Messages in AirborneWindEnergy group.                          AWES 22006 to 22055 Page 333 of 440.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22006 From: dave santos Date: 2/20/2017
Subject: Scotland celebrates KPS kite jobs (hint: hire Rod Read)

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22007 From: dave santos Date: 2/20/2017
Subject: Re: Comparing AWES efficiency metrics

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22008 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/20/2017
Subject: Re: Rolokite's Inflatable Kites and Structures http://rolokite.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22009 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: AWE Research Waste, Fraud, and Abuse

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22010 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: BEV v Trump

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22011 From: benhaiemp Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Searches to obtain a durable fabric for flexible power kites

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22012 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1033812 An Integrated Study of Ground Tethered Energ

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22013 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #0853579 An Integrated Study of Floating Wind Turbine

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22014 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1437296 Altitude Control for Optimal Performance of

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22015 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #9411761 Demonstration of Quasi-Continuous Vertical P

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22016 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Kite systems and National Science Foundation (NSF)

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22017 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1248528 SBIR Phase I: Low-cost, High Performance Fab

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22018 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1622031 SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation -- Modul

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22019 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1336130 Hydrokinetic Energy Harvesting Using Tethere

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22020 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1430989 SBIR Phase II: Ultra-light,modular wind turb

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22021 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #9017570 SGER: Continuous Monitoring of the Global At

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22022 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #0853579 An Integrated Study of Floating Wind Tur

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22023 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1538300 Collaborative Research: Self-Adjusting Perio

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22024 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1453912 CAREER: Efficient Experimental Optimization

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22025 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: AirLoom Energy

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22026 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Re: AirLoom Energy

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22027 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Re: AirLoom Energy

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22028 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Overlooked 2012 WSJ AWE video?

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22029 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #1538300 Collaborative Research: Self-Adjusting P

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22030 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #9017570 SGER: Continuous Monitoring of the Globa

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22031 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Uptick in US AWE R&D and other predicted trends

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22032 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Overlooked 2012 WSJ AWE video?

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22033 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #1622031 SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22034 From: dave santos Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: "Turbo-Charged" Ram-Air Inflation

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22035 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #1622031 SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22036 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #1622031 SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22037 From: dave santos Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #1622031 SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22038 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Trademarks

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22039 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Uptick in US AWE R&D and other predicted trends

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22040 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Hawaii Five-O (Makani M600 Investigation)

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22041 From: dave santos Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Trademarks

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22042 From: dave santos Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Uptick in US AWE R&D and other predicted trends

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22043 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ax9Co_g50o

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22044 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Windlift $80,000. for what?

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22045 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: MPWES

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22046 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Major General Nick Justice

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22047 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Will energy kiting be found on the Trappist planets?

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22048 From: dave santos Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Re: Will energy kiting be found on the Trappist planets?

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22049 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Re: James G. P. Dehlsen

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22050 From: dave santos Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Looping Foil Modes caught on Video

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22051 From: dave santos Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Re: James G. P. Dehlsen

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22052 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Re: James G. P. Dehlsen

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22053 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: US9429954 (B2) - Flight control for an airborne wind turbine

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22054 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Re: Forum headline images

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22055 From: benhaiemp Date: 2/24/2017
Subject: Re: Searches to obtain a durable fabric for flexible power kites




Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22006 From: dave santos Date: 2/20/2017
Subject: Scotland celebrates KPS kite jobs (hint: hire Rod Read)
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22007 From: dave santos Date: 2/20/2017
Subject: Re: Comparing AWES efficiency metrics
There are obvious problems in comparing the two claims that Moritz inconclusively cites, being an order-of-magnitude apart. No doubt there are gross differences in the two original calculations that Moritz was unaware of, but he did show due hesitation over Makani's higher number. There are also non-linear factors due to very different wind velocities. Efficiency calculations involve many elective assumptions, and multiple AWES architectures are best compared in a consistent framework, or GIGO happens.

I reread the post requested and understood it as before...




On Monday, February 20, 2017 8:10 AM, "pierre-benhaiem@orange.fr [AirborneWindEnergy]" <AirborneWindEnergy@yahoogroups.com  
Efficiency was compared with both rigid wings, flygen vs reel-in/out.
It is true that with equivalent mass fabric power kites can be superior.

I tested X-F film (two crossed pe films) as a tarp: after 14 months outdoors there is no problem, while a conventional blue tarp does not exceed 12 months in the same conditions. So as X-F film http://www.supreme.co.in/xf-films-products.php  is strong and cheap it could be suitable for giant kites with an implementation of an integrated network of bands transmitting wind force. Such a network would assure also dimensional stability.

PierreB 


Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22008 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/20/2017
Subject: Re: Rolokite's Inflatable Kites and Structures http://rolokite.
"Roland Verheul"  with one "l" in name may be the root of the site's name rolokite.com

Publication numberWO2013123604 A1
Publication typeApplication
Application numberPCT/CH2013/000025
Publication dateAug 29, 2013
Filing dateFeb 11, 2013
Priority dateFeb 22, 2012
Also published asEP2817212A1
InventorsRoland VERHEULRolf Luchsinger
ApplicantProspectives Concepts AgEmpa
Export CitationBiBTeXEndNoteRefMan
External Links: PatentscopeEspacenet
(DE) TRAGFLÜGEL AUS FLEXIBLEM MATERIAL
(EN) AIRFOIL MADE OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL
(FR) AILE EN MATÉRIAU FLEXIBLE
Abstract:front page image
(DE)Die Erfindung betrifft Tragflügel (1) mit einer pneumatischen Tragstruktur, die einen quer durch ihn hindurch verlaufenden pneumatischen Träger (20, 27) aufweist, wobei der Träger eine zu einem Betriebsdruck aufblasbare, stabförmige flexible Hülle (21, 28) sowie ein dieser zugeordnetes Druckelement (22, 19) und ein dieser zugeordnetes Zugelement (23, 30, 31) aufweist, welche Elemente der Länge der Hülle (21, 28) entlang verlaufen und im Betrieb durch diese im Abstand von einander gehalten sind, wobei das Druckelement (22, 19) und das Zugelement (23, 30, 31) an ihren Enden mit einander in je einem Knoten (29, 35) wirkverbunden sind, und wobei die Oberflächen des Tragflügels (1) durch ein flexibles obere Membran (3) und ein flexibles untere Membran (4) gebildet werden, und er über seine Querabmessung in eine Anzahl neben einander angeordnete Druckzellen (35) ohne Lastpunkte aufgeteilt ist.
(EN)The invention relates to an airfoil (1) with a pneumatic supporting structure having a pneumatic carrier (20, 27) running transversely through the airfoil, wherein the carrier has a rod-like flexible shell (21, 28) inflatable to an operating pressure, a compression element (22, 19) associated with said shell and a tension element (23, 30, 31) associated with said shell, said elements running along the length of the shell (21, 28) and being held apart from one another in operation by same, wherein the compression element (22, 19) and the tension element (23, 30, 31) are operatively connected to one another at their ends in respective nodes (29, 35) and wherein the surfaces of the airfoil (1) are formed by a flexible upper membrane (3) and a flexible lower membrane (4), and the airfoil (1) is subdivided over the transverse dimension thereof into a plurality of pressure cells (35) arranged next to one another without load points.
(FR)L'invention concerne une aile (1) pourvue d'une structure de support pneumatique, qui comporte un support pneumatique (20, 27) s'étendant transversalement à travers cette structure. Le support comporte une enveloppe flexible (21, 28) en forme de barre pouvant être gonflée à une pression de service, ainsi qu'un élément de pression (22, 19) associé à cette enveloppe, et un élément de traction (23, 30, 31) également associé à cette enveloppe, ces éléments s'étendant le long de la longueur de l'enveloppe (21, 28) et étant retenus à distance les uns des autres par cette enveloppe durant l'utilisation. L'élément de pression (22, 19) et l'élément de traction (23, 30, 31) sont en liaison fonctionnelle l'un avec l'autre à leurs extrémités et forment à chaque fois un nœud (29, 35). Les surfaces de l'aile (1) sont formées par une membrane supérieure flexible (3) et une membrane inférieure flexible (4), et l'aile est divisée sans points de charge sur toute sa dimension transversale en un certain nombre de cellules de pression (35) disposées les unes à côté des autres.
 
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22009 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: AWE Research Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
Most AWE research is of course creditable, but the large amounts of money in play create temptation, and its not too unusual to see efforts skirting the line between proper and improper activity. The most common problem is for teams and players with weak AWE domain experience to over-claim what they will accomplish with funding offered them in the form of marketing hype (often sounding like, "we will take the tip of the turbine-blade and make energy cheaper than coal").

There are many patterns to the "waste, fraud, and abuse". A common scenario is an fairly honest beginning, then goals are missed, but the effort continues on raising money, with no prospect of success. We see the soul of the hapless researcher gradually cross the line from innocence to greed. Its a large interesting topic of its own, but in AWE we just have to keep in mind the risk, since our primary study is aerospace knowledge, not human psychology.

Longtime followers of AWE will recall cases that meet the criteria of waste, fraud, and abuse. Other cases will gradually come to light in AWE. The primary test of such cases is large amounts of money that do not result in useful knowledge, especially failures that are not honestly reported, but covered-up. Negative results are necessary to science, but the producers of such results seldom are very forthcoming.

Here is a quick overview of the problem of scientific misconduct, which has and will continue to be a factor in AWE R&D.




Waste, fraud, and abuse in US SBIR program, as testified in Congress-

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22010 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: BEV v Trump
Breakthrough Energy Ventures is gearing up to fund clean energy research, including AWE, just as President Trump is seemingly bent on extending fossil fuel dependence-



Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22011 From: benhaiemp Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Searches to obtain a durable fabric for flexible power kites

As AWES should work 24h/24 all days, the lifetime of flexible power kites is expected to be too low.

