J. Breukels and W.J. Ockels (The Netherlands)
Laddermill, kite, kiteplane, high-altitude, windenergy
Kites have been known to man for thousands of years. Their invention is somewhat of a mystery in itself. Kites have played major roles in art, religion and science. But even after thousands of years, the kite as a flying object has seen a relatively small amount of scientific research. Compared with another popular flying object, the airplane, it seems to have seriously lagged behind in the last 100 years. Using kites for energy generation would seem like a viable way to tap into the energy contained within the winds at high altitude. The Laddermill is a project at the Delft University of Technology, which envisions this very thing. But in the design of the Laddermill, it becomes more and more apparent that the scientific research of kites has lagged behind. This paper will go into the reasons for this, and will attempt to lay down a path through which kites can mature and become a serious player in the energy generation sector.
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