According to Kitegen's preliminary evaluations, it is expected that wind generators of this type may have much lower electric energy production costs than actual wind farms (by a factor up to 10-20) and could generate up to 250 MW/km2, vs. 3 MW/km2 of wind farms.


With a kite area of 50 m2 , simulations give about 200 kW power generated with 12m/s wind speed. A wind mill of the same power is 40 m high, weights about 62 t and costs about 900,000 euros. The expected KiteGen weight and cost are about 8t and 60,000 euros respectively.


It is expected that a wind generator of this type will have a territory occupation much lower than a wind farm of the same power (by a factor up to 50-100) and much lower electric energy production costs (by a factor up to 10-20). In the first step of the KiteGen project a small scale prototype has been realized (see Fig. 1) to show
the capability of controlling the flight of a single kite, by pulling the two lines which hold it, in such a way to extract a significant amount of energy.

The first tests performed on the built prototype in the yoyo configuration show a good matching between simulations and experimental results as regards the generated power.

A single 500 m**2 kite with 12 m/s nominal wind speed and aerodynamic efficiency (i.e. CL=CD) equal to 12 would be able to generate 10 MW mean power. 100 such kites towing a 1500 m radius carousel would generate 1000 MW mean power with about 7-8 km**2 land occupation and with an estimated energy production cost ten times lower than the one obtained by fossil fuel thermal plants. Note that a wind farm producing the same mean power, using the present wind mill technology, would have a territory occupation of about 250-300 km**2 and an energy production cost 40-50% higher than thermal plants.

100 MW Kite Gen power plants, illustrated at this link, are estimated to deliver a cost of energy produced lower than 0.03 Euro per kWh.


Kitegen control unit, for controlling figure eight flight of airfoil


Kitegen airfoil flight patterns


Proposed carousel of airfoils for a 100 megawatt class kitegen generator


Newer imagining of a large scale kitegen generator. A generator ring is pulled and the support structure stays in place


Chart of average wind speeds at different altitudes. 800-1200 meters is a sweet spot with less challenging altitude but strong winds. At 800meters, average wind speed is 7.2 m/s and generates 205 watts per m**2. this is four times the power that current 5-6 MW windmills can get at 80 meters height with 4.6 m/s avg wind and 58 watts per m**2. Every point on the Earth surface, on average, 800 m above it, has enough wind power to be exploited with a Kite Gen power plant for energy generation.

The Italian Kitegen pilot plant should also be completed by the end of 2008.
Although they had some agreement with a utility to help cover costs. 


