Internationale Partnersuche

Innovation & Technologie Angebot

New concept of airborn wind energy generator connected to a wing

Country of Origin: Italy
Reference Number: TOIT20170314001
Publication Date: 14 March 2017

Summary

An Italian SME has designed a new type of ground generator connected to wing and/or kite by a mono tether, working with a new type of yo-yo movement, able to solve the problems occurred to current similar projects.
It will allow the production of cheap renewable energy in large quantity with no greenhouse gas emission and low land use. 
Partners for research cooperation agreement and investors are sought for the second phase of the program, to proceed for validation and prototyping.

Description

The SME from Northern Italy has developed an AWE (Airborne Wind Energy) technology comparable to a wind turbine, but with the advantage of not bringing up the propellers with heavy and complex structures, given by the wings that fly at an altitude that can be adjusted in function of the winds. The winds at high altitude (troposphere) are proportionally more powerful and constant than the ones close to the ground, and consequently the energy production increases exponentially. Systems based on AWE technology will be able to produce clean energy with a double capacity factor than a big wind turbine (the double hours of energy production), obtained with a structure 90 % lighter and cheaper. Furthermore, the generator is firmly anchored to the ground. 

The machine belongs to the type "ground generators", developed firstly in a scaled versions having a mono Tether (1 wire), where the energy is generated at the ground through “customized devices”, own of this project, working as special moto-alternators (similar as a bicycle dynamo). 

It uses also a “customized production cycle” of the so called “yo-yo”, where the movement of the wing cycle in an eight form allows running of the moto-alternators. Energy production simulation tests varying the yo-yo cycle have already been performed, with positive outcomes and confirmations of effectiveness. 

The wing - core element - is designed by combining three technologies coming from conventional aviation, the world of the kite and that of paragliding, with the aim of optimizing both the two operational limits, ie the  "Cut-in wind speed" and "Cut- off wind speed",  by increasing the energy production. 

After an in-depth study of competitors benchmark, the SME intends to continue with the main goal of the project that is the realization of a generator which is more efficient then the competitors, merging innovative ideas with the research of the simplest technical solutions. 

The solution is now at TRL-3. Italian and PCT Patent pending.

Partners for research cooperation agreement for further development as well as potential investors are sought.

Advantages and Innovations

The technology is working with a new type of yo-yo movement, a new and customized wing that will be able to solve some of the problems occured to current similar projects, by increasing the area of energy production site between the “cut-in wind speed” and the “cut-off wind speed”; furthermore the generator is equipped with a device able to increase the efficiency and stabilize the end-to-end power generation. 

This system will  produce cheap renewable energy, in large quantity, with no gas emissions and low land use. 

It will work in a totally different way than the competitors thanks to the following features: 

A) the energy production is more stable 

B) the cable is less worn out

C) a customized design of a wing with low weight but hight “g-load” resistence is planned

D) In parallel, a study for a special kite having variable surfaces is carried on 

E) the “Yo-Yo” movement is different from the competitors

F) New features of the generator, different from the benchmarking.

Stage Of Development

Concept stage

Stage Of Development Comment

Further information available (EXECUTIVE SUMMARY,  BUSINESS PLAN), after signing a NDA; the complete documentation will be available after signature of a pre-agreement.

Requested partner

Type of partner sought: Investors; research organizations and universities or government agencies

Specific area of activity of the partner: organisations promoting research applied to the renewable energy fields; investors willing to invest on new patents or to finance the second phase of the program and the first prototype development.

Task to be performed by the partner sought: further development upon non-exclusive license, technical agreement. Investment on the further development phase .