Projects & Funded Actions
Our projects turn modelling, control, power electronics, and experimental development into demonstrators that can be integrated, validated, and showcased under realistic operating conditions.
Funding track record
Funding that supported the AW3 group
The AWES activity at UC3M has advanced through a combination of competitive public funding, industrial collaboration, and doctoral training support. Together, these projects have sustained work in all domains and lines of R&D of the AW3 group.
8
Funded actions
Competitive, regional, philanthropic, and industrial actions shown in the portfolio.
2015–2026
Funding continuity
A sustained project pathway from seed research to current test-bench development.
3
Sequential national projects
GreenKite, GreenKite-2, and KITE2GRID created a clear technical roadmap.
Project portfolio
Supporting entity
Project
Leonardo
Clean energy with traction kites
Seed grant
01
Leonardo Grant — Clean Energy Generation with Traction Kites
- Duration: 2015–2016
- Project code: IN[15]_TIC_ING_0313
- Type: Competitive research grant
- Supporting entity: Fundación BBVA
- Objective: Develop dynamic and control simulation tool and start experimental activities.
- Strategic value: Spark AWE research line at UC3M.
Supporting entity
Project
GreenKite
Power-kite simulation & flight testing
National R&D
02
Simulation and Flight Testing of Power Kites Applied to Wind Energy Generation
- Duration: 2016–2019
- Project code: ENE2015-69937-R
- Type: National competitive R&D project
- Supporting entity: Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad of Spain
- Objective: Advance simulation, estimation, control, and flight-testing methods for power kites applied to wind energy generation.
- Strategic value: Development of the foundational software and hardware building blocks of AWE systems at UC3M.
Supporting entity
Project
GreenKite-2
AWE modelling and flight testing
National R&D
03
Modelling and Flight Testing of Airborne Wind Energy and Traction Systems
- Duration: 2020–2023
- Project code: PID2019-110146RB-I00
- Type: National competitive R&D project
- Supporting entity: Agencia Estatal de Investigación / Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
- Objective: Improve aerodynamic understanding of leading-edge inflatable and delta kites, and develop autonomous mechanical control aligned with AWE and traction applications.
- Strategic value: Software development for AWE aerodynamics and first autonomous control of a kite at UC3M.
Supporting entity
Project
CT-AWES I
Industrial generation systems
Industrial collaboration
04
Development of Airborne Wind Energy Systems
- Duration: 15 Oct 2021 – 15 Jan 2023
- Project code: Private-public
- Type: Private-public industrial R&D collaboration
- Supporting entity: CT Ingenieros A.A.I., S.L.
- Objective: Improve AWE hardware and algorithms.
- Strategic value: Conduct basic R&D activities in collaboration with industry on AWE systems.
Supporting entity
Project
IND-AWE
Ground-actuated demonstrator
Industrial PhD
05
Ground-Actuated Airborne Wind Energy System Demonstrator
- Duration: 2022–2025
- Project code: IND2022/AMB-23521
- Type: Regional Industrial PhD / private-public collaboration with CT Ingenieros
- Supporting entity: Comunidad de Madrid, carried out within CT Ingenieros
- Objective: Develop a ground-actuated AWE demonstrator with scalable control, angle-of-attack control, reel-in/reel-out operation, yo-yo power generation, and flight-campaign validation.
- Strategic value: Develop the first spanish yo-yo AWE machine.
Supporting entity
Project
UC3M–CT
AWES Research Chair
Research Chair
06
Cátedra UC3M–CT Ingenieros
- Duration: 1 Mar 2023 – 1 Mar 2026
- Project code: Research Chair / Cátedra UC3M–CT Ingenieros
- Type: Strategic private-public research chair
- Supporting entity: CT Ingenieros A.A.I., S.L.
- Objective: Conduct R&D&I work in AWES, create a framework for joint research.
- Strategic value: Strengthen the relation between industry (CT Ingenieros) and academia (UC3M).
Supporting entity
Project
KITE2GRID
Electrical test bench
National R&D
07
Laboratory Test Bench for the Electrical Subsystem of an Airborne Wind Energy Machine
- Duration: 1 Sep 2023 – 31 Aug 2026
- Project code: PID2022-141520OB-I00
- Type: National competitive R&D project
- Supporting entity: Agencia Estatal de Investigación / Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
- Objective: Generate scientific and technological knowledge on the mechanical-to-electrical power conversion subsystem of an airborne wind energy machine.
- Strategic value: Develop a laboratory infrastructure to make Hardware-in-the-loop tests of the mechanical-to-electrical power conversion of AWE systems.
Supporting entity
Project
EMC-AWE
Electromechanical conversion
Industrial R&D
08
Development of an Electromechanical Energy Conversion System for Airborne Systems
- Duration: 9 Nov 2023 – 10 Nov 2025
- Project code: Private-public
- Type: Private-public industrial R&D collaboration
- Supporting entity: CT Ingenieros A.A.I., S.L.
- Objective: Develop the electromechanical conversion layer required by airborne-generation systems, connecting test-bench work with demonstrator integration.
- Strategic value: Complements KITE2GRID by reinforcing the electrical and mechanical conversion pathway needed for the prototype.
From research capability to validated technology.
Advancing airborne wind energy toward lower-cost, higher-utilization renewable power