Kitegen
Encyclopedia
KiteGen is a concept developed in Italy
for a wind harnessing machine that takes power from high altitude winds. The vertical axis orientation of the rotation is intended to eliminate the static and dynamic problems that prevent the increase in size of conventional wind turbine
s. The prototype STEM yo-yo is under construction at Berzano di San Pietro
(Italy).
he noticed the large amount of energy that the kite was able to collect and thought that a similar system could produce electricity
. This idea seemed to Ippolito so risky that he put it aside for some years.
s) whose movements are controlled automatically by a computer
. Through cables the kites are anchored to a structure that rotates, generating electricity. This structure is the turbine of the high altitude wind farm
while the kites are the "blades" of the turbine.
The kites are flown on a predetermined trajectory, that can transform the exerted force on the cable, to an overall mechanical torque which rotates the vertical axis turbine. About twenty automatically controlled kites can keep rotating a turbine of 1,600 meters diameter at a speed of 15 revolutions per hour. This can generate 1 Gigawatt of power, equivalent to a medium size nuclear power station but with an estimated capital cost 10 times lower. In other words 1 cubic Km of sky is able to provide 1 GigaWatt of power for 80% of the time in a year.
The kites extra added benefit lies in the fact that the length of cables allows them to reach heights over 500 meters, where the high altitude wind flows, without introducing structural weaknesses.
at the latitude of Patagonia
, while the other passes over the northern hemisphere
, over Europe
. The flow height ranges from 800 meters up to 10,000 meters of altitude, while the width is 4,000 or 5,000 km. The average power of the wind is about 2 kW per square meter.
High altitude wind is much more powerful and constant when compared to that at earth level, which is intense in very few places, and at full speed for only about 1,700-1,800 hours per year, which limits the annual production of energy.
The wind which is planned to be used is around 800 meters height with average speeds of 7 m/s and specific power of 200 W/m
. For example, a section of wind width of 1,000 meters at an altitude between 600 and 1,000 meters has a power equal to 400*1000*200 = 80 MW.
The prototype in the Province of Asti
which works with 9 generators and up to 10,000m generates a peak power of 27 MW.
A park of Kitegens with 100 MW peak power should produce 500 GWh/year; enough for 86,000 households
The Kitegen can generate about 6000 hours / year.
).
Under the 7th Framework Program of the European Union
, an elaboration of the project within the transport sector was rated "excellent" and received funding of €3 million for the realization of solutions based on wing profiles for the generation of electricity aboard ships, traction and management of ancillary services (proposal No. 218,691; acronym: "KitVes"). In November 2008, European Union informed that provision of funds will start "soon".
mounted system is mobile and uses low-altitude wind. A mobile generator of second generation was tested in September 2007 at Francesco Cappa airport located in Casale Monferrato
(Province of Alessandria
, Italy). The unit called KSU1 used a kite that flew to 800 meters with automatic controls. The experiments lasted three days and required special permits from civil and military aviation.
Canale, M. Fagiano, L. Milanese, M. Ippolito, M.; Politecnico di Torino, Turin; American Control Conference, 2007. ACC '07; Publication Date: 9-13 July 2007;On page(s): 3522-3528 Location: New York, NY,;ISSN: 0743-1619 ISBN 1-4244-0988-8 ;INSPEC Accession Number: 9886703
Digital Object Identifier: 10.1109/ACC.2007.4282697 ;Current Version Published: 2007-07-30
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
for a wind harnessing machine that takes power from high altitude winds. The vertical axis orientation of the rotation is intended to eliminate the static and dynamic problems that prevent the increase in size of conventional wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s. The prototype STEM yo-yo is under construction at Berzano di San Pietro
Berzano di San Pietro
Berzano di San Pietro is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 20 km east of Turin and about 30 km northwest of Asti...
(Italy).
History
The KiteGen was originally conceived by Massimo Ippolito, an Italian researcher. Looking at the kite surfersKitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
he noticed the large amount of energy that the kite was able to collect and thought that a similar system could produce electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. This idea seemed to Ippolito so risky that he put it aside for some years.
KiteGen structure
The problem of "capturing" the wind is solved by the use of Power Wing Profiles (Power kitePower kite
A power kite or traction kite is a large kite designed to provide significant pull to the user.They come in three main forms: foils, leading edge inflatables and supported leading edge. There are also rigid-framed kites and soft single skin kites. There are several different control systems used...
s) whose movements are controlled automatically by a computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
. Through cables the kites are anchored to a structure that rotates, generating electricity. This structure is the turbine of the high altitude wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
while the kites are the "blades" of the turbine.
The kites are flown on a predetermined trajectory, that can transform the exerted force on the cable, to an overall mechanical torque which rotates the vertical axis turbine. About twenty automatically controlled kites can keep rotating a turbine of 1,600 meters diameter at a speed of 15 revolutions per hour. This can generate 1 Gigawatt of power, equivalent to a medium size nuclear power station but with an estimated capital cost 10 times lower. In other words 1 cubic Km of sky is able to provide 1 GigaWatt of power for 80% of the time in a year.
