Kite Wind Generator – Wikipedia

Technology KiteGen It is an Italian high altitude wind project; was conceived by Massimo Ippolito ^{[ spend? ]} In order to produce energy using the high altitude winds, also known as tropospheric winds.

The project includes two main development strands: the Kitegen Stem (wind farm that uses the traction generated by a single kite) and the KiteGen Carousel (wind farm with vertical rotation axis, operated by Many kite ^{[ how many? ]} at the same time). In the latter case, the different orientation of the rotation axis should eliminate all the static and dynamic problems that prevent the increase in power (i.e. size) obtainable by traditional aerogenerators.

After a promising beginning, but marked by bureaucratic problems encountered on the Berzano di San Pietro (AT) website, the industrial scale prototype was built in 2010 in Sommariva Pivio (CN) ^{[first] [2]} . Currently ^{[ when? ]} The design of a new machine has been finished and the production phase of the same industrial scale has begun.

The project is the owner of over 40 patents recorded internationally and is mentioned or is primary object in over 350 scientific publications ^[3] as well as several articles published in the national and international press. In fact, in 2010 Lorenzo Fagiano’s doctoral thesis – “Control of Tethered Airfoils for Hight -Altonde Wind Energy Generation” – earned him Eni Award ^[4] And in 2015 Ketten was mentioned among the 8 emerging energy technologies most interesting by the National Geographic. ^[5] In addition, on January 25, 2016 Cleantech Group published the list of the most interesting innovative companies of 2015 in the “Clean Technologies” and Kitten sector, the only Italian company, was present in the “100 Ones to Watch category. In November 2016 he was selected from the 40 companies that participated in the Cleantech Summit & Networking Dinner in Rotterdam.

The characteristic of Kitten technology lies in the choice of a high -performance energy source: high altitude winds, also known as tropospheric winds.

There are two wind ribbons that surround the earth: one passes over the land of fire in the southern hemisphere and the other passes over Europe. The height of the European ribbon runs from about 500 meters up to 10,000 meters above sea level, while the width is 4,000 – 5,000 km. The salient data are an average power of 2 kW per square meter (about 54 km/h) and a number of annual hours equal to about 7000 (one year it has 8760 hours).

The high altitude winds therefore have the characteristic of being stable, almost equally distributed around the surface of the earth, almost always present and very strong (15 m/s or about 2 kW/m ² , with a removable power of 0.5 – 0.84 kW/m ² ), while the surface ones are strong only in a few sites and for about 1,700 – 2,000 hours a year (hours that represent the KWH ratio produced in one year compared to the power of the sortogenerator).

These characteristics make tropospheric a reserve with high potential.

The wind that is intended to take advantage of the Ketten technology is the one that pushes between 800 meters and 1,500 meters above sea level with an average speed of 7 m/s and a specific power of 200 W/m ² (with a removable power of 50 – 85 W/m ² ). ^[6]

On March 4, 2012, a parliamentary resolution was presented that commits the government “to assume initiatives to recognize the tropospheric or high altitude wind as a renewable energy source; To promote appropriate initiatives, also facilitating access to credit for investments and downsizing the taxable share of the tax credit for research and development, in order to launch entrepreneurial activities that develop technologies to exploit the tropospheric wind “. ^[7]

The idea of ​​using Kite to capture the energy of high altitude winds and transforming it into mechanical or electric energy is not new.
One of the first theoretical treatments, behind many most recent research works, is due to Miles L.Loyd, an engineer employed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, who first published in 1980 on the Journal of Energy the results of his analyzes on the energy potential of the system ^[8] And he recorded his own patent for the industrial exploitation of the concept.
However, the technology was not mature enough in those years to allow the realization of a working prototype.

The idea of ​​the Wind Generator Kite is from the Maximus Ippolito industrialist who, observing the kitesurfer, noticed the large amount of energy that the kite were able to collect and thought that a similar system could have produced electricity.
Although today the high altitude wind represents an extremely promising technology for the generation of clean energy, at the beginning the idea seemed so risky that Ippolito himself set aside for a few years, while realizing the enormous potential of the invention.

