Kite Energy Sees Light at the End of the Tunnel

The Imperial College London has conducted wind tunnel tests of energy kites, said to have helped the concept by Kite Power Systems (KPS) on its way to commercialization.

Conducted by the Department of Aeronautics, the research is said to have produced data that helped KPS optimize its device to improve its efficiency and effectiveness, allowing it to be taken to the next stage of development.

The wind tunnel, part of the National Wind Tunnel Facility (NWTF), has an 18m long high-speed working section and a low-speed section of just under 6m width and 3m height.

The tests explored the load that a model of the 3x1m kite energy device was subjected to, as well as the drag effect as it maneuvered, the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, which funded the project, said.

As kite energy devices would be designed to move in the air at speeds of up to 80mps, these forces could be very substantial, thus the design needs to combine agility with robustness.

“We treated both a fabric model of the kite-energy device and a rigid aerofoil model of the cross-sections and the data gathered has helped KPS assess this design. Our work has also helped inform the choice of materials that will be used in the devices,” said Professor Mike Graham, who led the Imperial team.

According to David Ainsworth, KPS CEO, the conducted work increased the company’s understanding of the behavior of the components and the new learning makes sure it is on course for commercialization by 2025.