An overview of recent results on the take-off and landing phases of airborne wind energy systems with a rigid aircraft is given. The considered take-off approach employs a linear motion system installed on the ground to accelerate the aircraft to take-off speed and on-board propellers to sustain the climb up to operational altitude. Theoretical analyses are employed to estimate the power, additional on-board mass and land occupation required to realize such a take-off strategy. A realistic dynamical model of the tethered aircraft is then employed, together with a decentralized control approach, to simulate the take-off maneuver, followed by a low-tension flight and a landing maneuver back on the linear motion system. The consequences of different wing loadings for this approach are discussed as well. The simulation results indicate that the take-off and landing can also be accomplished in turbulent wind conditions with good accuracy when the wing loading is relatively small. On the other hand, with larger wing loading values the performance is worse. Possible ways to improve the approach and further research directions are finally pointed out.

Linear take-off and landing of a rigid aircraft for airborne wind energy extraction

Fagiano, Lorenzo;
2018-01-01

Abstract

An overview of recent results on the take-off and landing phases of airborne wind energy systems with a rigid aircraft is given. The considered take-off approach employs a linear motion system installed on the ground to accelerate the aircraft to take-off speed and on-board propellers to sustain the climb up to operational altitude. Theoretical analyses are employed to estimate the power, additional on-board mass and land occupation required to realize such a take-off strategy. A realistic dynamical model of the tethered aircraft is then employed, together with a decentralized control approach, to simulate the take-off maneuver, followed by a low-tension flight and a landing maneuver back on the linear motion system. The consequences of different wing loadings for this approach are discussed as well. The simulation results indicate that the take-off and landing can also be accomplished in turbulent wind conditions with good accuracy when the wing loading is relatively small. On the other hand, with larger wing loading values the performance is worse. Possible ways to improve the approach and further research directions are finally pointed out.
2018
Airborne Wind Energy
978-981-10-1946-3
978-981-10-1947-0
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment; Energy Engineering and Power Technology; Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering; Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11311/1077618
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