The problem of “capturing” the wind is resolved by the idea of ​​using winging power profiles ( Power Kites ) whose movements are automatically controlled by a computer. The wing profiles are anchored through cables to a structure that is dragged into a rotary movement and that generates electricity. This structure works like the turbine of an wind system, while the Kites are the “blades” of the turbine.
The wing profiles of Potenza fly according to pre -established trajectories, which allow to transform the force exerted on the cables into an overall torque agreed that rotates the turbine with vertical axis.

Come controllable on the Kite Gen website , a 100mw power plant requires a 1000m ring (one thousand meters) in diameter, thus generating 500gwh of electricity in a year [that is, working at full speed for 57% of the time, NDA]. The estimated cost is 0.03 €/kWh, with a clear lowering of the costs both with respect to fossil fuels than to the current renewables . Finally, the Kite Gen power plant would need an area of ​​interdiction on the fly completely similar to that of current plants (such as nuclear, petrochemical, barracks, sensitive objectives, etc.) for a height of 5000 ft (1524 m ) and a radius of a nautical mile (1852 m).

The additional advantage of the wings of power lies lies in the fact that the length of the cable can allow them to reach heights beyond 500 meters, where the high altitude wind flows, without introducing structural critical issues.

In August 2006 a first prototype of KiteGen from the name Mobilly , which has the characteristics of being mobile because it mounted on a truck and to reach limited shares, as the see generates energy with the surface wind.

A second generation mobile generator was experienced in September 2007 in the airport F. Cat of Casale Monferrato (AL). The unit called KSU1 used a wing profile of power that was flying at 800 meters with automatic checks. The experiments lasted three days and required special permits to civil and military aviation.

In December 2010, the STEM was created in Sommariva Perno (CN), the first static prototype of the KITGEN. The power scheduled for this plant is 3 MW ^[9] . To produce energy, the STEM will have elementary functioning at Yo-Yo: the ropes will be unrolled with the kite in lift and will operate the electricity generator. Once the maximum distance of the kite from the plant is reached, this will be put in a stall position and the kit will be withdrawn, then the cycle will repeat itself. Video of the Stem just completed ^[ten] .

Note: The project suffered some delays: the works were started in Berzano San Pietro with the consent of the city council but a small group of people opposed the project leading to the abandonment of the work. So the locality of Sommariva Perno was chosen. ^[11]

In June 2006 the kiteGen It had been selected to receive public funding in the field of funds for technological innovation (FIT) of the Ministry for Economic Development, “Energia” and “Digital” calls 2005. However, having the project received an evaluation of “Priority B “In the” digital “call, the evaluation procedure was not experienced due to the exhaustion of the funds. As for the “Energia” notice, the evaluator (Sanpaolo Banking Institute) did not complete the procedure and the loan was not paid. ^{[ without source ]}

As part of the 7th Program-Quadro of the European Union, an elaboration of the Kitten project within the transport sector was evaluated “excellent”, receiving a funding of 3M € for the creation of “solutions based on wing profiles for the generation of electricity aboard ships, for traction and management of auxiliary services “(proposal n ° 218691; acronym:” Kit-See “). The provision of the funds will start in October 2008.

Starting from 2008 Wind Operations Worldwide S.p.A. (In the abbreviation Wow S.p.A.) (founded as limited liability company), a company of small investors, contributed to the project by purchasing shares of Ketten Research S.r.l., the company that holds the kiten patents. To date Wow S.p.A. Participate in the capital with 2.4% of the shares.

In 2012 Soter S.r.l. which collects small and medium investors detects 20.5% of Ketten Research S.r.l. and in 2013 it was entirely noted the share of 2.4% previously held by Wow S.p.A.

In 2019 Saipem and Kitten announce an agreement: “The new XSight division of Saipem, which promotes renewable and sustainable energies, is certainly ready to face the multidisciplinary nature of this remarkable project” ” ^{[twelfth] [13]}

The agreement aims to make the production of high altitude wind energy more efficient, thanks to the much stronger and more constant wind present over 1000 meters in height. This technology uses large kite (aquiloni) connected to an electricity generator located on the ground and connected by extremely resistant (more resistant steel) and very light ropes. The power expected for the kiten is up to 3 MW of electricity. This reads the announcement of the announcement.

• Cherubini, Antonello, et al. “Airborne Wind Energy Systems: A review of the technologies.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 51 (2015): 1461-1476.