Alexander Bormann

aeroix GmbH

Presenting the paper study for an prospective 100 kW Airborne Wind Energy Solution (EnerKite) with high capacity factor, achieving 16 ct/kWh and 88% diesel savings with an cost optimal hybrid off-grid system at specific demand load profile. 100% Renewables with EnerKíte results in about 15 - 20% higher cost of electricity oat 18.4 ct/kWh compared...

Besides other aspects such as safety, capital expenditures, lifetime and maintenance of a wind energy converter, the power curve is the defining performance characteristic in order to derive its economic viability. Power curves for horizontal axis wind turbines have been studied, validated and optimized for decades. This study tackles the power cur...

EnerKite GmbH designed, built and demonstrated a three line AWE system. This article presents history of the enterprise and the decisions involved. The built ground station is described in detail, and flight data obtained during the course of a year in development is presented.KeywordsWind SpeedTurbulence IntensityController DevelopmentUltrasonic A...

One of the great advantages of dielectric elastomers (DE) is their scalability. Large planar DE are quite unique in the world of actuators. An interesting application of such actuators is the activation of inflatable structures. As research platform a model airship of 8 m in length was constructed that can move its body and tail fin in a fish-like...

After having successfully integrated Dielectric Elastomers (DE) in a cross tail for flight control, a novel biologically inspired propulsion system based on DE is envisaged. The basic idea is to mimic a fish body motion by deforming a) the envelope of the rear lifting body and b) flapping an aft-tail. In both cases, planar DEs are used, either full...

Many attempts have been made to mimic the movement of a fish in water in order to find novel solutions in autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) [1-4]. Conventional airships are driven by propellers and steered by stabilizers with rudders or with thrust vector control. Such propulsion and steering systems are efficient only in a small range of operat...

[Abstract] The feasibility of steam as buoyant gas for high performing balloons was proved. Building and operating a rc-controlled insulated roziere-type model - HeiDAS UH became the first free flying steam balloon ever. Innovative and new developed materials are allowing temperatures up to 260°C and providing steam tightness and strength to the hi...

The given work supplies a contribution for the computational determination of the stiffness and damping characteristics of elastomer bearings. For metal springs, the stiffness can be derived from a nomograph or formula in mechanical engineering handbooks. A similarly simple approach is developed here for elastomer bearings. For a given geometry and...

Die vorliegende Arbeit liefert einen Beitrag zur rechnerischen Bestimmung der Steifigkeits- und Dämpfungseigenschaften von Elastomerlagern. Wie bei Metallfedern, wo sich die Steifigkeit den Handbüchern des Maschinenbaus als Nomogramm oder Formel entnehmen lässt, werden für Elastomerlager die Steifigkeiten und Dämpfungen, bei gegebener Geometrie und...

HeiDAS is an abbreviation of the German expression of hot steam aerostat. The idea was to investigate the feasibility of superheated steam as a lifting gas. In a team effort young engineers and scientists developed a remote controlled hot steam balloon. Innovative materials and advanced calculation methods have been applied. The conduction, convect...

The authors reveal the complex interrelationship between design criteria and restricting boundary conditions for the design of free standing tubular steel towers. For large turbines a conventional design may lead to the verge of feasibility. An economically solution seems to be impossible. This paper shows solutions in the field of alternative desi...