Sebastian Rapp

• Ph.D.
• MBDA

Airborne wind energy systems convert wind energy into electricity using tethered flying devices, typically flexible kites or aircraft. Replacing the tower and foundation of conventional wind turbines can substantially reduce the material use and, consequently, the cost of energy, while providing access to wind at higher altitudes. Because the fligh...

Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CyKrL5gwXM Public defense: https://collegerama.tudelft.nl/mediasite/play/096730b4e9e0435398176d0fb82c35311d

Airborne wind energy (AWE) systems are tethered flying devices that harvest wind resources at higher altitudes, which are not accessible to conventional wind turbines. To become a viable alternative to other renewable energy technologies, AWE systems are required to fly reliably and autonomously for long periods of time while being exposed to atmos...

The design and computational model of a representative multi-megawatt airborne wind energy (AWE) system operated in pumping cycles is presented [1], together with a simulation framework that accounts for the flight dynamics of the fixed wing aircraft and the sagging of the tether, combining this with flight control and optimisation strategies to de...

In this paper, we present the design and computational model of a representative multi-megawatt airborne wind energy (AWE) system, together with a simulation framework that accounts for the flight dynamics of the fixed-wing aircraft and the sagging of the tether, combining this with flight control and optimisation strategies to derive the power cur...

Airborne wind energy (AWE) systems are tethered flying devices that harvest wind resources at higher altitudes which are not accessible to conventional wind turbines. In order to become a viable alternative to other renewable energy technologies, AWE systems are required to fly reliably and autonomously for long periods of time while being exposed...

Airborne wind energy is an emerging technology that uses tethered unmanned aerial vehicles for harvesting wind energy at altitudes higher than conventional towered wind turbines. To make the technology competitive to other renewable energy technologies a reliable control system is required that allows autonomously operating the system throughout al...

Visualization of one pumping cycle using the proposed control strategy.

Airborne wind energy is an emerging technology that uses tethered unmanned aerial vehicles for harvesting wind energy at altitudes higher than conventional towered wind turbines. To make the technology competitive to other renewable energy technologies an automatic control system is required that allows autonomously operating the system throughout...

In this work a novel vertical takeoff and landing methodology for flexible wing kite power systems is presented. Starting from a basic mast-based launching and landing concept the operational envelope will be enlarged using the external assistance of a multicopter. The multi-copter is used to drag the kite along a specified launching path until the...

In this work vertical take-off and landing capabilities of flexible wing kite power systems are investigated. Employing a mast-based launching and landing concept the operational envelope will be enlarged using a novel multicopter based launching approach. The multicopter guides the kite along a specified launching path until the operational altitu...

Autonomous unpowered flight is a challenge for control and guidance systems: all the energy the aircraft might use during flight has to be harvested directly from the atmosphere. We investigate the design of an algorithm that optimizes the closed-loop control of a glider's bank and sideslip angles, while flying in the lower convective layer of the...