A unique rotary kite turbine designed with tensile rotary power transmission (TRPT) is introduced in this work. Power extraction, power transmission and the ground station are modelled in a modular framework. The TRPT system is the key component of power transmission, for which three models with different levels of complexity are proposed. The first representation is based on the stationary state of the system, in which the external and internal torques of a TRPT section are in equilibrium, referred to as the steady-state TRPT model. The second representation is a simplified spring-disc model for dynamic TRPT, and the third one is a multi-spring model with higher degrees of freedom and more flexibility in describing TRPT dynamics. To assess the torque loss on TRPT, a simple tether drag model is written for the steady-state TRPT, followed by an improved tether drag model for the dynamic TRPT. This modular framework allows for multiple versions of the rotor, tether aerodynamics and TRPT representations. The developed models are validated by laboratory and field-testing experimental data, simulated over a range of modelling options. Model-based analysis are performed on TRPT design, rotor design and tether drag to understand any limitations and crucial design drivers. Improved designs are explored through multi-parameter optimisation based on steady-state analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Oliver Tulloch & Hong Yue & Abbas Mehrad Kazemi Amiri & Roderick Read, 2023. "A Tensile Rotary Airborne Wind Energy System—Modelling, Analysis and Improved Design," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-42, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:6:p:2610-:d:1092991
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/6/2610/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/6/2610/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:6:p:2610-:d:1092991. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.