Abstract
This study investigates the dynamic behavior of a sail wind power station (SWPS) equipped with a pneumatic spring for passive damping. Building upon a previously validated six-degree-of-freedom parallel manipulator design (SHOLKOR) for active control, a detailed simulation model was established in MATLAB Simulink/Simscape to assess system performance under variable wind loads. The overall SWPS design – including an inflatable toroidal sail with adjustable area, a 6-DOF manipulator-based energy converter, and an automatic control system – is described. The model incorporates a pneumatic spring in various configurations (parallel with the main spring, in series, and in a full-system parallel arrangement) to assess its impact on suppressing oscillations and on energy conversion efficiency. The findings suggest that integrating the pneumatic spring in parallel leads to a substantial reduction in oscillation amplitude and settling time, while concurrently stabilising power output. Conversely, the placement of the pneumatic spring in series exerts a negligible effect, while the full-system parallel configuration instigates impulse-like transient behaviour in power delivery. The findings of this study demonstrate that a pneumatic spring can serve as a viable passive alternative to active damping systems in SWPS designs. This improvement in system reliability is accompanied by a simplification of control requirements for wind energy harvesting in turbulent conditions. Furthermore, the functional layout of an automatic control system for the SWPS is outlined, with the aim of contextualising the integration of the passive damping element.