An Engineering Methodology for Kite Design Copyright C 2010 by J

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

An Engineering Methodology for Kite Design Copyright C 2010 by J An Engineering Methodology for Kite Design Copyright c 2010 by J. Breukels Printed by: Proefschriftmaken.nl Printyourthesis.com Published by: Uitgeverij BOXPress,|| Oisterwijk All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. ISBN 978-90-8891-230-6 Typeset by the author with the LATEX documentation system. Cover design composition made by the author. Author email: [email protected] ii An Engineering Methodology for Kite Design PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Technische Universiteit Delft, op gezag van de Rector Magnificus Prof. ir. K.Ch.A.M. Luyben, voorzitter van het College voor Promoties, in het openbaar te verdedigen op vrijdag 21 januari 2011 om 10.00 uur door Jeroen BREUKELS Ingenieur Luchtvaart en Ruimtevaart geboren te Elst. Dit proefschrift is goedgekeurd door de promotoren: Prof. dr. W.J. Ockels Prof. dr. ir. J.A. Mulder Samenstelling promotiecommissie: Rector Magnificus voorzitter Prof. dr. W.J. Ockels Technische Universiteit Delft, promotor Prof. dr. ir. J.A. Mulder Technische Universiteit Delft, promotor Prof. dr. ir. J.C. Brezet Technische Universiteit Delft Prof. dr. D.J. Rixen Technische Universiteit Delft Prof. M. Milanese Politechnico di Torino Dr. R. Schmehl Technische Universiteit Delft Dr. H. Rebbeck Mutiny kites De volgende bedrijven en instellingen hebben in belangrijke mate financieel bijgedragen aan de totstandkoming van dit proefschrift. The Rotterdam Climate Initiative, Stichting Shell Research, E-on, Provincie Groningen, Energy Delta Institute, Gasunie, Fugro, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Gemeente Delft, Gemeente Groningen, Energy Valley, Prolyte Products. ii For my parents Henk en Ineke and my girlfriend Judith iii iv De vlieger Mijn vlieger gaat naar boven, Wat heeft de wind veel kracht! Wie zou het ooit gelooven, Ik trok, met al mijn magt; ’k Heb zoo veel touw gekregen En ’t is er aan besteed; Hij is zoo hoog gestegen, Dat ik hem naauwlijks weet. Ik moet mijn’ vlieger binden, Want anders reis ik meˆe; Waar zal men mij dan vinden, Hij trok mij wis in zee! - ’k Zal op mijn’ vader wachten, Dat die hem naar zich trekt; Ik heb mijn kleine krachten Niet vruchteloos ontdekt. - De wind heeft veel vermogen, Wie kan hem tegen gaan? - Wij zien hier, met onze oogen, Toch niets van zijn bestaan! - Dit is nooit aangewezen; God geeft die kennis niet, Wiens almagt elk moet vreezen, Die ook den wind gebiedt. - Johannes Hazeu Cornelisz ”Kinderspelen, in leerzame gedichtjes” Ten Brink en De Vries, Amsterdam z.j. 2e druk, 1837. v Preface When I first heard of energy generation using large controlled kites that go up thousands of feet, I was struck by a feeling of disbelief. It is simply hard to imagine what such a system would entail. The mental picture I had of a kite was that of a small, square shaped toy which was fragile and crashed every time the wind changed. During the course of my master thesis and later, the work presented in this dissertation, I came to realize the real potential of kites. If anything, my hopes are to communicate this realization to the reader as much as I can. The odd thing is that no one bats an eyelash at the large commercial aircraft that land at Schiphol airport every three minutes with pinpoint precision. We have become both accustomed and dependent to this sight that even a brief period of stagnation in air transport seems to throw the whole world into disarray. It is a testament to the phenomenal achievements of the aviation industry that we have become so blase about our dependence on those planes landing every three minutes. We simply assume they will. We can, because they always do! But when you are at the beach, flying a kite with airplane controls, it doesn’t take long for a crowd to gather and to look on in amazement. My personal experiences at conferences were much the same. The concept of a kite hanging in the sky while you steer it from left to right using a flightstick is something most people have never seen. This very fact shows, with undenyable clarity, the difference in public awareness with regard to airplanes and kites. I myself was a victim of that discrepancy in awareness as well until I started to look at kites as an engineer with an open mind. During my work, I have found no reason why controlled kites should be so rare. From an engineering point of view, a kite is a tethered airplane which adheres to the same laws of physics as airplanes do. The applications for controlled kites are abundantly clear and very diverse. As a result of my publications and videos on the