Electrical Energy Conversion System for Pumping Airborne Wind Energy
Jeroen Stuyts
KU Leuven
Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 16:00 - 17:00
Room 01-012, Georges-Köhler-Allee 102, Freiburg 79110, Germany
Harvesting wind energy using tethered airplanes offers an interesting alternative to traditional wind turbines. By flying crosswind cycles with the tethered airplane, reeling out under high tether tension and reeling in under low tether tension, net electrical energy can be generated. This is called the pumping cycle.
The presentation will give brief overview of how to design and implement a complete electrical energy conversion system for a set-up which can achieve this. Furthermore the influence of this electrical system on the overall cycle efficiency will be shown to be significant. The presentation is based on the presenter’s Master’s thesis at KU Leuven as well as the published paper: ‘Effect of the Electrical Energy Conversion on Optimal Cycles for Pumping Airborne Wind Energy’ and the submitted paper: ‘Electrical Energy Conversion System for an Experimental Pumping Airborne Wind Energy Set-up’.
First, the design and dimensioning of the overall drive system (2 motors with converters, active front-end and peripherals) is discussed, as well as the safety system, the drive control system and the overlaying electrical architecture. Then the influence on the cycle optimization will be shown.