The kites extra added benefit lies in the fact that the length of cables allows them to reach heights over 500 meters, where the high altitude wind flows, without introducing structural weaknesses.
Winds of high altitude
There are two wind flow bands that envelope the Earth globe. One passes over the southern hemisphereSouthern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
at the latitude of Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
, while the other passes over the northern hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The flow height ranges from 800 meters up to 10,000 meters of altitude, while the width is 4,000 or 5,000 km. The average power of the wind is about 2 kW per square meter.
High altitude wind is much more powerful and constant when compared to that at earth level, which is intense in very few places, and at full speed for only about 1,700-1,800 hours per year, which limits the annual production of energy.
The wind which is planned to be used is around 800 meters height with average speeds of 7 m/s and specific power of 200 W/m
. For example, a section of wind width of 1,000 meters at an altitude between 600 and 1,000 meters has a power equal to 400*1000*200 = 80 MW.The prototype in the Province of Asti
Province of Asti
The Province of Asti is a province in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Its capital is the city of Asti. To the north west it borders on the province of Turin; to the south west it borders on the province of Cuneo. To the east it borders on the province of Alessandria, while in the south it...
which works with 9 generators and up to 10,000m generates a peak power of 27 MW.
A park of Kitegens with 100 MW peak power should produce 500 GWh/year; enough for 86,000 households
The Kitegen can generate about 6000 hours / year.
Funding
In June 2006 the Kitegen had been selected to receive public financing from the Italian Ministry for Economic Development. Although the project received a "priority B" score the procedure evaluation was not carried out because of lack of funds. Economic capital, performance evaluation, and capital adequacy is proceeding from evaluator agency (Sanpaolo-Intesa BankIntesa Sanpaolo
Intesa Sanpaolo is a banking group resulting from the merger between Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI based in Turin, Italy. It has clear leadership in the Italian market and a minor but growing international presence focused on Central-Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa Intesa Sanpaolo...
).
Under the 7th Framework Program of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, an elaboration of the project within the transport sector was rated "excellent" and received funding of €3 million for the realization of solutions based on wing profiles for the generation of electricity aboard ships, traction and management of ancillary services (proposal No. 218,691; acronym: "KitVes"). In November 2008, European Union informed that provision of funds will start "soon".
Mobilegen
In August 2006 a prototype of the KiteGen named mobilegen was first tested. This truckTruck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
mounted system is mobile and uses low-altitude wind. A mobile generator of second generation was tested in September 2007 at Francesco Cappa airport located in Casale Monferrato
Casale Monferrato
Casale Monferrato, population 36,058, is a town and comune in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, part of the province of Alessandria. It is situated about 60 km east of Turin on the right bank of the Po, where the river runs at the foot of the Montferrato hills. Beyond the river lies the...
(Province of Alessandria
Province of Alessandria
The Province of Alessandria is an Italian province, with a population of some 430,000, which forms the southeastern part of the region of Piedmont. The provincial capital is the city of Alessandria....
, Italy). The unit called KSU1 used a kite that flew to 800 meters with automatic controls. The experiments lasted three days and required special permits from civil and military aviation.
See also
- Airborne wind turbineAirborne wind turbineAn airborne wind turbine is a design concept for a wind turbine that is supported in the air without a tower. Airborne wind turbines may operate in low or high altitudes; they are part of a wider class of airborne wind energy systems addressed by high-altitude wind power...
- Wind energyWind energyWind energy is the kinetic energy of air in motion; see also wind power.Total wind energy flowing through an imaginary area A during the time t is:E = ½ m v2 = ½ v 2...
- Renewable energyRenewable energyRenewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
- Alternative energyAlternative energyAlternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
- High altitude wind powerHigh altitude wind powerHigh-altitude wind power has been imagined as a source of useful energy since 1833 with John Etzler's vision of capturing the power of winds high in the sky by use of tether and cable technology...
- Kite applications#Power generation
External links
- Site of KiteGen
- Kitegen technical information - Italian language
- Answers to frequently asked questions on Kitegen
- news item by La Repubblica (meaning: "The Republic"), the largest circulation Italian daily general-interest newspaper
- EnergyKiteSystems
- M. Milanese - Presentation of the KiteGen
Further reading
- KiteGen project: control as key technology for a quantum leap in wind energy generators,
Canale, M. Fagiano, L. Milanese, M. Ippolito, M.; Politecnico di Torino, Turin; American Control Conference, 2007. ACC '07; Publication Date: 9-13 July 2007;On page(s): 3522-3528 Location: New York, NY,;ISSN: 0743-1619 ISBN 1-4244-0988-8 ;INSPEC Accession Number: 9886703
Digital Object Identifier: 10.1109/ACC.2007.4282697 ;Current Version Published: 2007-07-30