SwissKitePower

Scope of project

'Crosswind Kite Power' or 'Airborne Wind Energy' is the idea of using a light, controllable aerodynamic device (commonly referred to as a kite), flying in a crosswind pattern to create power which is transmitted to the ground via a tether (high-strength cable).

The focus of this project is two-fold. First, a Kite Power technology demonstrator will be designed and constructed by FHNW to prove the feasibility of the concept. A novel kite design will be pursued at EMPA, with the goal of creating a kite optimized for power production. The automation of the system will be studied by ETH Zurich with the vision of having fully autonomous power generation. Both the kites and controls will be tested on the technology demonstrator to quantify their performance and reliability. Second, a thorough investigation into the basics of the technology will be conducted. The focus of which will be to develop a vision of what a kite power plant might look like, focusing on issues such as power production principle, scalability, operating altitude, safety, suitable locations and cost of energy.