Multiple wind turbine tethered airfoil wind energy conversion system

A multiple wind turbine tethered airfoil wind energy conversion system, comprising:

• a plurality of wind turbines each having a power output-providing device for providing a power output as that wind turbine is rotated by the wind;
• a generally toric, lighter-than-air gas-filled airfoil having a generally hemispherical outer, upper side and a generally flat inner, lower side, with a generally central, lined vent passageway communicating generally axially between said sides so as to have an entrance through said lower side and an exit through said upper side;
• means for mounting each wind turbine with axes parallel to said vent adjacent said vent entrance;
• a plurality of angularly widely distributed tether lines each attached to said airfoil distally of the longitudinal axis thereof;
• a plurality of ground-based tether line payout/takeup devices, each having a respective said tether line connected therewith, so that individual said devices may be operated to increase and decrease the lengths of the individual tether lines effectively in use, for tilting the wind turbine into the wind without need for rotating the airfoil.

A multiple wind turbine tethered airfoil wind energy conversion system comprising:

• a plurality of wind turbines each having a respective power output shaft means;
• frame means mounting the wind turbines for rotation about respective generally vertical, but tiltable axes;
• a buoyant-in-air gas bag airfoil means having said frame means mounted thereto for deploying the resulting wind turbines, frame means, gas bag means assembly above a datum surface;
• a plurality of tether lines each having an upper end secured to said assembly and a lower end extended down to adjacency with said datum surface;
• a separate means anchoring each said tether line lower end relative to said datum surface and including means for acting upon the respective tether line for effectively lengthening and shortening the distance between each respective tether line upper end and said datum surface;
• control means connected to all of said effectively lengthening and shortening means and being operable to coordinately modify said distances by shortening at least one and/or lengthening at least another for selectively tilting said axis and thus heading the airfoil into the wind.

A method for deploying a plurality of wind turbines into the wind, comprising:

• suspending all the wind turbines in mid-air above a datum surface by buoying all the wind turbines with a common lighter-than-air gas bag airfoil so that the respective wind turbine longitudinal axes are generally vertically oriented;
• tethering the wind turbines down to the datum surface using a plurality of perimetrically widely distributed tether lines;
• and
• coordinately relatively lengthening and shortening said tether lines in order to incline the respective wind turbine longitudinal axes in the azimuthal direction and to the degree which maximizes wind energy conversion by said wind turbines to rotary output power.

A multiple wind energy conversion device tethered airfoil wind energy conversion system, comprising:

• a positive-lift, lighter-than-air, flexible gas bag-type airfoil provided with a lined vent which extends completely therethrough;
• a plurality of wind energy conversion devices, each comprising a means for accepting a wind energy mechanical input and providing a converted power output;
• means mounting all said wind energy conversion devices on said airfoil for movement of portions thereof with respect thereto incident to accepting said input and providing said converted output, said wind energy conversion devices being disposed athwart said vent, so that at least some wind in order to transit said vent must impact said wind energy conversion devices;
• a plurality of tether lines, being at least three in number, each having a first end effectively secured to the airfoil and a depending second end;
• a respective anchor means associated with said second end of each tether line;
• each tether line and respective anchor means associated therewith including means for effectively adjusting the length in use of the respective tether line for correspondingly adjusting the vector of tilting of said airfoil and thus adjusting the aiming of said vent, for regulating the acceptance of wind energy by said wind energy conversion device.