I tested  http://www.supreme.co.in/xf-films-products.php   (“Multilayered Cross Laminated U.V.Stabilised Films”): after 14 months outdoors the 70 gr/m² film  was good as new, while the lifetime of a current blue tarp does not exceed 12 months. Perhaps flexible kite lifetime is low due to the fragility and the finesse of the wires constituting the fabric, as wires resist badly in both UV and mechanical constraints. So a polymer (for example XF-film or a specific material) in one piece could be more durable. But some other parameters have to be examined: for example is this film really suitable for kites, including single skin kites.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22012 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1033812 An Integrated Study of Ground Tethered Energ

Award Abstract #1033812 
 An Integrated Study of Ground Tethered Energy Systems

NSF Org:CBET
Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys
divider line
Initial Amendment Date:July 22, 2010
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Latest Amendment Date:April 10, 2015
divider line
Award Number:1033812
divider line
Award Instrument:Standard Grant
divider line
Program Manager:Gregory Rorrer
CBET Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys
ENG Directorate For Engineering
divider line
Start Date:September 1, 2010
divider line
End Date:August 31, 2015 (Estimated)
divider line
Awarded Amount to Date:$296,050.00
divider line
Investigator(s):David Olinger olinger@wpi.edu (Principal Investigator)
Gretar Tryggvason (Co-Principal Investigator)
Michael Demetriou (Co-Principal Investigator)
Islam Hussein (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
divider line
Sponsor:Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 INSTITUTE RD
WORCESTER, MA 01609-2247 (508)831-5000
divider line
NSF Program(s):ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABILITY
divider line
Program Reference Code(s):090E
divider line
Program Element Code(s):7644

ABSTRACT

1033812

Olinger

Intellectual Merit

The overall objective of this proposed research is to gain fundamental understanding of ground-tethered wind energy (GTE) systems through modeling, advanced numerical simulation, and physical experiments on GTE system components. GTE systems are a scalable, next-generation concept for wind energy, where a rigid-wing glider or kite is held aloft by the wind and controlled in flight by an automatic control system. The glider or kite is connected to a flexible tether that transmits generated aerodynamic forces to a power generation system on the ground. The main advantage of GTE systems is that they may be able to generate energy in locations where wind speeds are too low to make wind turbines cost-effective. 

Although GTE systems are attracting attention from the US wind industry, relatively little work has been done to assess the technical challenges that must be overcome to provide cost-effective power. The work proposed here will lay the foundation for understanding how such systems behave though integration of analytical models and robust control solutions with numerical simulations of sufficient accuracy suitable for system design, wind tunnel testing on gliders and kite components, and evaluation of a GTE demonstration system. Specifically, the proposed numerical simulations would constitute the first computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study of ground tethered energy systems, fully accounting for the flexibility of the kite/wing and the influence of the tethers. The coupling of CFD simulations with developed analytical models and control analyses will predict the behavior and robustness of the GTE system under different conditions and control solutions. Robust control solutions that can control the kite to ensure optimal cross-wind motions when exposed to wind gusts and turbulence are the enabling technology for GTE systems. Overall, this integrated approach will seek to understand the control and aerodynamic properties of kite systems, and propose actuators, sensors and tracking controllers to yield optimal periodic trajectories in the presence of modeling errors and wind disturbances. Concurrently, the proposed work also seeks to advance fundamental knowledge in aerodynamics of flexible structures, novel control system applications, and numerical simulation of complex systems.

Broader Impacts

The education and outreach plan will provide a variety of experiences that will integrate the research outcomes with student learning. The proposed work will provide significant research experiences for undergraduate students at Worchester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) through design projects in existing courses, and the creation of an undergraduate course in renewable energy that will use the developed GTE simulations and experiments in course laboratories. The PI will also incorporate wind energy topics such as ground tethered energy systems and floating offshore wind turbines into the aerospace engineering segment of the WPI Summer Frontiers Program for high school juniors and seniors, which provides over 200 students per year with a two-week long college experience in various STEM disciplines. Finally, the PI team will prepare a book titled Ground Tethered Energy Systems for Power Generation.

BOOKS/ONE TIME PROCEEDING

Hussein, I., Olinger, D.J., & Tryggvason, G.,. "Stability and Control of Ground Tethered Energy
Systems", 09/01/2010-08/31/ 2011,  2011, "Paper AIAA-2011-6231, AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference".

Isaacs, M., Hoagg, J.B. , Hussein, I., Olinger, D.J. "Retrospective Cost Adaptive Control of a Ground Tethered Energy Generation System", 09/01/2010-08/31/ 2011, "Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control. December 2011. Orlando, FL.
".

Nematbakhsh, A., Olinger, D.J., Tryggvason, G.,Hussein, I.,. "Computational Modeling of Future Wind Power Installations", 09/01/2010-08/ 31/2011,  2011, "Proceedings of the ASME/JSME/KSME Joint Fluids Engineering Conference, AJK2011-FED. Paper AJK2011-1701, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan, July 24-29, 2011.".

Olinger, D.J., Hussein, I., & Tryggvason, G.. "Airborne Wind Energy Research at Worcester Polytechnic Institute", 09/01/2010-08/31/ 2011,  2011, "Airborne Wind Energy Conference 2011, Leuven, Belgium, May 2011. Abstract at http://www.awec2011.com/book- of-abstracts/, page 46.".

Hussein, I., Olinger, D.J., & Tryggvason, G.,. "Stability and Control of Ground Tethered Energy
Systems", 09/01/2011-08/31/ 2012,  2011, "Paper AIAA-2011-6231, AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference".

Isaacs, M., Hoagg, J.B. , Hussein, I., Olinger, D.J. "Retrospective Cost Adaptive Control of a Ground Tethered Energy Generation System", 09/01/2011-08/31/ 2012, "Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control. December 2011. Orlando, FL.
".

Nematbakhsh, A., Olinger, D.J., Tryggvason, G.,Hussein, I.,. "Computational Modeling of Future Wind Power Installations", 09/01/2011-08/ 31/2012,  2011, "Proceedings of the ASME/JSME/KSME Joint Fluids Engineering Conference, AJK2011-FED. Paper AJK2011-1701, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan, July 24-29, 2011.".

Olinger, D.J., Hussein, I., & Tryggvason, G.. "Airborne Wind Energy Research at Worcester Polytechnic Institute", 09/01/2011-08/31/ 2012,  2011, "Airborne Wind Energy Conference 2011, Leuven, Belgium, May 2011. Abstract at http://www.awec2011.com/book- of-abstracts/, page 46.".

Hussein, I., & Olinger, D.J.,. "Observability Properties of a 3D Ground Tethered Energy System using Orientation and Tether Length Observations Only", 09/01/2011-08/31/2012,  , -"Proc. of the AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Paper AIAA-2012-XXXX",  2012, "-".

Olinger, D.J., Goela, J.S., & Tryggvason. "Development of Ground-Tethered Wind Energy Systems", 09/01/2011-08/31/ 2012, , -"Airborne Wind Energy Concepts",  2013, "Springer- Verlag".

 

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22013 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #0853579 An Integrated Study of Floating Wind Turbine

Award Abstract #0853579 
 An Integrated Study of Floating Wind Turbines

NSF Org:CBET
Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys
divider line
Initial Amendment Date:April 3, 2009
divider line
Latest Amendment Date:April 3, 2009
divider line
Award Number:0853579
divider line
Award Instrument:Standard Grant
divider line
Program Manager:Ram Gupta
CBET Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys
ENG Directorate For Engineering
divider line
Start Date:July 1, 2009
divider line
End Date:June 30, 2013 (Estimated)
divider line
Awarded Amount to Date:$299,991.00
divider line
Investigator(s):David Olinger olinger@wpi.edu (Principal Investigator)
Gretar Tryggvason (Co-Principal Investigator)
divider line
Sponsor:Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 INSTITUTE RD
WORCESTER, MA 01609-2247 (508)831-5000
divider line
NSF Program(s):ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABILITY
divider line
Program Reference Code(s):0000, 090E, OTHR
divider line
Program Element Code(s):7644

ABSTRACT

CBET-0853579

Olinger

For wind to play a significant role in meeting the energy need of the US two considerations must be accounted for: The energy must be generated close to where it is needed and it can only be generated where the wind blows. The energy is needed in cities on the costs and the wind blows more steadily off shore. Wind turbines placed in shallow ocean water on rigid platforms do however raise environmental concerns and may degrade the natural beauty of beaches and coastlines. These concerns often lead to significant delays in construction and installation. Floating, far-offshore wind turbines, located farther from land in deep water, would eliminate these environmental concerns, while at the same time tapping into even greater wind power potential.

While the potential for floating wind turbines is vast, they pose major engineering challenges. Not only must the turbines be stable and structurally sound when forced by large ocean waves, they must also be economical to build. The present study will develop integrated computer simulations and physical experiments to advance the state-of-the-art in modeling of floating wind turbines located in deep ocean water. The results will help us understand how such platforms behave, thus making it possible to design economical wind turbines. 

The intellectual merit of the proposed activity is to lay the foundation for understanding how floating platforms behave by developing numerical simulations with sufficient accuracy for the early design stages where the overall character of the system are established. In effect we will develop a "numerical" offshore water tank, and then validate the numerical simulations with physical experiments. 

The broader impact of the proposed activity is that it advances the nation's capabilities in a new renewable energy technology by developing multi-scale computational tools and physical experiments to model a complex system subject to extreme environmental loads. The need for multiscale modeling capability is needed in a broad range of applications and the success of the present project will have wide impact for related problems.


PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

Note:  When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval). 

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.
 

Nematbakhsh, A., Olinger, D.J., & Tryggvason, G.. "A nonlinear computational model of floating wind turbines," Journal of Fluids Engineering, v.135, 2013, p. 121103. doi:10.1115/1.4025074 

BOOKS/ONE TIME PROCEEDING

Nematbakhsh, A., Olinger, D.J., and Tryggvason, G.. "A computational simulation of floating wind turbine platforms", 07/01/2010-06/30/ 2011, "Proceedings of the Fluid Structure Interaction VI Conference, Wessex Institute of Technology",  2011, "pp. 181-191".

Nematbakhsh, A., Olinger, D.J., Tryggvason, G.,Hussein, I.. "Computational Modeling of Future Wind Power Installations", 07/01/2010-06/ 30/2011, "Proceedings of the ASME/JSME/KSME Joint Fluids Engineering Conference, AJK2011-FED, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan, July 24-29, 2011",  2011, "Paper AJK2011-1701".

Olinger, D.J., DeStefano, E., Murphy, E., Naqvi, S.K., and Tryggvason, G.. "Scale-model experiments on floating wind turbine platforms", 07/01/2010-06/30/ 2011, "50th AIAA Aerospace Science Meeting, 30th ASME Wind Energy Symposium,Nashville, TN, January 2012.",  2012, ";".

Nematbakhsh, A., Olinger, D.J., Tryggvason, G.. "Development and validation of a computational model for floating wind turbine platforms", 07/01/2010-06/30/ 2011, "50th AIAA Aerospace Science Meeting, 30th ASME Wind Energy Symposium, Nashville, TN, January 2012.",  2012, ";".

Nematbakhsh, A., Olinger, D.J., Tryggvason, G.,Hussein, I.. "Computational Modeling of Future Wind Power Installations", 07/01/2011-06/ 30/2012, "Proceedings of the ASME/JSME/KSME Joint Fluids Engineering Conference, AJK2011-FED, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan, July 24-29, 2011",  2011, "Paper AJK2011-1701".

Olinger, D.J., DeStefano, E., Murphy, E., Naqvi, S.K., and Tryggvason, G.. "Scale-model experiments on floating wind turbine platforms", 07/01/2011-06/30/ 2012, "AIAA Paper 2012-375-237, 50th AIAA Aerospace Science Meeting, 30th ASME Wind Energy Symposium,Nashville, TN, January 2012.",  2012, ";".

Nematbakhsh, A., Olinger, D.J., Tryggvason, G.. "Development and validation of a computational model for floating wind turbine platforms", 07/01/2011-06/30/ 2012, "AIAA Paper 2012-373-797, 50th AIAA Aerospace Science Meeting, 30th ASME Wind Energy Symposium, Nashville, TN, January 2012.",  2012, ";".

Nematbakhsh, A., Olinger, D.J., Tryggvason, G.,. "A nonlinear computational model for floating wind turbines", 07/01/2011-06/30/ 2012, "Proceedings of the ASME Fluids Engineering Summer Meeting,",  2012, "Paper FEDSM2012-72271July 8-12 2012, Puerto Rico, USA.".

 

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22014 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1437296 Altitude Control for Optimal Performance of

Award Abstract #1437296 
 Altitude Control for Optimal Performance of Tethered Wind Energy Systems

NSF Org:CMMI
Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn
divider line
Initial Amendment Date:July 17, 2014
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Latest Amendment Date:April 11, 2016
divider line
Award Number:1437296
divider line
Award Instrument:Standard Grant
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Program Manager:Jordan Berg
CMMI Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn
ENG Directorate For Engineering
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Start Date:September 1, 2014
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End Date:August 31, 2017 (Estimated)
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Awarded Amount to Date:$291,819.00
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Investigator(s):Christopher Vermillion cvermill@uncc.edu (Principal Investigator)
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Sponsor:University of North Carolina at Charlotte
9201 University City Boulevard
CHARLOTTE, NC 28223-0001 (704)687-1888
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NSF Program(s):Dynamics, Control and System D
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Program Reference Code(s):030E, 031E, 034E, 116E, 9178, 9231, 9251, 032E, 8024
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Program Element Code(s):7569

ABSTRACT

Tethered wind energy systems replace conventional rigid towers with flexible cables, and can harness strong high-altitude winds using as little as 10 percent of the material required by traditional turbines. Levelized costs for tethered systems are estimated to be from $0.05 to $0.25 per kW-h, providing a cost-competitive energy solution for remote off-grid communities, military bases, and deep-water offshore locations. Tethered systems can easily change altitude, allowing them to achieve optimal performance by finding the best available wind velocity. Preliminary research suggests that exploiting this additional operational freedom can increase energy production by as much as 50 percent over fixed-altitude tethered turbines. This award will develop control laws that vary tether length to measure the change in wind speed with altitude, and use that information to increase energy production. University students working on this project will gain real-life practical experience through collaboration with Altaeros Energies, a tethered wind energy startup based in Boston, Massachusetts. Outreach activities with high school students in North Carolina will introduce the role of STEM disciplines in developing new renewable energy resources, and broaden participation by non-traditional and underrepresented groups.

The ability to optimize the altitude of a tethered wind energy system depends both on knowledge of the wind shear profile and robust optimization strategies that maximize net energy generation. The research will attack this dual problem of wind shear profile mapping and altitude optimization through the fusion of information maximization and extremum seeking control techniques. While both tools are powerful in their own right, neither provides an ideal stand-alone framework for the simultaneous characterization of wind shear profile and optimization of altitude. Two mechanisms for fusing the mapping and optimization objectives will be pursued in this research: one is an implicit mechanism, using stochastic receding horizon control, and the other is an explicit method that estimates the map's entropy to morph the perturbation signal for the extremum seeking algorithm. These methods will be validated using historical wind profiles from NOAA and NASA and will be flight tested on the Altaeros Energies Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT). The tools arising from this research will not only benefit tethered wind energy organizations but will also improve fundamental understanding of performance optimization in poorly modeled and time-varying environments.


PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

Note:  When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval). 

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.
 

Alireza Bafandeh and Chris Vermillion. "Real-Time Altitude Optimization of Airborne Wind Energy Systems Using Lyapunov-Based Switched Extremum Seeking Control," American Control Conference, 2016.

 

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22015 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #9411761 Demonstration of Quasi-Continuous Vertical P

Award Abstract #9411761 
 Demonstration of Quasi-Continuous Vertical Profiling of Ozone Throughout the Troposphere Using High-technology Kites

NSF Org:AGS
Div Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences
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Initial Amendment Date:April 25, 1994
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Latest Amendment Date:April 25, 1994
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Award Number:9411761
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Award Instrument:Standard Grant
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Program Manager:Anne-Marie Schmoltner
AGS Div Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences
GEO Directorate For Geosciences
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Start Date:May 1, 1994
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End Date:October 31, 1995 (Estimated)
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Awarded Amount to Date:$45,513.00
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Investigator(s):Ben Balsley balsley@cires.colorado.edu (Principal Investigator)
John Birks (Co-Principal Investigator)
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Sponsor:University of Colorado at Boulder
3100 Marine Street, Room 481
Boulder, CO 80303-1058 (303)492-6221
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NSF Program(s):ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
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Program Reference Code(s):1309, 9237, GLCH
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Program Element Code(s):1524

ABSTRACT

9411761 Balsley In this project the researchers plan to extend the capabilities of state-of-the-art kite technology for atmospheric sampling and related research. The workplan will accomplish this feasibility experiment by (1) increasing the current maximum attainable height from around 3 km to over 13-14 km, and by (2) using the tethered kite as a "sky hook" to enable a small device (a "WindTRAM") to travel up and down the kite tether to obtain high- resolution profiles of ozone, temperature, pressure, and humidity. If successful, the project results will be a unique and inexpensive technique to study vertical profiles of critical atmospheric species throughout the entire troposphere and possibly the lower stratosphere.

 

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

 

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22016 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Kite systems and National Science Foundation (NSF)

Kite systems and National Science Foundation (NSF)

============================== ==========

This topic thread aims to study the kite content in NSF doings and awards. 

NOTE: The NSF will not cover all SBIR contracts; the SBIR will have awards beyond NSF.   Hopefully the SBIR space will have its own dedicated topic thread. 

This topic thread may have some SBIR matters because of some overlap concerns acceptable to the NSF, but the topic is about the NSF space. 

============================== ==========================

Start:

  • What proposals were entered and not awarded?
  • What proposals were awarded? What were the reported results?
  • What keywords might reveal items within the NSF database?
  • Why this topic?
  • What proposals are being prepared currently? 
  • What might be proposed to professors for their proposing to the NSF?
  • How might productive fulfilled contracts may help to open further energy-kite opportunities within the NSF programs?

Other questions will probably come to the table as the topic matures.


