Your mission
Join the future of wind energy
Kitepower is on a mission to contribute to a more sustainable world by flying kites that generate electricity. Founded as a spin-out of Delft University of Technology, we are developing our first commercial system to power farms, construction sites and communities with renewable airborne wind energy.
We believe innovation, collaboration, and purpose can change the world. That’s why we’re building a team of passionate people who want to make a real impact. We keep our structure flat and our culture open. We believe great ideas can come from anyone, anywhere. When you join Kitepower, you help bring clean energy to communities and industries across the planet.
Your profile
We are looking for an intern to join our hardware team in Delft. The hardware team is responsible for designing, developing and maintaining all physical components of our systems, for example the Kite Control Unit (KCU), kites and groundstation. You will have a challenging internship in renewable energy to apply your academic knowledge and gain valuable working experience.
What you will be doing
The main project that you will be working on is continuing development on our kite testing and characterization platform (KCP). This platform serves as a crucial tool for prototyping and testing scaled models of our kites. The primary objective of the KCP is to facilitate the derivation of optimal flight paths and fine-tuned controller settings for our larger, full-scale kite systems.
Beyond its role in flight path and controller optimization, the KCP is also instrumental in the validation of software models used for kite design. By providing a real-world testing environment for these scaled prototypes, we can gather essential data to confirm and refine the accuracy of our theoretical models.
The scope of work within this project is broad and multifaceted, offering a diverse range of challenges and learning opportunities. This can encompass everything from the initial design and construction of a small-scale winch prototype, which is essential for controlling the kites during testing, to the integration of various sensors onto these small-scale kite systems. These sensors are vital for collecting comprehensive data on the kite’s performance, including parameters such as airspeed, altitude, tension, and orientation. The insights gained from these activities are directly fed back into the design and development cycle of our cutting-edge kite technology.
Next to that we can use your help for:
Conduct thorough testing and validation of mechatronic and electronic components to ensure compliance with safety and quality standards.
Identify and troubleshoot mechanical, electrical and mechatronic issues in the current designs to improve system performance and reliability.
Aid in the assembly, benchmarking and integrating new or existing system components to ensure flight readiness.
Create and maintain documentation related to electrical and mechatronic designs, including schematics, PCB layouts, and assembly instructions.
About you
You ideally have the following qualities:
Studies in technical discipline (Mechanical, Aerospace, Physics. Electrical, etc.)
Knowledge of basic aerodynamics
Knowledge of mechatronic systems
Multidisciplinary curiosity, good practical technical understanding
Knowledge of relevant safety standards and regulations for electrical and mechatronic systems.
Good communication and organization skills
Fluent written and spoken English
Good observation skills and ability to give reliable feedback
And if you have more talents to offer… Let us know!
Why us?
At Kitepower, we believe that changing the world should be an exciting and rewarding journey. We invest in our team members' growth and well-being, offering a package that includes:
An internship allowance.
The freedom of taking responsibility and ownership of your own projects within a bigger development.
Valuable working experience in a leading renewable energy start-up
A dynamic culture: a flat and collaborative work environment where your ideas are valued and your voice is heard.
A great team atmosphere in a fast-growing start-up.
Professional growth: continuous learning opportunities in a multidisciplinary field that blends aerospace, mechatronics, power systems and software.
Join us.
If you want to help shape the future of renewable energy, challenge yourself with cutting-edge technology, and make a real impact on the world, Kitepower is the place to be.
About us
