Trajectory Optimization for Airborne Wind Energy Systems Based on a Multi-Strategy Improved Salp Swarm Algorithm

Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) systems offer benefits such as high altitude access to stronger and more stable winds, reduced environmental impact, and cost effective infrastructure. However, these systems face several challenges including complex flight trajectory optimization, limited control robustness, and unstable power generation. This paper focuses on optimizing the flight trajectory of a tethered rigid wing AWE system to maximize power generation. A mathematical model of the system is constructed, and a constrained trajectory optimization problem is formulated. The multiple shooting method is employed for discretization, and a Multi-Strategy Improved Salp Swarm Algorithm (MISSA) is proposed to solve the optimization problem. Simulation results indicate that MISSA can generate a closed optimal trajectory, significantly enhance power output, and demonstrate superior performance in addressing complex trajectory optimization challenges.