Proposal of Autonomous Kite-Sailing Power Generation and estimation of its energy harvesting performance

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K04579
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 22020:Structure engineering and earthquake engineering-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Hiejima Shinji 岡山大学, 環境生命科学学域, 教授 (50284526)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 洋上風力発電 / 高空風力発電 / 再生可能エネルギー / 海洋エネルギー / ハイドロヴィーナス / 水流タービン / パラフォイルカイト / 海洋状況把握

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is found that the lift and drag force of the Hydro-VENUS blades with semi-elliptical cross-section are higher than conventional airfoil blades. According to the analysis based on the blade element momentum theory, the Hydro-VENUS turbine can rotate both in the forward and reverse direction, and its start-up performance from stationary condition is relatively high. The performance of the Hydro-VENUS turbine is improved by installing the winglet to the tip of the blade. By developing the kite flight simulator coupled with a floating vessel where the Hydro-VENUS turbine is installed, the energy harvesting performance of the full-scale model of the Autonomous Kite-Sailing Power Generation is computed. Then the kite with semi-elliptical cross-section where the aspect ratio is six revealed high performances in energy harvesting.

Free Research Field

風工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

帆走式洋上風力発電は無人で自律航行する発電ドローン船であり，発電電力は送電せずに浮体内に蓄電するため，陸地から離れた遠洋まで航行し，膨大な遠洋風力を利用した発電が可能になる．固定設置しないため漁業との競合もない．従来の洋上風力発電が，沿岸付近の微弱な風力しか得られず，漁業との競合で導入が進まないのに対して大きなブレークスルーとなる．さらに，センサーや観測機器を搭載して公海上に多数配備すれば，発電だけでなく，洋上通信網や防災観測・資源探査・海上監視システム等の洋上インフラを構築できる．この広域的なインフラを通してあらゆる海洋ビッグデータを集積すれば，海洋空間の利用をこれまでになく活性化できる．