Keywords so far searched within NSF: kite, "airborne wind energy", 

============================== ======================

General info: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ National_Science_Foundation

Front page of contemporary NSF:  https://www.nsf.gov/

CBET ?   https://www.nsf.gov/div/inde x.jsp?div=CBET

CMMI ? https://www.nsf.gov/div/inde x.jsp?div=CMMI


============================== ======================

Starting: 


CAREER: Efficient Experimental Optimization for High-Performance Airborne Wind Energy Systems

Award Number:1453912; Principal Investigator: Christopher Vermillion; Co-Principal Investigator:; Organization:University of North Carolina at Charlotte; NSF Organization: CMMI Start Date:02/01/2015; Award Amount:$500,000.00;

 =

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22017 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1248528 SBIR Phase I: Low-cost, High Performance Fab

Award Abstract #1248528 
 SBIR Phase I: Low-cost, High Performance Fabrics for Inflatable Sructures

NSF Org:IIP
Div Of Industrial Innovation & Partnersh
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Initial Amendment Date:November 13, 2012
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Latest Amendment Date:April 9, 2013
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Award Number:1248528
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Award Instrument:Standard Grant
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Program Manager:Ben Schrag
IIP Div Of Industrial Innovation & Partnersh
ENG Directorate For Engineering
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Start Date:January 1, 2013
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End Date:September 30, 2013 (Estimated)
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Awarded Amount to Date:$155,000.00
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Investigator(s):Ben Glass ben.glass@altaerosenergies.com (Principal Investigator)
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Sponsor:Altaeros Energies, Inc.
28 Dane St.
Somerville, MA 02143-0000 (857)244-1560
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NSF Program(s):SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
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Program Reference Code(s):123E, 5371
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Program Element Code(s):5371

ABSTRACT

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a novel low-cost, high-performance fabric suitable for long service life helium inflatable structures, including aerostats and airships. Traditional fabrics for lighter-than-air (LTA) applications utilize woven polyester or vectran basecloths laminated with various materials that improve gas retention, environmental resistance and allow the material to be thermally bonded. This combination has excellent performance, providing a useful service life in excess of seven years, but comes at a high cost, which limits the commercial application of helium inflatable structures. The proposed low-cost, high performance fabric replaces the woven basecloth with a scrim of high-strength synthetic fibers, similar to those in high-end sailcloth. This type of material has not seen wide use in helium inflatable structures where seams are subject to long-term loading from internal pressure. The impact of scrim pattern and yarn alignment on seam stiffness and long-term holding strength is considered. This Phase I research will investigate the behavior of these materials, as well as one or more alternative woven fabrics, under long-term loading, UV exposure, and mechanical wear and tear, in order to evaluate their suitability for helium inflatables.

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be a step toward the widespread commercialization of LTA inflatable structures in traditional and new application areas. Helium inflatable structures are traditionally used for transporting or elevating high value payloads, such as military surveillance equipment or advertising, where the relatively high cost of the fabric envelope is not a barrier to commercial feasibility. The advent of a low-cost, high performance helium inflatable fabric will make LTA structures economically viable for a number of industries that are cost-sensitive, including remote and emergency wireless communication; low-cost freight transport; and airborne wind energy production. The research will also enhance the understanding of the behavior of scrim-based fabrics under loading conditions, which may benefit a wide range of industries that could use these fabrics, including sailing, architectural fabrics and air inflatable structures.

 

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

 

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22018 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1622031 SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation -- Modul
SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation -- Modular, Scalable Wind Turbine at 23x Mass Savings
Award Number:1622031; Principal Investigator:Robert Lumley; Co-Principal Investigator:; Organization:KiteFarms LLC;NSF Organization:IIP Start Date:07/01/2016; Award Amount:$225,000.00;

Award Abstract #1622031 
 SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation -- Modular, Scalable Wind Turbine at 23x Mass Savings

NSF Org:IIP
Div Of Industrial Innovation & Partnersh
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Initial Amendment Date:June 21, 2016
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Latest Amendment Date:June 21, 2016
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Award Number:1622031
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Award Instrument:Standard Grant
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Program Manager:Rajesh Mehta
IIP Div Of Industrial Innovation & Partnersh
ENG Directorate For Engineering
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Start Date:July 1, 2016
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End Date:June 30, 2017 (Estimated)
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Awarded Amount to Date:$225,000.00
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Investigator(s):Robert Lumley robert.lumley@kitefarms.com (Principal Investigator)
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Sponsor:KiteFarms LLC
1938 Harney Street
Laramie, WY 82072-3037 (307)343-3993
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NSF Program(s):SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
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Program Reference Code(s):5371, 8029, 9150
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Program Element Code(s):5371

ABSTRACT

This SBIR Phase I project seeks to reduce the capital cost of wind turbines by an astounding 15x. Its patented, remarkably simple design also reduces transportation, maintenance, and land costs, and provides greater location and altitude flexibility. It uses the same aerodynamics as today's dominant wind technology, the horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT), but with innovations based on recent research into airborne wind energy generation. Multiple, 6-meter airfoils (they look like model airplanes) behave exactly like the outer tips of a conventional wind turbine blade, which is where most of the power is generated in a HAWT. The airfoils run along a rail- as if you captured kites and put them on short leashes - and a linear generator makes the power. The proposed research is based on a proof-of-concept demonstrating that these principles are scientifically sound. If successful, the project would drastically reduce the cost of wind-generated electricity, making it competitive with fossil fuels. It would thus be a completely self-sustaining commercially viable entity, creating jobs and generating tax revenues. By out-competing fossil fuels, it would use market forces to encourage renewable energy development, thus reducing energy-related emissions and improving national health, prosperity, and welfare. The project's light weight, low profile, and easy, flexible set-up may also have military applications that would help secure the national defense.

The proposed technology captures energy through translational rather than rotational motion in the tips of the airfoils as they run along a rail tethered by bridles. Its major innovation is a patented bridling system that handles downwind forces (aerodynamic tip-over forces), which are the primary cause of the HAWT's mass and cost. Another major innovation is to run airfoils in an oval rather than a circle. This alters the math behind swept area, the key input for generation capacity. Because the oval's swept area is a function of length and height, rather than radius squared, this project can add capacity in many different ways, escaping the tyranny of building ever-bigger and -taller circles. The first objective is to design, test, build, measure, and refine a 100 kilowatt (kW) alpha device. A meaningful-scale alpha device will demonstrate the project's ability to meet performance, weight, and cost targets, while facilitating decisions about how to build far larger devices, and modeling their costs. The methods and approaches will conquer challenges in five subsystems: structures, aerodynamics, power generation, control, and grid integration. The team, which includes leading experts in both academia and industry, will design subsystem options. It will convene to find the best system-wide design and construct the device, with many refinements along the way.

 

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22019 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1336130 Hydrokinetic Energy Harvesting Using Tethere

Award Abstract #1336130 
 Hydrokinetic Energy Harvesting Using Tethered Undersea Kites

NSF Org:CBET
Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys
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Initial Amendment Date:July 8, 2013
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Latest Amendment Date:July 8, 2013
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Award Number:1336130
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Award Instrument:Standard Grant
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Program Manager:Carole Read
CBET Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys
ENG Directorate For Engineering
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Start Date:January 1, 2014
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End Date:December 31, 2017 (Estimated)
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Awarded Amount to Date:$303,201.00
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Investigator(s):David Olinger olinger@wpi.edu (Principal Investigator)
Gretar Tryggvason (Co-Principal Investigator)
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Sponsor:Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 INSTITUTE RD
WORCESTER, MA 01609-2247 (508)831-5000
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NSF Program(s):ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABILITY
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Program Reference Code(s):147E
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Program Element Code(s):7644

ABSTRACT

PI: Olinger, David

Proposal Number: 1336130

Institution: Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Title: Hydrokinetic Energy Harvesting Using Tethered Undersea Kites

This project will study tethered, undersea kite (TUSK) systems; a new hydrokinetic energy technology. In a TUSK system, a tethered, rigid-winged hydro-kite is submerged in an ocean or tidal current and controlled to move in high-speed cross-current motions. A turbine is mounted on the hydro-kite in one TUSK concept, or the flexible unwinding tether transmits generated hydrodynamic forces to a power generation system in another concept. TUSK systems have potential advantages over conventional marine turbines, mainly that TUSK systems will be able to generate cost-effective energy with; 1) smaller, less costly systems, and 2) at more locations within ocean currents and tidal flows where current speeds are too low to make marine turbines feasible. The main benefits are: 1) the hydro-kite can move in high-speed cross-current motions (much like a kite in air) over large swept areas to greatly increase power output,

2) TUSK systems eliminate the need for large diameter turbines and costly support structures, 3) TUSK systems are easier to maintain, and 4) TUSK systems are scalable.

The main goal of the proposed work is to identify and select an optimum TUSK concept and then demonstrate feasibility through modeling, numerical simulation and sub-scale experimental work. A fundamental knowledge base for design of stable, scalable, durable, and cost-efficient tethered undersea kites will be obtained. This knowledge will serve as the basis for further scaling and development of the technology to full-scale systems.

This project will lay the foundation for understanding how such systems behave by integrating analytical models and robust control solutions, numerical simulations with sufficient accuracy suitable for system design, and physical experiments on TUSK system components where we partner with a local hydrodynamics research lab. The proposed work will advance knowledge in hydrodynamics of underwater vehicles, novel control system applications, and numerical simulation of complex systems. The project will examine tracking controllers to yield optimal periodic trajectories in the presence of modeling errors and disturbances. The proposed numerical simulations will constitute the first CFD work on tethered undersea kite systems, fully accounting for hydrodynamic forces, support platform motions, and the flexibility and influence of the tethers. The integrated work will allow the PIs to examine the behavior and robustness of the system under different conditions and control solutions to improve the design of TUSK systems.

This research project will set the stage for the further study and eventual full-scale deployment of this new energy conversion technology by the systems and control, CFD, and hydrokinetic energy communities as well as commercial enterprises, through dissemination of the results at conferences and in archival journals. The research will be strongly integrated with undergraduate and K12 education through undergraduate.


PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

Note:  When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval). 

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.
 

Olinger, D.J., and Wang, Y.,. "Hydrokinetic energy harvesting using tethered undersea kites," Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, v.Vol. 7, 2015, p. 043114-1.

Wang, Y., and D. J. Olinger, D.J.,. "Modeling and simulation of tethered underwater kites," Paper PowerEnergy2016-59123 , ASME 10th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, Charlotte, NC., 2015.

