Aerodynamic study of airfoils and wings for power kites applications

Kites are flying in the sky since several centuries, but they are generally considered no more than a toy for children. Nevertheless the flight of a kite is a complex physical phenomenon, and scientists periodically show a renewed interest in kites dynamics, investigating new applications or improving the existing ones. Big part of the studies in the recent past regarded the use of kites as a meteorological source of data or, more recently, as sporting goods for extreme athletes, but a new frontier is raising: the clean energy generation. This work intents to provide a preliminary series of data about arc shaped wings obtained by means of computational fluid dynamics. These data will be used to improve the flight control strategy and will represent a benchmark for direct comparison with the experimentally collected data from the flying field. The high altitude wind energy conversion into electric power will need a new generation of kites, expressly designed to grant the peak efficiency of the process and the necessary safety and reliability on duty