Robust control of a tethered kite for ship propulsion

Abstract

Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) systems are among the most promising technologies in terms of clean and green energy.They present an innovative solution to harvest energy from higher altitudes than traditional wind turbines by replacing expensive towers withlightweighttethers. Oneapplication ofan AWE system is using the traction force of a fast-fiying airfoil, or kite, for ship propulsion. This paper considers the design of an automatic pilot capable of generating a sufficient traction force by steering a kite on a desired trajectory. The design requires a kite model, as well as a path-following strategy. Then, a robust controller is proposed to ensure the stability of the system with respect to all the uncertainties that arise in such a complex environment.