AERIAL WIND POWER GENERATION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An aerial power generation system for generation of power from the wind, comprising:
- a first guide line extending skywardly at a selected elevation angle from a first end to a spaced second end, a first support body attached to said second end of said first guide line for supporting said first guide line, a wind powered driven element slidably mounted on said first guide line, a first tow line connected to said driven element, and means, connected to said first tow line opposite said driven element and driven by said first tow line, for generating power, whereby the wind pushes said driven element away from said means for generating, said driven element slides along said first guide line and pulls said first tow line, and said first tow line drives said means for generating power.
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Abstract
An aerial power generation system includes wind driven elements that are in the form of rectangular sails. The sails are configured and shaped to provide maximum force from both lift and drag during the downwind phase of operation and minimum force during the upwind phase. Guide lines, support elements such as kites or blimps, and/or radio controlled airfoils add stability to the system and provide better control over angular orientation and direction of motion. Power transfer is through one or more cables connected from the wind driven elements to various electromechanical devices on the ground. Another embodiment of the aerial power generation system includes a revolving apparatus and two or more wind powered driven elements connected by tow lines to the revolving apparatus.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An aerial power generation system for generation of power from the wind, comprising:
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a first guide line extending skywardly at a selected elevation angle from a first end to a spaced second end, a first support body attached to said second end of said first guide line for supporting said first guide line, a wind powered driven element slidably mounted on said first guide line, a first tow line connected to said driven element, and means, connected to said first tow line opposite said driven element and driven by said first tow line, for generating power, whereby the wind pushes said driven element away from said means for generating, said driven element slides along said first guide line and pulls said first tow line, and said first tow line drives said means for generating power. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An aerial power generation system for generation of power from the wind, comprising:
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a guide line extending skywardly at a selected elevation angle from a first end to a spaced second end, a kite, a bridle having a plurality of bridle lines extending from said kite to said guide lines a remote control winch connected between a said bridle line and said guide line for varying the length of said bridle line to vary the angle of said kite relative to the wind, a wind powered driven element having an upper spar, a spaced lower spar, a sail portion extending between said upper and lower spars and a pulley connected to said upper spar that slidably mounts said driven element on said guide line, a first tow line connected to said upper spar, a second tow line connected to said lower spar, means for shortening and lengthening said second tow line relative to said first tow line, and an electrical generator with a shaft and a reel on said shaft that is are rotated by said first tow line, whereby the wind pushes said driven element away from said generator, said driven element slides along said first guide line and pulls said first tow line, and said first tow line rotates said reel and said shaft to generate power, and whereby when said means for shortening and lengthening changes said driven element to a low force configuration, said driven element can be pulled towards said generator with low power.
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21. An aerial power generation system for generation of power from the wind, comprising:
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a plurality of aerial wind powered driven elements, a tow line for each said driven element, each said tow line having an upper end attached to a said driven element and a spaced lower end, means for changing each said driven element individually between high force and low force configurations, revolving apparatus with a center and having a tow line attachment point for each said driven element, said lower end of each said tow line being attached to a separate tow line attachment point, said tow line attachment points being linked together, spaced from said center and spaced from each other, and means, linked to said revolving apparatus and driven thereby, for generating power, whereby said means for changing changes each said driven element to high force configurations when the respective said tow line attachment point is moving downwind and changes each said driven element to low force configurations when the respective said tow line attachment point is moving upwind, so that downwind moving said tow line attachment points pull upwind moving said tow line attachment points, causing said revolving apparatus to revolve and thereby driving said means for generating power. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An aerial power generation system for generation of power from the wind, comprising:
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a plurality of aerial wind powered driven elements, a tow line for each said driven element, each said tow line having an upper end attached to a said driven element and a spaced lower end, a control line for each said driven element, each said control line having an upper end attached to a said driven element and a spaced lower end, a revolving apparatus having a center and a plurality of angularly spaced cross bars projecting horizontally from said center, said cross bars rotating about said center, said cross bars each having a tow line attachment point for a said driven element spaced from said center, with said lower end of each said tow line being attached to the respective said tow line attachment point, said cross bars each having a control line attachment point for a said driven element with said lower end of each said control line being attached to the respective said control line attachment point, each said control line attachment point being spaced at a selected distance and angle from the respective said tow line attachment point, and an electrical generator linked to and driven by said revolving apparatus, whereby each said control line changes the respective said driven element to high force configurations when the respective said tow line attachment point is moving downwind and changes the respective said driven element to low force configurations when the respective said tow line attachment point is moving upwind, so that downwind moving said tow line attachment points pull with higher force than upwind moving said tow line attachment points, causing said revolving apparatus to revolve and thereby driving said generator.
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Specification