Control of power kites for naval propulsion

This paper investigates the application of an innovative technology for high-altitude wind power generation to naval propulsion. The basic idea is to exploit the traction forces exerted by automatically controlled power kites, flying fast in crosswind conditions, to pull a boat. Numerical analyses are carried out employing a mathematical model of the system and an efficient Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) law. Differently from existing approaches, the cost function considered in NMPC design is directly the predicted traction force exerted on the kite lines. The obtained numerical results are compared with the data collected during experimental tests carried out in the project KiteNav, undergoing at Politecnico di Torino.