Li, H., Olinger, D.J., and Demetriou, M.A.. "Control of a Tethered Undersea Kite Energy System using a Six Degree of Freedom Model," Proceedings of the 2016 IEEE Conference on Dynamics and Controls, Japan., 2015.

Ghasemi, A., Olinger, D.J. and Tryggvason, G.,. "Computational simulation of tethered undersea kites for power generation," Proceedings of the ASME 2015 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition, Paper IMECE2015-50809,, 2015.

 

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22020 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1430989 SBIR Phase II: Ultra-light,modular wind turb

Award Abstract #1430989 
 SBIR Phase II: Ultra-light,modular wind turbine

NSF Org:IIP
Div Of Industrial Innovation & Partnersh
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Initial Amendment Date:September 4, 2014
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Latest Amendment Date:January 31, 2017
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Award Number:1430989
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Award Instrument:Standard Grant
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Program Manager:Ben Schrag
IIP Div Of Industrial Innovation & Partnersh
ENG Directorate For Engineering
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Start Date:October 1, 2014
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End Date:February 28, 2018 (Estimated)
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Awarded Amount to Date:$1,240,679.00
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Investigator(s):Ben Glass ben.glass@altaerosenergies.com (Principal Investigator)
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Sponsor:Altaeros Energies, Inc.
28 Dane St.
Somerville, MA 02143-0000 (857)244-1560
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NSF Program(s):SMALL BUSINESS PHASE II
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Program Reference Code(s):123E, 5373, 165E
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Program Element Code(s):5373

ABSTRACT

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop an ultra-light, modular wind turbine for use in buoyant airborne wind energy systems. Reduced turbine weight has a cascading effect on total airborne system mass, allowing a significantly smaller, lower cost buoyant structure to be used to access high altitude winds. At heights up to 2,000 feet winds are strong and consistent, allowing for the production of low-cost, reliable power at a broad array of sites. High altitude winds have over five times the energy potential of ground winds accessed by tower-mounted turbines, opening the potential for a major new renewable energy resource to be harnessed. In addition, the containerized deployment of airborne wind turbines has the potential to expand wind development to sites that are not feasible today, including sites that are remote or have weak ground-level winds. Overall, the technology holds the potential to significantly lower energy costs and improve reliability for remote industrial, community, and military customers and represents a major step forward in unlocking the abundant high-altitude wind resource to help in the global pursuit of greater adoption of renewable energy sources.

This SBIR Phase II project will focus on reducing the total weight of the wind turbine system. Turbine weight is one of the most critical cost drivers of buoyant airborne wind energy systems. For each kilogram removed from the turbine, an additional kilogram can be removed from the inflatable shell and tethers, resulting in a significantly smaller and lower cost system. The lightest commercially available small- to medium-sized wind turbine weighs 31.1 kilograms per kilowatt of capacity, which is too heavy for an economically-viable airborne turbine. By incorporating a compact, modular architecture, a lightweight permanent magnet direct-drive (PMDD) generator and high-strength composite materials, the proposed Phase II research effort aims to double the power density of traditional medium size turbines, making the proposed system suitable for use in an airborne application, while maintaining a high level of reliability and cost performance.

 

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22021 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #9017570 SGER: Continuous Monitoring of the Global At

Award Abstract #9017570 
 SGER: Continuous Monitoring of the Global Atmospheric- Electric Circuit

NSF Org:AGS
Div Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences
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Initial Amendment Date:July 16, 1990
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Latest Amendment Date:July 16, 1990
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Award Number:9017570
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Award Instrument:Standard Grant
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Program Manager:Robert W. Taylor
AGS Div Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences
GEO Directorate For Geosciences
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Start Date:July 1, 1990
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End Date:December 31, 1991 (Estimated)
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Awarded Amount to Date:$49,200.00
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Investigator(s):Ben Balsley balsley@cires.colorado.edu (Principal Investigator)
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Sponsor:University of Colorado at Boulder
3100 Marine Street, Room 481
Boulder, CO 80303-1058 (303)492-6221
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NSF Program(s):PHYSICAL METEOROLOGY,
SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL
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Program Reference Code(s):9237
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Program Element Code(s):1522, 1523

ABSTRACT

The objective of this research is the demonstration of the practical validity of measuring electric potential in the atmosphere using several kites attached to a common tether. If this technique is successful, a simple and relatively inexpensive method will be available to monitor continuously electric potential and, by inference, that of the earth.ionosphere system. The measurements will be conducted on Christmas Island, Republic of Kiribati.

 

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22022 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #0853579 An Integrated Study of Floating Wind Tur
This was included for two reasons:
1. David Olinger has been well advancing AWE with his students. 
2. Some  aerial AWES will be exploring floating kite farming parts to their system; that is, the anchor part of the AWES will be floating on waters. Some paravane energy turbines will also be exploring floating anchors. 

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22023 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1538300 Collaborative Research: Self-Adjusting Perio

Award Abstract #1538300 
 Collaborative Research: Self-Adjusting Periodic Optimal Control with Application to Energy-Harvesting Flight

NSF Org:CMMI
Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn
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Initial Amendment Date:August 23, 2015
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Latest Amendment Date:August 23, 2015
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Award Number:1538300
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Award Instrument:Standard Grant
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Program Manager:Irina Dolinskaya
CMMI Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn
ENG Directorate For Engineering
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Start Date:September 1, 2015
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End Date:August 31, 2018 (Estimated)
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Awarded Amount to Date:$236,000.00
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Investigator(s):Hosam Fathy hkf2@psu.edu (Principal Investigator)
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Sponsor:Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
110 Technology Center Building
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA 16802-7000 (814)865-1372
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NSF Program(s):Dynamics, Control and System D
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Program Reference Code(s):031E, 033E, 034E, 8024
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Program Element Code(s):7569

ABSTRACT

For many dynamic systems, optimal periodic operation provides superior performance to the best possible constant input. For example, compared to stationary flight, airborne wind energy systems can achieve higher apparent wind speed -- and generate significantly more electricity -- by flying in circular or figure-8 orbits. However these results may be sensitive to uncertainty. For example, the performance of a periodic energy harvesting trajectory designed for a particular flight condition may degrade rapidly when wind speed changes. Thus the overarching goal of this project is to enable dynamic controllers that rapidly adjust their periodic operation, in order to continue to provide near-optimal performance despite changing conditions. The application to airborne wind energy systems, which can access wind streams with reliably high speeds and moderate air density, generate electricity more efficiently and more reliably than stationary systems, thus benefiting society through lower power costs and improved energy security. Moreover, the fundamental tools to be created in this project will be applicable to many other important problems, including recurrent drug-delivery scheduling for chronic disease treatment. 

Existing results on periodic optimal control focus on offline optimization. Very little is known about the following fundamental challenges: (i) adaptation to unknown plant dynamics, (ii) achievement of periodic optimality in a robust and stable manner, and (iii) simultaneous optimization of both the time period and shape of the periodic trajectory. This project addresses these challenges, thereby furnishing a novel framework for robust online periodic control. Two distinct approaches will be pursued for online optimization of periodic control trajectories in the presence of parametric uncertainties, namely a novel implementation of extremum-seeking methods, and an indirect adaptive control algorithm. The closed-loop system stability will be analyzed using Floquet theory. Performance will be evaluated in simulations of a benchmark drug delivery problem and an energy-harvesting flight problem. Finally, effectiveness for control of energy harvesting flight will be validated experimentally.

 

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22024 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Award Abstract #1453912 CAREER: Efficient Experimental Optimization

Award Abstract #1453912 
 CAREER: Efficient Experimental Optimization for High-Performance Airborne Wind Energy Systems

NSF Org:CMMI
Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn
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Initial Amendment Date:January 7, 2015
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Latest Amendment Date:January 7, 2015
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Award Number:1453912
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Award Instrument:Standard Grant
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Program Manager:Jordan Berg
CMMI Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn
ENG Directorate For Engineering
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Start Date:February 1, 2015
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End Date:January 31, 2020 (Estimated)
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Awarded Amount to Date:$500,000.00
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Investigator(s):Christopher Vermillion cvermill@uncc.edu (Principal Investigator)
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Sponsor:University of North Carolina at Charlotte
9201 University City Boulevard
CHARLOTTE, NC 28223-0001 (704)687-1888
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NSF Program(s):Dynamics, Control and System D
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Program Reference Code(s):030E, 034E, 1045
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Program Element Code(s):7569

ABSTRACT

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant will pioneer a first-in-world rapid prototyping system for experimentally optimizing the flight dynamics and control of airborne wind energy systems. Airborne wind energy systems replace towers with tethers and a lifting body, reducing deployment time and fixed infrastructure costs, and enabling turbines to take advantage of strong, high-altitude winds. Successful realization of these systems is projected to yield levelized costs of electricity below $0.25 per kW-h, providing cost-competitive energy solutions to remote communities, islands, military bases, and deep-water offshore locations. The synthesis of control systems to stabilize airborne wind energy systems in harsh atmospheric conditions remains a bottleneck for their widespread acceptance, further exacerbated by high prototype development costs. This research will reduce control system prototyping costs by multiple orders of magnitude, using 1/100-scale models that are 3D printed, tethered, and "flown" in a water channel laboratory test facility. The water channel provides an ideal mechanism for optimizing the control system design while replicating key dynamic properties of the full-scale system. Throughout the project, students will develop an industrial and small-business perspective through interactions with a leading early-stage airborne wind energy company. Outreach activities include the development of kite design modules for a high school engineering summer camp and co-design of an energy-rich science curriculum for an early college high school for economically disadvantaged students.

