Kitepower is a registered

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from othe ...

of the Dutch company Enevate B.V. developing mobile airborne

wind power Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller impact on the environment than burning fossil fuels. Historically ...

systems. Kitepower was founded in 2016 by Johannes Peschel and Roland Schmehl as a

university spin-off University spin-offs (also known as university spin-outs) are companies that transform technological inventions developed from university research that are likely to remain unexploited otherwise. They are a subcategory of research spin-offs. Promin ...

from the

Delft University of Technology Delft University of Technology ( nl, Technische Universiteit Delft), also known as TU Delft, is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. As of 2022 it is ranked by QS World University Rankings among ...

’s airborne wind energy research group established by the former astronaut

Wubbo Ockels Wubbo Johannes Ockels (28 March 1946 – 18 May 2014) was a Dutch physicist and astronaut with the European Space Agency who, in 1985, became the first Dutch citizen in space when he flew on STS-61-A as a payload specialist. He later becam ...

. The company is located in Delft,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, and currently comprises 18 employees (2018).

System

Based on its first 20 kW (rated generator power) prototype, Kitepower is currently developing a scaled-up 100 kW system for the purpose of commercialization. Funding was provided by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 ''Fast Track to Innovation'' project REACH in which the company was collaborating with

and industry partners Dromec, Maxon Motor and Genetrix.

Working principle

The Kitepower system consists of three major components: a soft kite, a load-bearing tether and a ground-based electric generator. Another important component is the so-called kite control unit and together with the according control software for remotely steering the kite. For energy production, the kite is operated in consecutive "pumping cycles" with alternating reel-out and reel-in phases: during reel-out the kite is flown in crosswind maneuvers (transverse to the incoming wind). This creates a large pulling force which unwinds the tether from a ground-based drum connected to a generator. In this phase electricity is generated. Once the maximum tether length is reached, the kite is reeled back, but this time depowered, such that it can be retracted with a low aerodynamic resistance. This phase consumes a small fraction of the previously generated power such that in total net energy is produced. The electricity is buffered by a rechargeable battery unit, or, in a kite park configuration, several systems can be operated with phase shifts such that the battery capacity can be reduced.

Technology context

Airborne wind energy promises to be a cost-competitive solution to existing renewable energy technologies. The main advantages of the airborne wind energy technology are the reduced material usage compared to conventional wind turbines (no foundation, no tower) which allows reaching for higher altitudes and makes the systems more mobile in terms of location, and considerably cheaper in construction. Challenges are robustness and reliability of the flying wind energy system and the airspace requirements of the technology. A considerable body of scientific literature and patents has been developed.

Applications

For the art project Windvogel of Dutch artist

Daan Roosegaarde Daan Roosegaarde (born 1979) is a Dutch artist, pioneer and founder of ''Studio Roosegaarde'', which develops projects that merge technology and art in urban environments. Some of the studio's works have been described as "immersive" and "intera ...

the Kitepower system was operated also during night, using a light-emitting tether. In October 2021 the company deployed its 100 kW system during a 3 weeks exercise of the Dutch engineering corps on the Caribbean Island Aruba.

Awards

* YES!Delft Launchlab 2016 * Dutch Defense Innovation Competition 2016 * YES!Delft Incubation Program 2017 Kitepower Incubation Program
YES!Delft. Retrieved 2017-09-04

References

{{Reflist

External links

Kitepower Official Website
Renewable energy Airborne wind power