High-Altitude Inflatable Structure Kites: Advancement of Weather Forecasting, Energy Harvesting, and Inflatable Kite Systems

Abstract:

Development of high altitude kite systems is crucial to the advancement of communication, weather forecasting, and alternative energy. These systems can provide airborne platforms for energy harvesting, weather data sensing, and stand as a repeater for optical communication satellites. A primary objective is to utilize high altitude kites as meteorological monitoring stations to measure both thermodynamic and kinematic atmospheric parameters required for accurate weather forecasting. A primary advantage of utilizing a kite for observations within the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), as opposed to traditional observations such as weather balloons, is the ability to control the altitude and return the payload to the ground. A design advantage for high altitude kite systems is the incorporation of inflatable structures. Implementing inflatable structures rather than traditional rigid structures significantly increases payload capacity for large high altitude kite systems, and overall allows more room for instrumentation. Inflatable structure kites also provide deployability and robustness for wind gusts. As inflatable kite systems are designed for high-altitude flight, environmental factors such as pressure and temperature changes from ground level to altitude must be considered. New proven techniques for inflatable technology are discussed. Feasibility studies map the realizable design space for optimized inflatable structures and systems.