Optimization of airborne wind energy flight performance represents a coupled plant and controller optimization problem, where experiments are indispensable but expensive at full-scale. This research addresses the plant/controller coupling and the necessity of experiments through the a unique framework that combines numerical optimization with lab-scale experiments on 3D printed models that are tethered and "flown" in a water channel. This water channel platform, which will be instrumented for closed-loop control of tethered systems, has been shown to yield provably similar dynamic performance to full-scale systems. In the proposed plant and controller optimization process, experimental data will be used to perform parameter identification and generate corrections to subsequent numerical optimization iterations. At the completion of each numerical optimization iteration, optimal design of experiments techniques will be used to determine a set of configurations to be tested, taking into account the cost of each reconfiguration. The research will focus on the derivation of convergence and efficiency results for the proposed algorithms, leveraging tools from system identification and optimal design of experiments. Furthermore, the optimization methods originating from this research will be validated on both a stationary and crosswind airborne wind energy system.

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22025 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: AirLoom Energy
is a further blossoming from Robert Lumley, holder of KiteFarm LLC company. See recent post of a NSF award up for discussion. We've  been blessed with some former forum run with these pursuits: HERELIST  .    Exciting times!

lists some team members: 
  • Robert Lumley
  • Mookwon Seo
  • Olivia Lim
  • Blossom Ko
It will probably be a discussion point whether the first shown technology of AirLoom Energy is a kite or not, as drawings seem to show a family of poles holding the structures. But maybe the aim is to include upper wind kited collections for kite farming.   What say you, Robert?   Is your target pole-held tracked wings with a PTO means? That seems to have a robust potential; and there is some history of the like for ground-based wind systems. 

    We have discussed kited cableway wings in various configurations put forward by various inventors. Cross-wind travel on cables and rails as well as downwind wings on loops form a rich part of the AWES discourse.  

=======================  and 
see

AirLoom Energy on track to replace wind turbine using simulation

November 4, 2016 by Paul Dvorak
at 

======================================


Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22026 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Re: AirLoom Energy
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22027 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Re: AirLoom Energy
Related patent: 

=============================
Publication numberUS8950710 B1
Publication typeGrant
Application numberUS 14/170,255
Publication dateFeb 10, 2015
Filing dateJan 31, 2014
Priority dateJan 31, 2014
Also published asCA2937388A110 More »
InventorsRobert Lumley
Original AssigneeKitefarms LLC
Export CitationBiBTeXEndNoteRefMan
External Links: USPTOUSPTO AssignmentEspacenet


Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22028 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Overlooked 2012 WSJ AWE video?
The 2012 Wall Street Journal Article that Lumley cites on the Airloom website is behind a paywall, but this companion WSJ video played, with only 8 views logged to date (!?) so maybe its new to all of us (it was new to me). Its got rare Makani footage-



Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22029 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #1538300 Collaborative Research: Self-Adjusting P
Periodic Optimal Control is an advanced AWE research paradigm. The idea is that small timely periodic control inputs can be more efficient than continuous brute-force control. Its sort of the Butterfly-Effect applied. Orbital-mechanics of spacecraft burns are a good example of the principle. This proposal goes so far as to intend comparison of experimental AWE periodic control with biological drug delivery, which is an exotic control theory validation. One could say a master-potter's kick-wheel is an ancient partial example of optimal periodic control of the wheel's rotational velocity, made in coordination with the forming actions. Periodic Optimal Control also seems to apply to kite tag lines that operate according to phase angles to constrain a kite's motions, a periodic form of embodied programming.

This seems to be the formal origin of modern Periodic Optimal Control-





On Tuesday, February 21, 2017 3:05 PM, "Joe Faust joefaust333@gmail.com [AirborneWindEnergy]" <AirborneWindEnergy@yahoogroups.com  
Award Abstract #1538300 
alt Collaborative Research: Self-Adjusting Periodic Optimal Control with Application to Energy-Harvesting Flight
alt
NSF Org:CMMI
Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn
divider line
Initial Amendment Date:August 23, 2015
divider line
Latest Amendment Date:August 23, 2015
divider line
Award Number:1538300
divider line
Award Instrument:Standard Grant
divider line
Program Manager:Irina Dolinskaya
CMMI Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn
ENG Directorate For Engineering
divider line
Start Date:September 1, 2015
divider line
End Date:August 31, 2018 (Estimated)
divider line
Awarded Amount to Date:$236,000.00
divider line
Investigator(s):Hosam Fathy hkf2@psu.edu (Principal Investigator)
divider line
Sponsor:Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
110 Technology Center Building
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA 16802-7000 (814)865-1372
divider line
NSF Program(s):Dynamics, Control and System D
divider line
Program Reference Code(s):031E, 033E, 034E, 8024
divider line
Program Element Code(s):7569
ABSTRACT
alt
For many dynamic systems, optimal periodic operation provides superior performance to the best possible constant input. For example, compared to stationary flight, airborne wind energy systems can achieve higher apparent wind speed -- and generate significantly more electricity -- by flying in circular or figure-8 orbits. However these results may be sensitive to uncertainty. For example, the performance of a periodic energy harvesting trajectory designed for a particular flight condition may degrade rapidly when wind speed changes. Thus the overarching goal of this project is to enable dynamic controllers that rapidly adjust their periodic operation, in order to continue to provide near-optimal performance despite changing conditions. The application to airborne wind energy systems, which can access wind streams with reliably high speeds and moderate air density, generate electricity more efficiently and more reliably than stationary systems, thus benefiting society through lower power costs and improved energy security. Moreover, the fundamental tools to be created in this project will be applicable to many other important problems, including recurrent drug-delivery scheduling for chronic disease treatment. 

Existing results on periodic optimal control focus on offline optimization. Very little is known about the following fundamental challenges: (i) adaptation to unknown plant dynamics, (ii) achievement of periodic optimality in a robust and stable manner, and (iii) simultaneous optimization of both the time period and shape of the periodic trajectory. This project addresses these challenges, thereby furnishing a novel framework for robust online periodic control. Two distinct approaches will be pursued for online optimization of periodic control trajectories in the presence of parametric uncertainties, namely a novel implementation of extremum-seeking methods, and an indirect adaptive control algorithm. The closed-loop system stability will be analyzed using Floquet theory. Performance will be evaluated in simulations of a benchmark drug delivery problem and an energy-harvesting flight problem. Finally, effectiveness for control of energy harvesting flight will be validated experimentally.
 
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.


Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22030 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #9017570 SGER: Continuous Monitoring of the Globa
We somehow missed knowing Ben, a modern atmospheric kite scientist who passed away in 2013-





On Tuesday, February 21, 2017 2:38 PM, "Joe Faust joefaust333@gmail.com [AirborneWindEnergy]" <AirborneWindEnergy@yahoogroups.com  
Award Abstract #9017570 
alt SGER: Continuous Monitoring of the Global Atmospheric- Electric Circuit
alt
NSF Org:AGS
Div Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences
divider line
Initial Amendment Date:July 16, 1990
divider line
Latest Amendment Date:July 16, 1990
divider line
Award Number:9017570
divider line
Award Instrument:Standard Grant
divider line
Program Manager:Robert W. Taylor
AGS Div Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences
GEO Directorate For Geosciences
divider line
Start Date:July 1, 1990
divider line
End Date:December 31, 1991 (Estimated)
divider line
Awarded Amount to Date:$49,200.00
divider line
Investigator(s):Ben Balsley balsley@cires.colorado.edu (Principal Investigator)
divider line
Sponsor:University of Colorado at Boulder
3100 Marine Street, Room 481
Boulder, CO 80303-1058 (303)492-6221
divider line
NSF Program(s):PHYSICAL METEOROLOGY,
SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL
divider line
Program Reference Code(s):9237
divider line
Program Element Code(s):1522, 1523
ABSTRACT
alt
The objective of this research is the demonstration of the practical validity of measuring electric potential in the atmosphere using several kites attached to a common tether. If this technique is successful, a simple and relatively inexpensive method will be available to monitor continuously electric potential and, by inference, that of the earth.ionosphere system. The measurements will be conducted on Christmas Island, Republic of Kiribati.
 
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.


Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22031 From: dave santos Date: 2/21/2017
Subject: Uptick in US AWE R&D and other predicted trends
The trove of US SBIR* (NSF, NASA, DOE, USDA, etc) grants in AWE that Joe is uncovering represents a real trend. Note a few early grants from past decades, and then a surge in recent years. EU gov support has been more nimble; its public AWE investment surge started a few years earlier. Expect China to soon show its own strong uptick in AWE projects mirroring apparent growth in AWE patents. Chinese AWE patents are translated and disseminated more promptly to global notice than incubating Chinese ventures we can't see yet. Many other countries will be debuting new AWE R&D in parallel.

Despite high venture casualties, every year there are more players and millions in AWE. Technical progress is on track to the 2030 utility scale maturation phase that a 2011 WOW Critical Path Analysis predicted. Of course, events could go faster or slower, but at least current trends are robust. One disappointment is a high proportion of poorly informed (but otherwise honest) research, repeating documented pitfalls. Nevertheless, overall AWE progress is relentless. This is the dawn of the promised Golden Age of AWE R&D. In fact, some of us are already there, but surely many many more are to come.

---------
* SBIR- Small Business Innovation Research, a social reform of US Big Science, now well established as a small-science precursor to new Big Science.
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22032 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Overlooked 2012 WSJ AWE video?
A clip outside the pay gate from the WSJ article is found: 

The clip mentions Lumley. 
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22033 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #1622031 SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation
https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/690883
indicates potential following steps of award. 

