The KM1 Spark kite automatic launch and landing
A strong focus of engineering of a more robust kite system pays off with great results in our August 2020 test campaings.
Nice video
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If the video does not open try the following link then click on the first video:
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VTOL in high winds is harder than it seems on paper. But we have made huge progress… main challenges seem to be the interaction of the VTOL system, tether and the main wing. The tether force must be small but should not go slack. Also one needs to consider each propeller as if it was a helicopter, ie. angle of attack and forward apparent windspeed can not be dismissed. Anyways our system is not yet perfected, but we are using VTOL on a regular basis now in low and high winds. Having VTOL accellerates testing because tow launch is very dependent on wind direction and the space available for launching, which has to be open and free of obstructions, in the direction of the wind.
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One thing I always found laughable over the past decade+ of wannabe kite energy attempts was no autonomous launch and landing of any kite, period, forgetting about even trying energy capture.
https://www.kitemill.com/article/85/The_Spark_kite_produces_power_in_tests/tags:25
The team have been working hard and conditions were good for logging power production curves on our biggest kite. 3 flights was done the same day. We peaked 16kw in 4-9m/s wind and in the last flight we flew production cycles for 29 minutes.
The tests reported on the well filmed videos seem to show the opposite.
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Yeah these guys seem a step ahead of the rest.
For the yo-yo mode a great advantage of a rigid wing is the relatively far lower duration of the reel-in phase. So an “energy production for 80% of flight time” is mentioned on the animation video:
This can be checked visually and by sound on the long duration test flight 2018 video:
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After a decade of kite-reeling promises, the field seems to remain in a perpetual standstill, or very slow progress at best. This project looks pretty cool though. At least it can take off and land.
I’d be interested to know the wingspan, and average power output at a given windspeed.
Also the weight.
Maybe a power-curve? Or is that too much to ask of AWE?
I believe the wingspan is just above 7 meter and wing area is 3 sqm. We are aiming for 20 kW average. But in what wind conditions etc, … the details have not been released to the public yet. Same with the weight. One could assume that the design is not optimised at this stage for low weight. We have not released a power curve data yet, I am not at liberty to suddenly share this information as you might understand.
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The first
Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) systems are now commercially available.
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“Our KM1 prototype has now clocked more than 500 test flights and recently set a new endurance record, covering more than 500 kilometers [310 miles] in five hours of continuous operation.”
These guys are doing great
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Thanks for finding that article. I am
employed by Kitemill but not the PR representative, so I can’t comment that, in one way or the other. Though the article is accurate to the discussions going on inside Kitemill from my perspective.
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See also the three comments quoted below, including the link on the quote for the first one:
I don’t know if the state of the art is ready for rigid structures, if anyone from kitemill is willing to speak on this point… tethered craft are not easy to control… there must’ve been plenty of crashes? No?
Regardless, I think Kites should be thought of as a consumable component or a wearable part… like a tire on a car. We have already seen that wind turbines need replacement far sooner than we thought, due to pock marks on the leading edge.
There are. The local newspapers could probably share some info. But I need to leave the frequency and numbers to Kitemill PR. Maybe something that could be asked Thomas HĂĄrklau during AWEC, Im sure its a topic that interests a lot of people.
As you can understand this topic could be very sensitive, in particular if the right amount of context was not given.
Thank you for your candor, Tallakt. We are all working towards the same end goals; I understand and appreciate your integrity in the matter.
I think ultimately a rigid structure (or even semi rigid) will be the best… In terms of power and self launch it makes perfect sense. We just have some work to do and I’m here for it.
“People who think you don’t need to innovate hardware anymore are wrong”
-Marc Raibert
Boston Dynamics
Indeed, hardware improvement can be decisive for AWE.
For rigid wings, a very light and resistant material could change everything: more scalability, more efficiency, lower cut-in speed, and lower impact during crashes…
Flexible wings can also benefit from improvements, for example in terms of lifespan.
Also inflatable wings with shapewave® .
And also the ground equipment, from the control device to the generator…
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