KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Energy Generation

Mario Milanese
Professore di Controlli Automatici, Politecnico di Torino Presidente di Modelway, spin-off accademico, Incubatore Imprese Innovative del Politecnico di Torino

Need of a quantum leap in renewable energy technologies

About 80% of word electric energy is produced from fossil sources Problems of fossil sources: Increasing costs (demand of developing countries, sources shortage) Environmental impact (pollution, climate changes) Geopolitical implications The most optimistic forecasts on diffusion of present renewable technologies (wind, photovoltaic, biomasses) estimate to reach within next 15-20 years a level of 20% of contribution to total electric energy production
Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

Need of a quantum leap in renewable energy technologies

Wind turbines are currently the largest sources of renewable energy (excluding hydroelectric plants) Problems of wind farms: Large costs due to heavy towers and foundations Large territory occupation (up to 200-300 times a thermal plant of the same power) Aim of the project: design and build KiteGen, a new type of wind generator able to overcome these drawbacks demonstrate that KiteGen technology can contribute in few years large % of electric energy generation
Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

KiteGen project

Partners: Dipartimento di Automatica e Informatica, Politecnico di Torino Sequoia Automation srl, Chieri Modelway srl, Incubatore Imprese Innovative del Politecnico di Torino Centro Studi Industriali sas, Milano Azienda Energetica Metropolitana Torino spa

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

KiteGen: wind energy from controlled tethered airfoils (kites)

Expert kite-surfers are able to drive the kites in order to generate the energy for the navigation They act on the lines according to: wind kite position and speed desired motion .
Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

Control unit of kite flight

The core of KiteGen is the system of automatic control of the kite flight, called KSU (Kite Steering Unit):
kite ground sensors
(wind speed and direction, line strength ,)

on board sensors
(kite position and speed)

lines

control software

actuation unit
(electric drives, winches,..) Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

KiteGen carousel configuration

Each KSU is connected to the arms of a vertical axis turbine The control system is designed

to drive the flight of the kites in order to rotate the turbine and maximize the exerted torque The turbine transmits the rotation to an electric generator The torque opposed by the electric generator is controlled to have constant rotation speed
Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

KiteGen carousel configuration

Energy is generated in
wind change traction with left wind wind change

periodic cycles composed of 4 phases:

traction with right wind traction suspension and

traction with right wind traction suspension wind change

cambio mura

Control system maximizes

wind change

the power generated in the traction phases and minimizes the power in the passive phases

trazione con traction with mura a sinistra left wind direzione vento

wind direction

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

Kite modeling and control techniques

A MPC (Model Predictive Control) method is used based on a aerodynamic model of kites

FL FD
We

1 FL = CL A | We |2 2 1 FD = CD A | We |2 2 We : velocit kite rispetto al vento

A:
area kite

= 1.2
E = CL / CD
Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

Efficienza aerodinamica

Kite modeling and control techniques

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

Kite modeling and control techniques

Model equations are of the form:

x = g ( x, u,Ww )
kite position and speed in spherical coordinates ,,r wind speed

FL
z

FD r
y

differential length of lines

Spherical coordinate system

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

Kite modeling and control techniques

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

KiteGen carousel configuration: how much energy can be generated ?

The generated power depends: linearly with kite area A with the cube of the wind speed We with the square of aerodynamic efficiency E = C L / C D

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

 Simulation of a single KSU The turbine rotates at

kite area A= 100 m kite efficiency E= 8 wind speed W = 12 m/s turbine radius R= 300 m
2 e

KiteGen carousel configuration: how much energy can be generated ?

traction suspension and wind change

The kite flies lying eight

at high speed (around 200 km/h)
wind direction traction with right wind traction with left wind

0.16 rpm, with tangential speed of 5 m/s (18 km/h)

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

 Simulation of a single KSU

kite area A= 100 kite efficiency E= 8 wind speed W = 12 m/s turbine radius R= 300 m
m2
e

KiteGen carousel configuration: how much energy can be generated ?

MW
1

0.5

0 -0.5

generated mean power: 400 KW

traction with left wind traction with right wind traction suspension and wind change

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

 A single KSU with:

2 e

KiteGen carousel configuration: how much energy can be generated ?

8 MW mean power

kite area A= 500 m kite efficiency E= 12 wind speed W = 12 m/s

120 such KSU moving on carousel with R=1500 m:

1000 MW KiteGen

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

Will KiteGen be a quantum leap over present wind farm ?

KiteGen 1000 MW Wind farm 1000 MW 250-300 Km2 140

Territory occupation

5-6 Km2

Production cost (MW*h) 5.0

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

KSU prototype

A KSU prototype has been realized with the partial support of Regione Piemonte At present it is used to: test accuracy of models used in simulation analysis derive from experimental data more accurate models of kite aerodynamic (if required) test the designed control experimentally verify the generated power predicted in simulation
Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

KSU prototype

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

KSU prototype flight tests

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

KSU prototype flight tests

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

KSU prototype flight tests

Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation

KiteGen project references

Papers:

M. Canale, L. Fagiano, M. Milanese, M. Ippolito Control of tethered airfoils for a new class of wind energy generator, IEEE Conf. On Decision and Control, S. Diego, December 2006 M. Canale, L. Fagiano, M. Milanese, KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Energy Generation, 5th Int. Workshop on Advances in Energy Studies, Porto Venere, September 2006

Patents:

Smart control system exploiting the characteristics of generic kites or airfoils to convert energy", European patent 02840646, inventor: M. Ippolito, December 2004 Sistema e procedimento di controllo automatico del volo di profili alari di potenza", Patent n. TO2006A000372, inventors: M. Milanese, M. Ippolito, 23 May 2006
Mario Milanese: KiteGen: a Revolution in Wind Generation