Airborne wind energy systems (AWES) are more efficient than traditional wind turbines because they can capture higher wind speeds at higher altitudes using connected kite generators. Securing a real wind turbine or a site with favorable wind conditions is not always an assured opportunity for conducting research. Hence, the Research and Development of the Laboratory Scale Airborne Wind Energy Conversion System (LAWECS) require a better understanding of airborne wind turbine dynamics and emulation. Therefore, an airborne wind turbine emulation system was designed, implemented, simulated, and experimentally tested with ground data for the real time simulation. The speed and torque of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) connected to a kite are regulated to maximize wind energy harvesting. A field-oriented control technique is then used to control the PMSM’s torque, while a three-phase power inverter is utilized to drive the PMSM with PI controllers in a closed loop. The proposed framework was tested, and the emulated airborne wind energy conversion system results were proven experimentally for different wind speeds and generator loads. Further, the LAWECS emulator simulated a 2 kW, 20 kW, and 60 kW designed with a projected kite area of 5, 25, and 70 square meters, respectively. This system was simulated using the Matlab/Simulink software and tested with the experimental data. Furthermore, the evaluation of the proposed framework is validated using a real-time hardware-in-the-loop environment, which uses the FPGA-based OPAL-RT Simulator.

A Kite-based Airborne Wind Energy Conversion System (KAWECS) works by harnessing the kinetic energy from the wind and converting it into electric power. The study of the dynamics of KAWECS is fundamental in researching and developing a commercial-scale KAWECS. Testing an actual KAWECS in a location with suitable wind conditions is only sometimes a trusted method for conducting research. A KAWECS emulator was developed based on a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (PMSM) drive coupled with a generator to mimic the kite’s behaviour in wind conditions. Using MATLAB-SIMULINK, three different power ratings of 1 kW, 10 kW, and 100 kW systems were designed with a kite surface area of 2.5 m${}^2$, 14 m${}^2$, and 60 m${}^2$, respectively. The reel-out speed of the tether, tether force, traction power, drum speed, and drum torque were analysed for a wind speed range of 2 m/s to 12.25 m/s. The satellite wind speed data at 10 m and 50 m above ground with field data of the kite’s figure-of-eight trajectories were used to emulate the kite’s characteristics. The results of this study will promote the use of KAWECS, which can provide reliable and seamless energy flow, enriching wind energy exploitation under various installation environments.

Kite-based airborne wind energy conversion system (KAWECS) provides an innovative and interesting concept to exploit high-altitude winds for efficient power generation. The framework of this system utilizes a flying kite connected to the generator through a power electronics interface for grid integration. However, maintaining stable generator speed and maximum power extraction is very challenging due to the dynamic and periodic nature of the kite motion. This study presents a novel vector control integrated to enhance the performance of a grid-connected kite-based airborne wind energy conversion. The vector control scheme is designed to control the speed and torque of the permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), ensuring optimal power extraction under varying wind conditions. A novel optimal symmetrical method is used to design the controller gain of the vector control scheme. Furthermore, a grid-side converter (GSC) controller is designed to regulate the DC-link voltage and synchronize the current and voltage with the grid. The LCL filter is designed to improve the quality of the grid voltage and current. The proposed system is implemented in MATLAB Simulink and validated hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) using a field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based OPAL-RT OP-4520 platform. The results demonstrated stable generator speed tracking, regulated DC-link voltage at 800 V, and distortion-free grid currents with a total harmonic distortion (THD) of 5.95%. Furthermore, the proposed control strategy improved system performance by achieving a 45.6% capacity factor, compared to 31.4% for the conventional wind turbine system (CWTS). These quantitative results confirm the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller for real-time grid-connected airborne wind energy applications.

Kite Wind Energy Systems (KWES) are an emerging technology that harness high-altitude winds using tethered kites to generate electricity. Unlike conventional wind turbines, KWES operate in crosswind trajectories, enabling a higher power density and more consistent energy capture. However, the accurate aerodynamic characterization of Leading-Edge Inflatable (LEI) kites under realistic flow conditions remains limited. This study presents an ANSYS computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to evaluate the aerodynamic performance of a 12 m² ozone LEI kite wing under both static (zero kite velocity) and dynamic (kite velocity linearly changes) conditions. The simulation setup involved defining the computational domain, generating a high-quality mesh, and applying realistic boundary conditions to replicate the operational environment. Based on the Navier–Stokes equations (k-ϵ or SST k-ω) with a turbulence model, the CFD model yielded lift and drag coefficients. The analysis covered a practical range of wind speeds (2–25 m/s), angles of attack 0 to 45°, Kite Area (KA) from 6 to 48 m², as a multiplication factor (KAMF) from 0.5 to 4 times, and the impact of the variable on the force parameters of the KWES. The results showed that lift and drag forces increased nearly linearly with the angle of attack up to approximately 30°, beyond which flow separation caused aerodynamic stall. The aerodynamic forces attained a maximum value of approximately 5 kN, with the lift-to-drag ratio reaching its peak in the angle-of-attack range of 20°–30°. Under dynamic inflow conditions, the aerodynamic efficiency decreased by approximately 13% owing to unsteady wake interactions. These findings provide valuable insights into the aerodynamic limits and optimal operating range of LEI kites, supporting the design and control optimization of KWES.