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US 11,909,187 B2Granted
Aerial station power tether with unipolar current flow
OwnerDaniel Ludoisinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power tether for aerial devices such as balloons or drones operates with as few as a single conductor, providing a ground return by capacitive coupling between the aerial device and a ground plane at a base station. High-frequency, high-voltage power allows significant power transfer through the low capacitance between the aerial station and the ground minimizing the necessary current flow.
Claims19
An aerial tether system comprising:
- a terrestrial station providing connection to a ground plane;
- an aerial station providing self-supported flight including a supported capacitor plate structure providing a capacitively coupled path to the ground plane;
- an electrical load positioned on one of the aerial station and terrestrial station;
- an alternating current electrical power source positioned on another of the aerial station and terrestrial station different from the location of the electrical load;
- and
- a tether physically connecting the aerial station and terrestrial station and providing a conductor communicating therebetween;
- wherein the ground plane, capacitor plate structure, conductor, electrical load, and alternating current electrical power source are interconnected to provide a continuous electrical circuit between the electrical load and electrical power source using the conductor and the capacitively coupled path.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.