Kitepower flight data acquired on 5 June 2024

This dataset captures a flight test of the 60m² leading-edge inflatable V9 kite of Kitepower on 5 June 2024 at the AWE test site close to Bangor Erris, Ireland. The kite was flown under conservative operational settings for this specific test, primarily focusing on data acquisition rather than maximizing energy production. As a result, the power output during the flight was significantly lower than for standard operations. The recorded flight spans from 11:33 to 17:33 UTC, during which the kite completed a total of 145 pumping cycles. The wind conditions varied throughout the flight, with a sudden wind gust occurring around 13:40 UTC. The wind direction was also variable, predominantly coming from the east.

Key measurements include:

Position, Orientation, Velocities, and Accelerations: Measured at both the kite’s central strut and the kite control unit (KCU) using Pixhawk IMU+GPS systems, capturing both translational and rotational velocities and accelerations.

Tether elevation and azimuth: The orientation of the tether at the outlet of the ground station, measured using rotational encoders.

Tether Force: Measured at the ground station using a load cell and an elevation angle encoder.

Lidar Data: Provided at a 1-second resolution, acquired by a Windcube v2.

The dataset includes a README file with a detailed description of the data and a Python script to visualize the data per pumping cycle.