A 3 MW KiteGen generator

In the “Stem” configuration the wing pull the cables that, through a pulley system, activate the alternators on ground, which in turn produce electricity. When cables are entirely unwound, the wing is guided to a position where it looses its wind resistance and the cables are wound in. Energy consumption of the winding phase is a minor fraction of the energy generated during the unwinding phase.

At the very core of the project is the software that autonomously pilots the power kites, so that the flight patterns can be controlled and normally directed to maximise the production of energy.

In 2006 KiteGen Research has built a first prototype, codenamed KSU1, tested at an altitude of 800m with the authorization of ENAC and EN

2006 Kite Steering Unit prototype

AV (Italian Civil Aviation Authorities).

Beyond the verification of the theoretical data, the KSU has produced energy, thanks to the unwind/rewind cycle: 5kW average and 40kW peak, with a ground of 4.5 m/s.

The first operative Stem is located in Sommariva Perno (CN), its construction started in 2010 while now (Feb 2012) it is completed in all its components and it is under testing and optimization phase.

Update (Feb 2016) we are proud to announce the TRL8 level of our last version of generator and its power wing.

The 3MW KiteGen Stem design and validation activity is complete, and now we are looking for partners in order to go straight to the next step:  the mass production and the deployment set-up. We are currently negotiating with several entity interested different aspect of the brilliant future of this technology.

A strategy based on single industrial partner or a specialized supply chain network, is still unclear. KiteGen is an outstanding company in energy and troposphere wind exploitation knowledge, control electronics, inertial sensors, nonlinear multi-predictive control, field-bus, and is skilled in electro-mechanical engineering,  composites and aerodynamic and design but is genetically a research company yet and the production activity is out of scope.

KiteGen is ready to offer an unprecedented occasion of technology transfer, support to the evaluation of status of the art and the business case, finally welcome companies that expose an active and deep understanding of this technology in the reference scenario.

Those companies, in financial autonomy, could provides support in term of supply, production, assembly, installation and maintenance, design revision in order to improve manufacturability and reliability. The scope are single components, sub-assemblies or whole machine.

for further details please write:  info(at)kitegen.com

The following video shows how the Stem generator works:

You can also download the video from here

site of sommariva 2013, animated gif of a flight, click to view:

sommariva 2013 - click to view

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