Identification of Aerodynamic Models for an Energy-Harvesting Kite using Multisine Inputs and Equation Error

System identification (SysID) techniques were applied to nonlinear simulation data for Toyota’s Airborne Wind Energy Harvesting (AWEH) kite with bioinspired control effectors to develop accurate aerodynamic models. Orthogonal phase-optimized multisine inputs were designed to simultaneously excite all four bio-inspired control surfaces. Aerodynamic forces and moments were reconstructed using a modified flight dynamics model, accounting for bridle tension effects inherent to the tethered kite configuration. Stepwise regression and the equation-error approach were used to determine the aerodynamic model structure and estimate nondimensional stability and control derivatives. The results highlight the successful analysis of this type of airborne energy harvesting system, laying a foundation for flight testing and further refinement of aerodynamic and control models for AWEH systems. Additionally, the paper explores interesting aspects of identifying the aerodynamics of cable-tethered kites.