internet I have received a great deal of interest from not just kite companies, but also other large companies who often inquired about the use of kites for a particular application which I myself had never thought of. The potential for kites is now more obvious to me than ever. vii As far as scientific research goes, kites have seen very little so far. This makes the subject of this thesis somewhat of an odd duck. This has its advantages and disadvantages. An advantage is that no matter what you do, it is almost always new. Kites present a largely unexplored field with a lot of potential for researchers. The disadvantage is that, during my work, almost no one was doing similar work which creates an atmosphere of isolation. It makes it more difficult to be accepted to conferences and to get papers published. It seemed that with every presentation, I had to tell the story of the potential of kites all over again in order to convince my audience. However, in all honesty I have to say that I have greatly enjoyed doing so. I am most grateful to my promotor, Prof. Dr. Wubbo J. Ockels, for the opportunity to pursue this research project. His vision is what has made this work possible in the first place and his input during the course of my PhD track has been most valuable. I also would like to thank Dr. Roland Schmehl for his patience in proof reading all that I wrote and his great insight which has helped me a great deal. I am also most grateful to Prof. Dr. Ir. Bob Mulder for believing in this, and I quote: ”exotic project” enough to be involved in such an intense manner. His input has had a significant impact on this work. Lastly, without the support and organizational skills of Nana Saaneh, management assistent at ASSET, none of us at ASSET would be able to do what we do. Much of this work has been made possible by the sponsorship of The Rotter- dam Climate Initiative, the University of Groningen, the Town of Delft, Gasunie, E-on, Fugro, Energy Delta Institute, Stichting Shell Research, Prolyte products, the Town and Province of Groningen and Energy Valley. Without their support, the Laddermill project would not even exist. I owe them my gratitude. For providing support for MSC ADAMS, I am most thankful for Ir. Chris Verheul of Sayfield International. I have thoroughly enjoyed working together with Chris and I would like to thank him for all his effort. I am also thankful for the help provided by Ir. Arend Schwab and Ir. Edwin de Vries on the multi-body simulations. Furthermore, I am most appreciative for the excellent discussions I have had with Peter Lynn of Peter Lynn Kites, Armin Harich from Flysurfer and Dr. Henry Rebbeck of mutiny kites (formerly of FlexiFoil) for sharing their knowledge and experience in the kite industry. Their insights have been most helpful. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Mike Lam and Corneilla Lam of Lam Sails in Hong Kong for producing some of the kite designs that were devised. I would also like to thank Dr. Keith Alexander of the Canterbury University in Christchurch, New Zealand for his hospitality and for sharing his insights with me. During my work I have had the good fortune to work together with a large number of students. I have found the cooperation with students to be both inspi- ring and enjoyable. I am especially grateful to the master students I was given the opportunity to supervise. Edwin Terink, Stefan de Groot, Aart de Wachter, John van den Heuvel, Joep Breuer and Gert-Jan Spierenburg have all made valuable contributions to this thesis. I am also grateful for the cooperation with Lillian viii van Emden, Alberto Saez, Jan Muit, Thomas Frenkel and Rene Oudeman for all their work during their graduation projects. Lastly I want to especially mention Roland Verheul and express my gratitude for all his support during the course of my thesis work. I would like to thank both my parents Henk en Ineke Breukels for all their incredible support during my time in Delft. Without them, everything would have been different. The last words of gratitude go to my sweet girlfriend Judith, for her love, her patience and her unending enthusiasm whilst listening to me rambling on about the wonderful world of kites. Jeroen Breukels 2010 ix Summary An Engineering Methodology for Kite Design Kites have existed for nearly 3000 years [Fadul, 2009], yet they have seen little serious attention from the scientific community. Kites have been of paramount importance during the development of powered flight in the nineteenth century. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the widespread attention of the scien- tific community has made it possible for aeronautical science and technology to grow into a serious field of study.
