1:25 scale model of the Ampyx Power Floating Airborne Wind Energy System in the wave basin of MARIN (14 July 2017)
Sil Drenth MSc Student Ampyx Power B.V. Lulofsstraat 55 ś Unit 13 2521 AL The Hague The Netherlands s.drenth92@gmail.com www.ampyxpower.com
Limiting Wave Conditions for Landing Airborne Wind Energy
Aircraft on a Floating Platform
Sil Drenth
Ampyx Power B.V., Delft University of Technology
The potential for the application of airborne wind energy in a deep-water offshore environment on top of floating foundations is enormous. Where conventional wind tur-bines would require a very stable platform to reduce mo-tions at the nacelle, AWE requires just enough stability to take-off, land and not negatively affect cross-wind per-formance. This also scales well with increasing capac-ity of AWE systems, which most of all has influence on the mooring configuration instead of the steel structure. That is why Ampyx Power started an investigative study into this offshore application in collaboration with Mo-cean Offshore, Marin and ECN [1].
A driving factor in the design of the floating foundation are the maximum allowed motions in different sea states. A study into the effects of wave induced motions on the landing performance is therefore performed. Time do-main simulations are made of the floater, which was de-signed by Mocean, in a multitude of different wave condi-tions. These simulations are validated by experiment at the Marin test basin. The floater motion data is then used as the moving landing position in a simulation model of a tethered aircraft making a horizontal landing. Especially, heave and pitch motions of the floater are expected to af-fect landing performance, which is why a 3DOF model is used. By comparing the simulations with limits to landing (e.g. maximum allowed relative vertical velocity), statis-tical data can be gathered on the probabilities of landing failure for different sea states.
Based on the results, recommendations can be made with respect to the floater design requirements, as well
as on the design of the aircraft (e.g. landing gear or con-trol system).
Impression of offshore floating airborne wind energy system. References:
[1] Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO): "Exploratory Research and LCoE of Airborne Offshore Wind Farm". Project no. TEWZ116048. https://www.rvo.nl/subsidies-regelingen/projecten/exploratory-research-and-lcoe-airborne-offshore-wind-farm
