Design and Economics of a Pumping Kite Wind Park

Abstract

The development of airborne wind energy is steadily progressing towards the market introduction of the technology. Even though the physical foundations of the various conversion concepts are well understood, the actual economic potential of distributed small-scale and centralized large-scale power generation under realworld conditions is still under investigation. In the present chapter we consider the clustering of units into a large kite wind park, specifically the spatial arrangement and collective operation. The analysis starts from a quasi-steady flight model of the kite to estimate the power production in pumping cycle operation. From the surface area and aerodynamic properties of the kite all other system parameters are determined. A genetic algorithm is used to optimize the operation of a single unit and to derive its power curve. Based on this information multiple interconnected units are simulated and an economic model is added. The results show that a coordinated collective operation not only achieves a continuous net electricity output, but also decreases the LCOE from 106 to 96 €/Mwh as consequence of economic scale effects. The prediction supports the substantial economic potential of pumping kite wind parks for large-scale power generation.