Recommended publications
  • 51 Hot-Air Balloons
    We’re on the www. Thanks to Don Taylor the MAAA has now its own individual Internet web site. Look us up on www.aussiemossie.asn.au. Don has slaved over a hot PC for many nights teaching himself how to undertake the task, and the result as you will see is a credit to him. He welcomes all feedback, as well as genuine articles that are unique, as he does not want the site to be just another list of numbers but wants to have articles that portray the human side as well. You can email him with your anecdotes via the Contact Us section on the site. Our thanks also go to stalwart Brian Fillery for making his personal site available to the MAAA for the past few years. It was greatly ap- preciated. By the way if you are look- ing for the home page, there is not one, it is now known as the Hangar page (Don’s humour—you can tell by the smirk on his face). THE AUSSIE MOSSIE / APRIL 2008 / 1 The President’s Log—by Alan Middleton OAM in the RAAF post 1945, retiring ers moved into Coomalie Creek in with the rank of Air Vice Mar- November 1942 and it remained an shal. operational base until the end of the The Gillespie Room is named war. for Sqn Ldr Jim Gillespie, a Pilot with 87 who died as a A report was recently seen in an result of a crash on takeoff at Airforce Association publication on Coomalie Creek on 2 August the death of Fred Stevens DFC, the 1945.
    [Show full text]
  • Kites in the Classroom
    ’ American Kitefliers Association KITES IN THE CLASSROOM REVISED EDITION by Wayne Hosking Copyright 0 1992 Wayne E. Hosking 5300 Stony Creek Midland, MI 48640 Editorial assistance from Jon Burkhardt and David Gomberg. Graphics by Wayne Hosking, Alvin Belflower, Jon Burkhardt, and Peter Loop. Production by Peter Loop and Rick Talbott. published by American Kitefliers Association 352 Hungerford Drive Rockville, MD 20850-4117 IN MEMORY OF DOMINA JALBERT (1904-1991) CONTENTS:CONTENTS: PREFACE. ........................................1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION. .3 HISTORY - KITE TRADITIONS - WHAT IS A KITE - HOW A KITE FLIES - FLIGHT CONTROL - KITE MATERIALS CHAPTER 2PARTS OF A KITE. .13 TAILS -- BRIDLE - TOW POINT - FLYING LINE -- KNOTS - LINE WINDERS CHAPTER 3KITES TO MAKE AND FLY..........................................19 1 BUMBLE BEE............................................................................................................... 19 2 TADPOLE ...................................................................................................................... 20 3CUB.......................................................................................................................21 4DINGBAT ........................................................................................................................ 22 5LADY BUG.................................................................................................................... 23 6PICNIC PLATE KITE..................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Angular Elevation Control of Robotic Kite Systems
    2010 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation Anchorage Convention District May 3-8, 2010, Anchorage, Alaska, USA Angular elevation control of robotic kite systems Eftychios G. Christoforou Abstract— The kite mechanics including some basic aerody- Applications of kites have been numerous and diverse namics is reviewed in order to set up a framework for the de- and exploited the lifting capabilities of kites (lifting mete- velopment of robotic kite systems. Some historical background orological instruments, man–lifting for military applications, is provided together with a brief review of kite applications, which have been numerous and diverse. Robotizing the kite etc.), as well as the towing capabilities of kites (traction of is expected to enhance its capabilities and revive scientific sea vessels, performing various “extreme sports” including kiting. Towards that direction a methodology for controlling kite buggying and kite surfing, etc.). Kites have contributed the angular elevation (and the altitude) of a single–line kite by to various fields of science with meteorology being the actively adjusting the length of its bridle strings is proposed epicenter. However, after the development of other flying together with the required implementation hardware. Prelimi- nary simulations and proof–of–concept field testing using a box means the interest in scientific kiting gradually declined kite were carried out. and today is fairly limited. Another contributing factor to the abandonment of kites is that kite technology always Index Terms— Kite, robotic kite, kite angular elevation con- remained low–tech and today kiting is considered more art trol, scientific kiting. than science. A possibility which remains largely unexplored is robotization of the kite system through the integration of I.