===============================================
Notice: The track or path of the mounted wings is full-face blunt to the wind. 
Contrast such with tracks that are downwind flat parallel with wind. 
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22034 From: dave santos Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: "Turbo-Charged" Ram-Air Inflation
Ram-air parafoils have limited pressure potential, despite the useful power-kite property of increased stiffness with apparent wind velocity. LEI kite spars are inflated to greater pressure, but cannot tolerate much leakage before requiring more pumped air. Venturi funnel intakes do not provide much pressure boost before stalling.

A ram-air booster pump capability is proposed based on the turbo-charger or bypass-fan jet principle. In essence a WECS drives a secondary air pump to reach higher inflation pressures. This could be a HAWT rotor that drives a small blower at a boosted pressure level. Such a mechanism could be built from kite materials in lightweight form.

This method is conceived to enhance and maintain inflatable Aerotecture by providing a persistent AWES basis for the blower function, without electrical motors, etc.

Open-AWE_IP-Cloud
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22035 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #1622031 SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation
My former study comment did not face the full instruction by the patent; 
although the track may be blunt to the wind, the track may still operate when the wind changes its orientation to the track when the track would not be blunt to the wing, but oblique; the patentee rehearses options of embodiements to handle oblique orientations. 
==========================
The following clip from the associated patent seems to slight AWEs:

"There are two main mechanisms for extracting power from
an AWE's movement through air: on-board power generation
and ground-based power generation. An example of the
former includes a turbine on the kite which generates electricity
in the same way as the turbines discussed above. An
example of the latter includes a long tether attached to a drum,
where movement of the kite unrolls the tether from the drum,
which rotates the drum and a connected generator, thus converting
wind power into electricity.

AWEs may also suffer from a number of drawbacks. For
example, because the system requires a tether angled to the
airborne object, the power extracted will be a function of the
available power and the cosine of the tether angle. Thus, the
power extracted may never equal the available power. In
addition, the tether will create drag as it moves through the air,
slowing the kite, and thus reducing the harvested power.
Finally, high-flying AWEs are subject to aviation restrictions,
which limit their geographic scope (due to no-fly zones, for
example) and present regulatory hurdles for implementation."

It seems in the reading of the patent, so far, that the patentee may consider his machine as a non-AWEs. There might a hard coupling without kite tether from the track to the wing.  We have already robust kited driving of cableways and generator-holding karts and the like on land and on water rehearsed; recall also 2004 David Lang's rehearsal of kited karts for generation of electricity.   If the subject AirLoom (TM) has not airborne kited wings involved, then such machine might be interesting for study but perhaps off topic somewhat.   Kiting wings to drive the track or a cable-track seems to be art we know; and such may not be within the view of the subject associated patent.  Rather, it seems the subject patent hard couples "airframes" in order to ensure angle-of-attack and orientation control. 
=====================

A teasing clip from the preamble discourse caught my eye: 
 "As an exemplary
advantage, the scale ofthe apparatuses may not be limited by
a square-cubed law. As another exemplary advantage, the
apparatuses and methods may not be subject to tether drag
and/or cosine losses. As another exemplary advantage, the
apparatuses may not be classified as "airborne devices" for
regulatory purposes."  
 
    The patentee did not declare firmly, but used "may not" as regards a square-cubed law.   That was a fortunate cautionary "may not" as the AirLoom will not magically escape the scaling law, I hold. Correct me, if you will.   Robert, have you settled on this matter since the 2014 filing?

    In the present clip, the patentee seems to put the tethers out. And he seems to set AirLoom outside the class of AWEs, at least up to "regulatory purposes".  Without tethered wings that are kited, it does seem closer to fact not to class AirLoom as kite.    The multiple towers holding the non-tethered wing set may keep the AirLoom classed in the towered class of wind turbines.    Clarifications are ever invited. 

============================================
Careful reading over the word "bridling" will probably help; the bridling that I read concerns a staying of long sections of the pole-held track. The bridling is not regarding the coupling of the wings to the track.     
Clip: 
"In some further examples, a bridle is coupled to the track
and anchored to the ground. Bridling may beneficially allow
for less structural support, reducing the cost of the power
extraction apparatus.
Bridling may also beneficially allow for reductions in
destructive forces on the apparatus. For example, three or
more bridles may be distributed along an elongate section to
reduce the moment on a length of the elongate section."          [elongate section of the track]
======================================================

Study continues ... 
==========================
http://contest.techbriefs.com/2015/entries/sustainable-technologies/5952   A 2015 page is linked.   "AirLoom Energy: Wind Power to Disrupt the Energy Market
Robert Lumley 
Laramie, Wy 
United States 
Views: 1732   Votes: 2     Sustainable Technologies     Jun 30, 2015"
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22036 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #1622031 SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation
When one has a pole or tower stayed by guy line in tension, it is to be noted that that tension ends up putting compression into the pole or tower.  Such compression seems missed in the following quote from that article just linked:
"The patented bridling system handles downwind forces (aerodynamic “tip-over” forces), which are the primary cause of the HAWT’s mass and cost. The bridles tether the oval track to the ground, absorbing the forces as the airfoils travel around the track. Because the forces are distributed rather than concentrated—and because they are handled by components in tension (cheap, light) rather than compression (expensive, heavy)—each bridle can be small, lightweight, and inexpensive."

Multiply the stays to stay the position of the track, but inasmuch as the staying helps stay vertical postioning of the track, then cost compression in the various supporting poles (a tower type). Such compression tempts pole designers that stay by guys to go to poles latticed-beamed.   Illustrating via an image from radio-frequency beams: 
https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09021/images/figa31.gif   Those bridling stays put compression in the pole or beam.   Wind force on the pole stayed to position by guys will bring compression to the pole. 

 


 
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22037 From: dave santos Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Award Abstract #1622031 SBIR Phase I: AirLoom Investigation
Preliminary observations- 

Clearly the track as depicted requires consistent wind pretty much from one direction, while a conventional HAWT weathervanes to accept wind from any direction. This  severely restricts WindLoom capacity on most sites with omnidirectional windroses. Only less common stes with narrowly directional windroses would be optimal. HAWT tech on such a site could replicate the AirLoom claim of a less massive tower, for example be guyed to windward by a swivel on its hub nose, if it was a competitive engineering case. This  HAWT design option logically chops the claimed 15x advantage down to size.

The long track will have considerable friction, and will tend to sap output in low winds to uneconomic levels. Most sites have rather low most-probable-wind-velocity, where low wind performance is essential.

This is a quasi-kite quasi-AWES architecture, with many of the challenges, but without the advantage of tapping superior upper wind. In fact, the AirLoom is only aiming at wind lower and inferior to even conventional HAWT towers, which contradicts standard wind thinking, where higher is far better.

If these shortcomings are confirmed by careful testing, that's still worthwhile science. A poor outcome is if the study only serves to market a marginal scheme whose inherent  flaws were overlooked. 

Careful third party economic analysis should test the claimed capital savings and LCOE.  Effective storm and gust furling is a requirement to meet economic lifecycle statisitcs.

Yaw-damping need at the turns will drive the empennage dimensions up. Square-cube scaling penalty still applies to the guyed mast and  suspended track, closer to  looser HAWT scaling constraints that aircraft constraints, but he AirLoom will still require very light kiteplane units for its best performance.

In conclusion: AirLoom will be severely challenged to validate its optimistic claims, but its worth careful trying, and we all wish them luck doing better than outside expectations.  AirLoom quoted:

"The AirLoom dramatically reduces the capital cost of wind turbines by an astounding 15X over the dominant wind technology, the horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT). It captures large swept areas of wind at low cost by placing multiple airfoils on a vertical oval track, with all forces distributed and supported by tension cables. The AirLoom’s patented design represents a 23X reduction in the HAWT’s mass, resulting in a dramatic reduction in manufacturing, transportation, maintenance and land costs."



On Wednesday, February 22, 2017 12:13 PM, "joefaust333@gmail.com [AirborneWindEnergy]" <AirborneWindEnergy@yahoogroups.com  
When one has a pole or tower stayed by guy line in tension, it is to be noted that that tension ends up putting compression into the pole or tower.  Such compression seems missed in the following quote from that article just linked:
"The patented bridling system handles downwind forces (aerodynamic “tip-over” forces), which are the primary cause of the HAWT’s mass and cost. The bridles tether the oval track to the ground, absorbing the forces as the airfoils travel around the track. Because the forces are distributed rather than concentrated—and because they are handled by components in tension (cheap, light) rather than compression (expensive, heavy)—each bridle can be small, lightweight, and inexpensive."

Multiply the stays to stay the position of the track, but inasmuch as the staying helps stay vertical postioning of the track, then cost compression in the various supporting poles (a tower type). Such compression tempts pole designers that stay by guys to go to poles latticed-beamed.   Illustrating via an image from radio-frequency beams: 
https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09021/images/figa31.gif   Those bridling stays put compression in the pole or beam.   Wind force on the pole stayed to position by guys will bring compression to the pole. 
 

 


Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22038 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Trademarks
The 42 minutes was worth it to me. 

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22039 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Uptick in US AWE R&D and other predicted trends

Patenting the Winds of Innovation

Companies are racing to protect their wind turbine technology with new patents, helping protect the market positions of innovator companies and leading to enhanced licensing opportunities.

[Linking an article hosted at windsystemsmag.com
The article mentions an AWES dispute that we have noticed already in forum. 
However, the general remarks may interest some of us.  The article mentions patent pooling.]
============================================

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22040 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Hawaii Five-O (Makani M600 Investigation)
Date?
Response to the Federal Aviation Authority
Docket No.: FAA-2011-1279; Notice No. 11-07
Notification for Airborne Wind Energy Systems (AWES)
MAKANI POWER, INC.

===========================================
The requested responses relate to the 2011
The date for responses: "Written comments must be received on or before February 6, 2012."
 
