Device Design and Robust Periodic Motion Control of an Ocean Kite for Hydrokinetic Energy Harvesting Grant uri icon

abstract

  • The overarching objective of the proposed research is to develop and prototype an ocean kite system and corresponding controller for harvesting marine hydrokinetic (MHK) energy resources that cannot be economically harvested through existing MHK devices. In particular, by exploiting periodic cross-current motion on a high lift/drag rigid kite design, the kite-based system will be capable of generating over an order of magnitude more power using the same amount of material as a stationary system (or, equivalently, the kite-based system will be able to generate the same amount of power using an order of magnitude less material). Furthermore, unlike Minesto Ltd.'s system, which involves on-board rotors that drive up costs and introduce cavitation challenges, the proposed system will generate its energy through a spool-in/spool-out motion, where all of the power generation equipment is at the mooring location, either on a floating platform or on the seabed. Such a system design has been studied and prototyped extensively in the airborne wind energy community but has yet to have been fully developed and prototyped for the MHK community. The kite design will be applicable to early-stage maritime markets, such as navigational aids near the Gulf Stream, observational stations in the southeast Atlantic, and AUV recharging stations, whereas arrays of kites will be applicable to longer-term utility-scale markets. The project itself will focus on the hydrodynamic and dynamic modeling, model-based design refinement, control design, and progressive prototyping of the ocean kite design. In particular, the prototyping of the proposed kite system will progress from (i) benchtop component testing and 1/100-scale flight characterization in an instrumented water channel platform to (ii) pool-based tow testing of a 1/20-scale system, and finally to (iii) boat-based tow testing of a 1/10-scale power-generating prototype.

date/time interval

  • November 2020 - October 2022