    [Show full text]
  • A Romance with Kites
    Fall 2017 Volume 39, Issue 3 $4.95 A Romance with Kites Flying the Big Stuff Should You Buy a 3D Printer? FALL 2017 1 2 KITING Fall 2017, Volume 39, Issue 3 F E A T U R E S Kite Plans for a Jalbert Barn Door Kite 9 By Margaret Greger Read about the late Margaret Greger on page 46 or enjoy these plans first published in 1992. Pg 15 Flying the Big Stuff (Safely) By Roger Kenkel 12 Tips and suggestions on how to buy and fly big kites. MARK BAKER Hey Brother…We Did It! By Mark Baker 15 They called it the “Megafoil” and it took decades to make it fly. Faces in the Sky, A Progression In and Out 17 of Focus By David Wagner Exploring the world of art, kites, faces and more, Wagner shares his journey and passion in kitemaking. LINDSEY JOHNSON A Romance with Kites 22 Interviews with Deb Lenzen and Mike Shaw Two of the most influential kitemakers in America today, Lenzen and Shaw, talk about design, storytelling and how to share a Pg 30 house with kites. The Magic of 3D Printing By Lindsey Johnson Is there a future for 3D printing in kitemaking? Johnson says, “Yes.” 30 DEPARTMENTS 4 AKA Directory 5 Letter from the President Pg 22 6 People, Places, and Things 8 Empty Spaces in the Sky DEB LENZEN 35 Regional Reports 44 Directory of Merchant Members 46 Voices Fron the Vault Margaret Greger ON THE COVER: “Loons” made and photographed by Deb Lenzen. Copyright 2017 by American Kitefliers Association.
    [Show full text]
  • Beginners Guide to Kite Boarding
    The Complete Beginner’s Guide About Kitesurfing What Is Kitesurfing? For some, it does not even ring a bell although, for others, it means everything and they build their life around it! Whether you have already witnessed it in person on your last vacation to the beach, maybe over the internet in your news feed or even in pop culture, for sure it made you wonder… What the heck are these guys doing dangling in the air under that big parachute? And how are they even doing it? If we were to talk to someone in the early 1960s about space exploration, let alone landing on the moon they would have thought we were crazy. What if we were to tell someone today that they can have the time of their life by practicing a water sport that involves standing up on a surfboard, strapped in a waist harness while being pulled along by a large kite up 25 meters in the air? That person probably wouldn’t believe it. Well, here we are today with hundreds of thousands of people learning and practicing kiteboarding every year. In this Complete Beginner’s Guide, we will go from the inception of the sport to where it is today and everything in between to understand what kitesurfing is all about. This guide will inform you about the history and origins of kitesurfing, the equipment, the environment, what it takes to become a kiter as well as the benefits of becoming one. Moreover, we will cover everything there is to know about the safety aspects of this action sport and the overall lifestyle and culture that has grown around it.
    [Show full text]
  • Optimal Control of Power Kites for Wind Power Production
    FACULDADE DE ENGENHARIA DA UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO Optimal Control of Power Kites for Wind Power Production Tiago Costa Moreira Maia PREPARATION FOR THE MSC DISSERTATION Master in Electrical and Computers Engineering Supervisor: Fernando Arménio da Costa Castro e Fontes Co-Supervisor: Luís Tiago de Freixo Ramos Paiva February 7, 2014 c Tiago Costa Moreira Maia, 2014 Abstract Ground based wind energy systems have reached the peak of their capacity. Wind instability, high cost of installations and small power output of a single unit are some of the the limitations of the current design. In order to become competitive the wind energy industry needs new methods to extract energy from the wind. The Earth’s surface creates a boundary layer effect on the wind that increases its speed with altitude. In fact, with altitude the wind is not only stronger, but steadier. In order to capitalize these strong streams new extraction methods were proposed. One of these solutions is to drive a generator using a tethered kite. This concept allows very large power outputs per unit. The major goal of this work is to study a possible trajectory of the kite in order to maximize the power output using an optimal control software - Imperial College London Optimal Control Software (ICLOCS), model and optimize it. i ii Contents 1 Introduction1 1.1 Context . .1 1.2 Motivation . .2 1.3 Objectives . .2 1.4 Document Structure . .2 2 State of the Art5 2.1 High Wind Energy . .5 2.2 High Wind Energy Systems . .6 2.3 The Laddermill . .9 2.3.1 Dynamic Model the Tethered Kite System .
