Energy-efficient launch system for aerial vehicles
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsGur Kimchi, Louis LeRoi LeGrand, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An energy-efficient launch system that utilizes the principles of whip dynamics to launch payloads at high speeds is described. The launch system may include a marine vehicle having an onboard power source. A tapered, superconducting cable may be retractably connected to the marine vehicle via a winch and electrically connected to the power source. One or more aerial vehicles may be coupled to and receive power via the cable. To launch a payload at the end of the cable, the marine vehicle, winch, and/or aerial vehicles may be operated in coordination to create, propagate, and accelerate a whip waveform along the cable toward the payload.
Claims20
A launch apparatus, comprising:
- a marine vehicle comprising a power source;
- a superconducting cable coupled at a first end to the marine vehicle via a winch, wherein a diameter of the superconducting cable tapers from the first end toward a second end distal from the first end;
- a plurality of aerial vehicles spaced along and coupled to the superconducting cable, each of the plurality of aerial vehicles receiving power from the power source via the superconducting cable;
- a payload carried by a final aerial vehicle of the plurality of aerial vehicles, the final aerial vehicle coupled to the second end of the superconducting cable;
- and
- a controller in communication with the marine vehicle, the winch, and the plurality of aerial vehicles, the controller configured to at least:
- instruct the marine vehicle to travel at a determined velocity and provide power to the plurality of aerial vehicles via the superconducting cable;
- instruct the winch to wind the superconducting cable to cause a waveform to propagate along the superconducting cable from the first end to the second end;
- instruct the plurality of aerial vehicles to cause the waveform to propagate along the superconducting cable toward the second end;
- and
- instruct the final aerial vehicle to release the payload as the waveform reaches the second end, thereby launching the payload.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a vehicle comprising a power source;
- a cable movably coupled at a first end to the vehicle;
- at least one aerial vehicle coupled to a second end of the cable distal from the first end, the at least one aerial vehicle receiving power from the power source via the cable, and the at least one aerial vehicle carrying a payload;
- and
- a controller in communication with the vehicle and the at least one aerial vehicle, the controller configured to at least:
- instruct the vehicle to travel at a determined velocity and provide power to the at least one aerial vehicle via the cable;
- cause a waveform to propagate along the cable from the first end to the second end;
- and
- instruct the at least one aerial vehicle to release the payload as the waveform reaches the second end, thereby launching the payload.
A method, comprising:
- instructing a vehicle to travel at a determined velocity, the vehicle comprising a power source and a cable retractably coupled to the vehicle at a first end, a plurality of aerial vehicles being spaced along and coupled to the cable;
- causing a retraction mechanism to retract the cable to cause a waveform to propagate along the cable from the first end to a second end distal from the first end;
- and
- instructing a release of a payload from the second end of the cable as the waveform reaches the second end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.