On October 1st, 2024, Volkan Salma successfully defended his PhD thesis, “Safety and Reliability of Commercial Airborne Wind Energy Systems,” at TU Delft. His research delivers critical insights aimed at improving the safety and reliability of Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) systems, which have the potential to become an important future provider of renewable energy.

Advancing safety and reliability in AWE

Salma’s work tackles major challenges in AWE technology by enhancing system safety through advanced engineering methods like Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). These tools effectively identify potential failure points and bolster operational robustness. Additionally, Salma introduced a Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery (FDIR) system designed to detect and resolve issues in real-time, ensuring safer and more reliable operations.

Paving the way for certification

Beyond enhancing safety, Salma’s research lays out a clear roadmap for AWE systems to achieve airworthiness certification. By employing the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) framework, his findings facilitate the large-scale, commercial deployment of AWE technology across Europe.

Kitepower proudly supports this significant advancement in the AWE sector, reinforcing our commitment to safety and innovation in renewable energy.