    [Show full text]
  • Front Cover: Airbus 2050 Future Concept Aircraft
    AEROSPACE 2017 February 44 Number 2 Volume Society Royal Aeronautical www.aerosociety.com ACCELERATING INNOVATION WHY TODAY IS THE BEST TIME EVER TO BE AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER February 2017 PROPELLANTLESS SPACE DRIVES – FLIGHTS OF FANCY? BOOM PLOTS RETURN TO SUPERSONIC FLIGHT INDIA’S NAVAL AIR POWER Have you renewed your Membership Subscription for 2017? Your membership subscription was due on 1 January 2017. As per the Society’s Regulations all How to renew: membership benefits will be suspended where Online: a payment for an individual subscription has Log in to your account on the Society’s www.aerosociety.com not been received after three months of the due website to pay at . If you date. However, this excludes members paying do not have an account, you can register online their annual subscriptions by Direct Debits in and pay your subscription straight away. monthly installments. Additionally members Telephone: Call the Subscriptions Department who are entitled to vote in the Society’s AGM on +44 (0)20 7670 4315 / 4304 will lose their right to vote if their subscription has not been paid. Cheque: Cheques should be made payable to the Royal Aeronautical Society and sent to the Don’t lose out on your membership benefits, Subscriptions Department at No.4 Hamilton which include: Place, London W1J 7BQ, UK. • Your monthly subscription to AEROSPACE BACS Transfer: Pay by Bank Transfer (or by magazine BACS) into the Society’s bank account, quoting • Use of your RAeS post nominals as your name and membership number. Bank applicable details: • Over 400 global events yearly • Discounted rates for conferences Bank: HSBC plc • Online publications including Society News, Sort Code: 40-05-22 blogs and podcasts Account No: 01564641 • Involvement with your local branch BIC: MIDLGB2107K • Networking opportunities IBAN: GB52MIDL400522 01564641 • Support gaining Professional Registration • Opportunities & recognition with awards and medals • Professional development and support ..
    [Show full text]
  • An Introduction and Brief History
    KITES An Introduction and Brief History SKY WIND WORLD.ORG FLYING A ROKAKKU - FLYING BUFFALO PROJECT HISTORY From China kites spread to neighboring countries and across the seas to the Pacific region. At the same time they spread across Burma, India and arriving in North Africa about 1500 years ago. They did not arrive in Europe or America until much later probably via the trade routes Kites are thought to have originated in China about 3000 years ago. One story is that a fisherman was out on a windy day and his hat blew away and got caught on his fishing line which was then when these areas developed. blown up in to the air. Bamboo was a ready source of straight sticks for spars and silk fabric was available to make a light covering, then in the 2nd century AD paper was invented and is still used to this day. PHYSICS Kites fly when thrust, lift, drag and gravity are balanced. The flying line and bridle hold the kite at an angle to the wind so that the air flows faster across the top than the bottom producing the lift. THE PARTS OF A KITE 1 THE SAIL • This can be made of any material such as paper, fabric or plastic. • It is used to trap the air. The air must have somewhere to escape otherwise it spills over the front edge and makes the kite wobble. This can be done by using porous fabric or making it bend backwards to allow the air to slip smoothly over the side.
    [Show full text]
  • The Laddermill - Innovative Wind Energy from High Altitudes in Holland and Australia
    Published at: Windpower 06, Adelaide, Australia The Laddermill - Innovative Wind Energy from High Altitudes in Holland and Australia Bas Lansdorp Delft University, The Netherlands Paul Williams RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia Abstract The Laddermill is a novel concept to harvest electricity from high altitude winds. The concept’s operating principle is to drive an electric generator using tethered kites. Several kites are deployed to altitudes of more than 1 km by means of a single cable that is connected to a drum on the groundstation. The upper portion of the cable is connected to the high altitude kites, whereas the lower portion of the cable remains wound around the drum. The kites are controlled to pull the cable from the drum, which in turn drives a generator. After most of the cable is pulled off the drum at high tension, the kites are controlled to fly down in a configuration that generates significantly less lift than during the ascent, thereby reducing the cable tension. The lower portion of the tether is retrieved onto the drum and the process is repeated. The concept allows very large power outputs from single units. The Laddermill concept is being studied at Delft University of Technology, with additional assistance from RMIT University. As part of this cooperative effort, Delft has gathered significant practical experience, including successful demonstration of a small-scale 2 kW Laddermill, as well as having investigated alternative groundstation designs and other kite concepts. At RMIT, modelling, optimisation, and control design for the system has been studied. This paper presents a summary of some of these achievements and will report on future plans.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparative Study of Wind Turbine Placement Methods for Flat Wind Farm Layout Optimization with Irregular Boundary
