Conceptual Design of Textile Kites Considering Overall System Performance

In this paper the authors present basic considerations on conceptual kite design in terms of overall system performance of an airborne wind energy system. This kite design process has been developed at SkySails GmbH for the design of large scale traction kites for sea-going vessels. All aspects are first presented in a brief discussion and then applied to the SkySails kite system. Further examples are provided where applicable. This chapter starts by introducing theoretical approaches for determining maximum system performance and certain other aspects of kite aerodynamics with respect to the SkySails kite system. An overview of the limitations considered during the kite design process is also presented. In the following sections, the influence of kite steering, launch and landing is discussed. Further, structural weight aspects are addressed. The last sections deal with the implications of ground handling on kites.