Onshore Containerised AWES-100

Kitepower Falcon

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Rated power

100

kW

Yearly power output

450

MWh

Households supplied

150


Rounded estimate for The Netherlands assuming a 50% capacity factor and a household consumption of 3000 kWh/year. Actual values vary depending on locations. Value refers to the amount of households powered with one system.

Operational height

70

-

400

m

Why Kitepower?

Electricity Generation 24/7

Produce electricity during day, night, on cloudy and rainy days

High Energy Production

Higher capacity factor than solar PV and wind turbines

Less Materials

Up to 90% less material than conventional wind turbines

Plug & Play Setup

Install it in less than 24hrs and operate it out-of-the-box

Deployable in Harsh Environments

Ideal for remote sites and communities

Easy to Transport Worldwide

All equipment fits in one 20ft container

Bringing wind energy to a higher level to accelerate the global energy transition to renewables

Distributed generation for microgrids, especially on islands, relies on diesel to produce energy, which is expensive, polluting and difficult to supply. Considering these drawbacks, the urge to hybridize with renewables is growing. Solar electricity generation is nonetheless only available during day-light so it still requires a battery or diesel supplement during the night-time. Further, Photovoltaic power stations have high installation costs, huge space requirements and little resilience. Conventional wind turbines are not feasible either, due to high transport costs and heavy foundations. Kitepower systems use less material compared to other renewables, a core factor that also makes them mobile and resilient.

Kitepower offers mobile wind energy that is easy to transport as well as install and only requires small ground space (m2). Kitepower systems can be integrated into existing microgrids, let it be batteries, solar, diesel or grid. Most importantly, Kitepower can deliver electricity +75% of the available time, a way higher efficiency factor than solar PV and conventional wind turbines.

The System Components

What does a Kitepower system consist of?
system_components_graphic

1. Ground Station (GS)

Converts the mechanical energy of the kite into electrical power and reels the kite in by using the generator as a motor.

  • 2,44 m
  • 2,60 m
  • 6,06 m
  • 9.6 t
  • IP64
  • 25 years
  • 400 V AC 3 phase
  • 550-700 V

2. Tether

A Dyneema® line is used for a lightweight and strong connection between the kite and the GS.

  • UHMWPE Dyneema®
  • 358 m

3. Kite Control Unit (KCU)

Controls the roll, pitch, and yaw of the kite and takes care of the communications between the sensor unit placed on the kite and the GS.

  • t
  • 2 km
  • IP65

4. Kite

Consists of a hybrid between an inflatable and a fixed fibre-glass skeleton, forming the best combination for a strong and lightweight wing.

  • 60 m²
  • 47 m²
  • 3 t
  • 110 km/h

It all fits in a 20ft. ISO container!

The System Operation

The continuous pumping cycle
Phase 1: Reel Out - Energy Production

Energy is generated during the first phase when the kite is flown in a cross-wind figure of eight pattern to achieve a high pulling force and reel out the tether from the winch in the ground station. During reel-out the Kitepower Falcon produces 130kW throughout 80% of the cycle’s time.

Phase 2: Reel In - Energy Consumption

When the max tether length is reached, the kite’s profile is adjusted in order to reel-in the tether with low force, using a small fraction of the energy produced in the previous phase. During reel-in the Kitepower Falcon consumes 20kW throughout 20% of the cycle’s time.

Generation phases vs power output

The electricity generation works in two phases, which repeated in continuous cycles result in positive net energy output. The energy generated by the system while reeling out is greater than the energy consumed to reel the kite back in.

cycle duration: 100 seconds
Generation phases vs power output

The electricity generation works in two phases, which repeated in continuous cycles result in positive net energy output. The energy generated by the system while reeling out is greater than the energy consumed to reel the kite back in.

Start generating electricity at lower wind speeds

Kitepower represents an innovative and cost-effective alternative to existing wind turbines. Kitepower systems start producing energy with lower wind speeds than the ones required by conventional wind turbines, moreover, Kitepower is capable to harness stronger and more persistent winds at higher altitudes. (COMMENT: Highlight lower winds within the power curve graphic.)

Taking Only the Best
from Wind Turbines

Smart controls replace mass
Problem

Conventional wind energy systems rely on electricity generation by means of wind turbines installed on the ground. Wind turbines, therefore, require resource-intensive towers and heavy foundations thus imply demanding transportation and installation while being able to only harness lower winds. Difficult logistics limit the geographical versatility of wind turbines and their constrained height limits their efficiency.

Solution

The AWE technology emulates the conventional wind turbine's blade tip by using fast and lightweight flying devices. Kitepower develops cost-effective alternatives to existing wind turbines by using kites to generate electricity. Furthermore, Kitepower does not require resource-intensive towers nor heavy foundations and is thus easy to transport and deploy. Eventually Kitepower systems use up to 90% less material than wind turbines with equivalent power output while being capable of harnessing a wider wind range, therefore allowing for capacity factors greater than 0.5. The versatility of Kitepower opens up new geographical markets for the generation of distributed wind energy and empowers remote communities and rural areas across the world to emancipate from expensive and polluting fossil fuels.

Frequently Asked Questions

How easy is the transportation of the Kitepower Falcon?

Extremely easy! The complete Kitepower Falcon fits in a single 20ft shipping container (6,06m length x 2,44m width x 2,60m height and 9.5t) that can be easily transported with only one truck. To guarantee the system delivery across remote areas, connections allowing access by truck is required. Depending on the truck used for transportation, a crane might be needed to load and unload the Kitepower containerised system.

How long does it take to install a Kitepower system?

Upon delivery and with a grid connection already configured, the Kitepower system is ready to be installed and set up for flight operations in less than a day. More specifically, the system’s hardware set up can take up to 4 hours while the crew’s training takes no longer than half a day.

Do I need to prepare foundations to install a Kitepower system?

No, unlike conventional wind turbines, Kitepower systems do not require foundations. Kitepower’s ground station can be easily installed on the ground by means of anchors which prevents it from sliding.

How much ground space do I need to install a Kitepower system?

The Kitepower Falcon requires an operational ground space area of 300 meters (radius) around the ground station. Obstacles’ height within the operational envelope of a Kitepower system is constrained to 1m for every 10m of distance from the GS.

What permits are required to operate a Kitepower system?

Every Kitepower system's deployment must be regulated and authorised by local authorities which guarantee safe and monitored flight operations. The system will be certified as a specific drone that is valid for the EU but can be easily used as a baseline for the rest of the world. Depending on the desired area of deployment, different permits (building, environmental etc.) might be required in order to operate a Kitepower system depending on local regulations. Also there the baseline from the Dutch regulations can be used as it is quite stringent.

Can the system operate in every weather condition?

The system can operate with rain, hail or snow. Thunderstorms represent the only weather condition that would require to stop and land the system. To protect the kite and cables against sudden wind gusts in otherwise normal weather conditions, a torque limiter is used to reduce the cable tension.

What happens when the wind isn’t blowing?

Kitepower has a no-wind flight path mode that allows keeping the kite in the air even under low wind conditions, no energy is being produced during this phase. This principle is known for decades in paragliding and is called step towing.

Can the system operate at night?

Yes, Kitepower systems can operate at night. The kite is also equipped with lights, as required by air traffic regulations.
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