===================================

[not sure yet if this matter was posted in 2011 or not.]
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22041 From: dave santos Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Trademarks
For context, in AWE, a large vocabulary of terms-of-art is  used and often borrowed from to concoct AWE venture trademarks. Cease-and-desist-demands on casual usage may be made by those who imagine they have secured IP right to usage, but there are strong defenses for alleged infringement, and litigation risks the TM being invalidated altogether.  Harmlessness is  one of our main defenses.  We are not trying to steal trademarks for commercial use.  We use whatever words and whatever  trade names anyone may wish,  without  undue concern for  infringement.  The subject came up recently in the context of an old TM claim on "kitefarm" and variants. "Kitefarm" remains a common term-of-art.

Here is the quick Wikipedia TM reference-





On Wednesday, February 22, 2017 3:05 PM, "Joe Faust joefaust333@gmail.com [AirborneWindEnergy]" <AirborneWindEnergy@yahoogroups.com  
The 42 minutes was worth it to me. 



Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22042 From: dave santos Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: Re: Uptick in US AWE R&D and other predicted trends
Yes, the new flood of wind patents underscores an up trend of underlying R&D, but most patents never make a penny , but impoverish many a small inventor. The essence of invention is not patenting per se. Far better to just invent well than pay dearly to patent junk :)


On Wednesday, February 22, 2017 3:04 PM, "joefaust333@gmail.com [AirborneWindEnergy]" <AirborneWindEnergy@yahoogroups.com  

Patenting the Winds of Innovation

Companies are racing to protect their wind turbine technology with new patents, helping protect the market positions of innovator companies and leading to enhanced licensing opportunities.

[Linking an article hosted at windsystemsmag.com
The article mentions an AWES dispute that we have noticed already in forum. 
However, the general remarks may interest some of us.  The article mentions patent pooling.]
============================================



Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22043 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/22/2017
Subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ax9Co_g50o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ax9Co_g50o

quasi?   Off topic a bit. But title steps a bit into Doug's SuperTurbine (R) word game. 


However, replace in the scene the poles  with kited hold of cable loop and have kited wings drive a cable.


Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22044 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Windlift $80,000. for what?

https://www.sbir.gov/node/1159643   Contract:  M67854-16-C-6525      


http://www.navysbir.com/n15_3/N153-129.htm



Help is requested for understanding what this is about.   

What is "MPWES"? 

Robert Creighton, CEO of WindLift, clarified the matter: "MPWES stands for man portable wind energy system."


Abstract: 

Abstract

The Windlift MPWES will utilize proven principle of airborne wind energy to improve the energy density of man portable renewable energy systems by an more than an order of magnitude relative to existing systems such as the Ground Renewable Expeditionary Energy Network System (GREENS) project. The MPWES system will deploy a 75 lb., tethered quadcopter coupled to a 145 lb., 10kW-hr battery pack capable of generating 7.5 kW (peak) and 1.7 kW (average).

==============================================================


Google search over the phrase: image clip of Google not finding any instance of the phrase:  

http://www.energykitesystems.net/WindLift/MPWESsearchFeb23of2017.PNG


==============================================================

Man-Portable Wind-Energy System

MPWES 

I like it!

===========================



Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22045 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: MPWES

Rob furthered: 

"Man Portable for them means that a 2-man team can lift all the components off a small 7' trailer or helicopter and install it in a remote location without specialized equipment."


Man-Portable Wind-Energy System (MPWES)



Thanks, Rob. 


============================

tag:  Windlift   

http://windlift.com/#/home

 

Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22046 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Major General Nick Justice

http://dmcmeeting.com/img/Justice_Bio.pdf


Windlift is listing Major General Nick Justice in their AWE website:


"Major General Nick Justice – Advisor


Major General Nick Justice joined PowerAmerica Institute as the Executive Director in January of 2015. As Executive Director of the Institute, General Justice heads the first National Manufacturing Institute led by a university.

General Justice retired from the United States Army after more than 42 years of service as an American soldier. He earned a BA in History from the University of Maryland, a Master’s degree in Management from Pepperdine University, and a Master’s degree in International Relations from Salve Regina College. General Justice’s military education includes a Master of Science degree from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, the Senior Acquisition Course of the Armed Forces, and a Master’s degree from the United States Naval War College.

General Justice is interested in bring stakeholders together from all aspects of industry, from within the workforce and across education to create highly effective learning teams. His expertise is helping to bring many of the world’s leading manufacturers, and end users together with experts from top research universities and government agencies for a cleaner more energy efficient world."


Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22047 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Will energy kiting be found on the Trappist planets?

Will energy kiting be found on the Trappist planets?
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22048 From: dave santos Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Re: Will energy kiting be found on the Trappist planets?
The best guess is Yes, there are energy kites on Trappist planets (but not Trappists). Just what forms of kite energy could there be? 

All kites are energy kites in terms of flight energy. No energy no kite. Its all mass-energy, after all. Newtonian and Quantum physics are kite physics (ultimately just strings and branes in moving fields). Our study of condensed matter physics revealed molecular kites. Molecualr bonds are tethers, and the atoms are wing/wave kite-like. Various scales of natural kites arise in biology. Call all these cases "analogs" if your must. We envision AWES metamaterial on a planetary scale. Planets themselves are kite-like, in gravity-tethered orbits, blown along by the kinetic winds of the Big Bang (which continues today).

Recall Lord Byron, in heroic verse, equating human fate and kite flight. Once again, we are led to the same result, that the Cosmos and everything in it always turns out to be kite-like. May not our descendants someday travel to the Trappist system bearing kites? Is not the Trappist system already a kite system, even without alien Charlie Browns? It could even be said that we found energy kiting in the Trappist system on the AWES Forum, (if not on someAWE Forum).




On Thursday, February 23, 2017 9:49 AM, "Joe Faust joefaust333@gmail.com [AirborneWindEnergy]" <AirborneWindEnergy@yahoogroups.com  

Will energy kiting be found on the Trappist planets?


Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22049 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Re: James G. P. Dehlsen
Adding:

Multi-point tethering and stability system and control method for underwater current turbine  
US 8237304 B2
Publication numberUS8237304 B2
Publication typeGrant
Application numberUS 12/666,531
PCT numberPCT/IB2008/001247
Publication dateAug 7, 2012
Filing dateMay 20, 2008
Priority dateJun 29, 2007
Fee statusPaid
Also published asEP2162618A24 More »
InventorsJames G. P. DehlsenMatthew BrownChristopher Grieco
Original AssigneeAquantis, L.L.C.
Export CitationBiBTeXEndNoteRefMan
External Links: USPTOUSPTO AssignmentEspacenet


---In AirborneWindEnergy@yahoogroups.com, <joefaust333@gmail.com
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22050 From: dave santos Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Looping Foil Modes caught on Video
There are so many interesting things to explore in AWE that there is hardly time to develop them, or document them properly. Looping foils work well, but are poorly known, and urgently deserve more study. kFarm has a pipeline of experimental looping foils to test this year, along with many other cool experiments. The kites are 100% COTS, just rig them up and go. Looping foils hold the probable endurance record for AWES (
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22051 From: dave santos Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Re: James G. P. Dehlsen
Not much new here. This underwater kite system conforms to the well known sky kite method of side tag lines to stabilize the kite part. Twin turbines is known, with no decisive advantage. The patent protects this particular scheme against apparently non-existent copy-cats, with endless other schemes possible. Minesto and WPI are distant non-conflicting relatives in underwater current harvesting design.


On Thursday, February 23, 2017 3:15 PM, "joefaust333@gmail.com [AirborneWindEnergy]" <AirborneWindEnergy@yahoogroups.com  
Adding:

Multi-point tethering and stability system and control method for underwater current turbine  
US 8237304 B2
Publication numberUS8237304 B2
Publication typeGrant
Application numberUS 12/666,531
PCT numberPCT/IB2008/001247
Publication dateAug 7, 2012
Filing dateMay 20, 2008
Priority dateJun 29, 2007
Fee statusPaid
Also published asEP2162618A24 More »
InventorsJames G. P. DehlsenMatthew BrownChristopher Grieco
Original AssigneeAquantis, L.L.C.
Export CitationBiBTeXEndNoteRefMan
External Links: USPTOUSPTO AssignmentEspacenet


---In AirborneWindEnergy@yahoogroups.com, <joefaust333@gmail.com


Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22052 From: Joe Faust Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Re: James G. P. Dehlsen
The staying of a fore rotation strut caught my eye.
==========================================
Another Dehlsen in family seems in the play. 
Another patent: 
DEHLSEN, James, G.p.; (US).
DEHLSEN, James, B.; (US).
FLEMING, Alexander; (US)
 MULTI-MEGAWATT OCEAN CURRENT ENERGY EXTRACTION DEVICE 


Aquantis
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22053 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: US9429954 (B2) - Flight control for an airborne wind turbine

Seems this was not posted in forum: US9429954 (B2)  -  Flight control for an airborne wind turbine


Same goes by a longer name in a different space: 


US2016011600 (A1)  -  Methods and Systems for Determining a Priority Sequence for Changing a Position or an Attitude of an Aircraft in Hover Flight

CHUBB ERIK CHRISTOPHER [US]; VANDER LIND DAMON [US]; HACHTMANN BRIAN [US] +


Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22054 From: joe_f_90032 Date: 2/23/2017
Subject: Re: Forum headline images
Group: AirborneWindEnergy Message: 22055 From: benhaiemp Date: 2/24/2017
Subject: Re: Searches to obtain a durable fabric for flexible power kites
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YSHOXKAasU : a plastic paraglider is possible. So a high lifetime plastic XF film kite should be also possible.