    applied sciences Article Comparative Study of Wind Turbine Placement Methods for Flat Wind Farm Layout Optimization with Irregular Boundary Longyan Wang 1,2,3 1 Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; [email protected] 2 School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4001, Australia 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada Received: 18 December 2018; Accepted: 11 February 2019; Published: 14 February 2019 Featured Application: The comparative results of the effectiveness of different wind turbine placement methods will facilitate the application of a more advantageous method to be used for the wind farm design, and hence improve the cost effectiveness of wind power exploitation. Abstract: For the exploitation of wind energy, planning/designing a wind farm plays a crucial role in the development of wind farm project, which must be implemented at an early stage, and has a vast influence on the stages of operation and control for wind farm development. As a step of the wind farm planning/designing, optimizing the wind turbine placements is an effective tool in increasing the power production of a wind farm leading to an increased financial return. In this paper, the optimization of an offshore wind farm with an irregular boundary is carried out to investigate the effectiveness of grid and coordinate wind farm design methods. In the study of the grid method, the effect of grid density on the layout optimization results is explored with 20 × 30 and 40 × 60 grid cells, and the means of coping with the irregular wind farm boundary using different wind farm design methods are developed in this paper.
    [Show full text]
  • Challenges for the Commercialization of Airborne Wind Energy Systems
    first save date Wednesday, November 14, 2018 - total pages 53 Reaction Paper to the Recent Ecorys Study KI0118188ENN.en.pdf1 Challenges for the commercialization of Airborne Wind Energy Systems Draft V0.2.2 of Massimo Ippolito released the 30/1/2019 Comments to [email protected] Table of contents Table of contents Abstract Executive Summary Differences Between AWES and KiteGen Evidence 1: Tether Drag - a Non-Issue Evidence 2: KiteGen Carousel Carousel Addendum Hypothesis for Explanation: Evidence 3: TPL vs TRL Matrix - KiteGen Stem TPL Glass-Ceiling/Threshold/Barrier and Scalability Issues Evidence 4: Tethered Airfoils and the Power Wing Tethered Airfoil in General KiteGen’s Giant Power Wing Inflatable Kites Flat Rigid Wing Drones and Propellers Evidence 5: Best Concept System Architecture KiteGen Carousel 1 Ecorys AWE report available at: https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/a874f843-c137-11e8-9893-01aa75ed 71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-76863616 or ​ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329044800_Study_on_challenges_in_the_commercialisatio n_of_airborne_wind_energy_systems 1 FlyGen and GroundGen KiteGen remarks about the AWEC conference Illogical Accusation in the Report towards the developers. The dilemma: Demonstrate or be Committed to Design and Improve the Specifications Continuous Operation as a Requirement Other Methodological Errors of the Ecorys Report Auto-Breeding Concept Missing EroEI Energy Quality Concept Missing Why KiteGen Claims to be the Last Energy Reservoir Left to Humankind
    [Show full text]
  • Aerial Wind Turbine
    Aerial Wind Turbine A Major Qualifying Project Report Submitted to the faculty Of Worcester Polytechnic Institute In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science Submitted By: Kevin Martinez Andrew McIsaac Devin Thayer Advisor: Professor Gretar Tryggvason Date: April 30, 2009 Abstract: Land based wind turbines are not used to their fullest potential due to the inconsistency of wind near the earth’s surface. The goal was to determine if a structure could be designed and built to harness wind energy at high altitudes. Using a non-rigid airship, a design was created to lift wind turbines up to a desired height while still achieving a moderate power output. 2 Executive Summary: The rising cost of oil is increasing the need to find alternative energy sources. One source is harnessing the power of wind which is less harmful to the environment. Commonly, wind turbines are fixed to the ground and can only reach heights of up to 125 meters. There are also issues with the consistency of the wind speeds and direction at these heights. Wind turbines installed at these heights do not produce as much power as they could due to the inconsistency of the winds. The goal of this project was to determine a way to elevate the turbines up to heights of 300 meters using a lighter than air structure. At this altitude, the wind speeds are more constant and the direction of the wind does not vary. With these two factors significantly improved, the turbines operate at their maximum potential. Many steps were involved to reach these goals.
    [Show full text]