Energy Design Lecture: airborne wind energy

By Christian Friedrich, Architect, Delft / NL

Vortrag in englischer Sprache

Robotic architectures that harvest atmospheric resources of power - hundreds of meters above the tips of conventional wind turbines wind power is most abundant and reliable. Here, only airborne wind energy systems can operate.

The theoretical basis for the efficient systems currently in development was not found until 1980, when the seminal article ?Crosswind Kite Power? was published by Miles Loyd. More 40 years later several initiatives have formed that develop working prototypes. Commercial exploitation of the established technology base demands new wing designs, high-tech lightweight and durable materials, highly optimized motor-generator units, and state-of-the-art sensors and flight controls. There are legal challenges as well – these systems are neither aircraft nor building.

Christian Friedrich, architect specialized in robotic architecture, control and design interaction, will present theory and promise of this emerging energy technology, the challenges involved in its development and its implications for the built environment.