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Airborne wind energy system to power a Mars habitat� �Rhizome 5^th review meeting 22 February 2022

Roland Schmehl, Mario Rodriguez, Lora Ouroumova

Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech - Processing: Elisabetta Bonora & Marco Faccin / aliveuniverse.today

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Outline

Introduction
Results of previous design teams (ended July 2021)
Updated wind resource
Scaling study
Performance model
Application in the microgrid

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Results 1^st project team

Title: Combined airborne wind and PV energy system for Martian habitats.
Focus: Balancing the electricity demand and production in the microgrid.
Habitat location: Deuteronilus Mensae
Result: Complete analysis of the energy system, sizing all components, including storage.
Limitations: Wind Resource (log law)

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Habitat location

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Pumping kite system

Airborne system

Kite surface area: 50 m2

Mass: 12.7 kg

Volume: 0.035 m3

Tether

Operational length: 200-400 m

Tether diameter: 0.0065 m

Mass: 12.7 kg

Volume = 0.013 m3

Ground station

Drum diameter = 0.27 m

Mass: 262.7 kg

Volume: 0.621 m3

Total system mass: 288 kg

Total system volume: 0.67 m3

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Results 2^nd project team

Title: Airborne wind energy system on Mars.
Focus: Detailed wind resource analysis and system design of the kite power system.
Habitat: Protonilus Mensae
Result: Hybrid wing kite power system with automated launch and landing capability.
Limitations: Questionable design choices and implementation of the Mars Climate Database

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Re-evaluation of location

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Mars Climate Database

Developed by Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique with support from ESA
General Circulation Model (64x49x49)

High resolution topography using MOLA data
Reconstructed vertical pressure levels and hence, yield high resolution values of wind speed

Database of atmospheric variables

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Wind (avg) velocity vs time

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Evidence of low-level cross-equatorial jet

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Vertical wind velocity profile

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Wind probability density distribution

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Scaling study

Current:

Alternative:

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Re-evaluation of location

Reference location

Ref. Location

Current Location

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Re-evaluation of location

Reference Location

Arsia Mons South A

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Re-evaluation of location

Reference Location

Arsia Mons South A

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Kite system performance model

Luchsinger method: optimal reel-in/out velocities for different wind velocities resulting in max cycle power
Ground station model:

Gross mechanical actuator torque
Gross electrical power of motor/generator
Net electrical power to grid

Tether consideration: tension force is less than the tether limit and analysis of creep and bending fatigue failure

Annual energy production

Annual wind resource

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Now the kite system performance model specifics are over-viewed. The complete model consists of the evaluation of the three distinguished component groups, namely the kite, the ground station, and the tether. For the kite analysis, the Luchsinger method is used through which the optimal reel-in and reel-out velocities can be evaluated for different wind velocities. This results in optimal cycle power for different wind resources and considers the power production and tether force limitations as well. Nevertheless, this aerodynamic forces on the kite need to be converted into elecrtical power in the end which does not happen without energy losses. This losses are considered in the ground station model where first the mechanical torque is computed. Then the electrical conversion losses of the ground station are considered which results in the gross electrical power of the system during different operation points of a cycle. Finnaly, through the evaluation of the electrical power efficiency of the system, the net electrical power output is evaluated. With this information and the annual wind resource at a given location, the annual energy production can be evaluated. Lastly, for the tether component, it is relevant to check that the experinced force is less than the force limit and its creep and bending fatigue resistance is sufficient for the whole lifetime of the system.

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Kite energy generation compared to demand

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Application in the microgrid

PV array seems to be obsolete
No need for long-term storage
Battery still necessary for low generation periods of the sol
Cable and component losses based on length and produced power

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Questions?

 r.schmehl@tudelft.nl

 twitter.com/kite_power

 awesco.eu

Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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