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US 4,309,006 AGranted
Tethered airfoil wind energy conversion system
OwnerLloyd I. Biscombinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A generally toric lighter-than-air gas bag-type airfoil is tethered to the ground at a plurality of angularly widely distributed points about the periphery of the gas bag. A wind turbine is mounted at the entrance to the axially central vent. The tether lines are entrained about individually operable power winches, preferably controlled by a microprocessor which takes in wind direction and tether line tension data and operates the winches and inflation gas inlet and outlet valves to orient the wind turbine into the wind for maximum power output.
Claims33
A 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 generally axially therethrough;
- a wind turbine having a power output-providing device;
- frame means supported by said airfoil and mounting said wind turbine for rotation relative to said airfoil in axial alignment with said vent;
- a plurality of motorized, individually operable winches, being at least three in number, and being for disposition at spaced sites generally in an imaginary ring on the ground;
- each such winch having a tether line wound thereon and having a respective outer end;
- means connecting each tether line outer end to said airfoil radially distally of said vent, so that said airfoil is tethered to said winches from a plurality of widely distributed sites;
- a means for supplying inflating lighter-than-air gas to the airfoil, this means including a gas inlet control valve;
- a means for releasing inflating lighter-than-air gas from within the airfoil, this means including a gas release control valve;
- means for sensing wind direction incident upon said airfoil and for providing an output signal in relation thereto;
- a tether control system incorporating means for determining for each of a plurality of various different wind direction-related output signals received from said sensing means, respective control signals equating to the amounts by which each of the respective tether lines must be reeled in or played out in order to tilt the airfoil into the wind at an optimum angle of attack to maximize power output of said power output-providing device of said wind turbine;
- means operatively connecting said sensing means to said tether control system for furnishing said output signal to said tether control system;
- and
- means operatively connecting said tether control system to each of said motorized, independently operable winches for furnishing said respective control signals to the respective said winches.
10 more elements
A tethered airfoil wind energy conversion system, comprising:
- a wind turbine having a power output-providing device for providing a power output as the 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 coaxially mounting said wind turbine relative to said vent adjacent said vent entrance;
- a plurality comprising at least three 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 the individual said devices may be operated to increase and decrease the lengths of the individual tether lines effectively in use, for directing the tethered airfoil and the wind turbine supported thereby into the wind both azimuthally and vertically without need for rotating the airfoil.
2 more elements
A tethered airfoil wind energy conversion system comprising:
- a wind turbine having a power output shaft means;
- frame means mounting the wind turbine for rotation about a generally vertical, but tiltable axis;
- a buoyant-in-air gas bag means havig said frame means mounted thereto for deploying the resulting wind turbine, frame means, gas bag means assembly above a datum surface;
- a plurality comprising at least three angularly widely distributed 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 both azimuthally and vertically directing the wind turbine into the wind.
3 more elements
A method for deploying a wind turbine into the wind, comprising:
- suspending the wind turbine in mid-air above a datum surface by buoying the wind turbine with a lighter-than-air gas bag so that the wind turbine longitudinal axis is generally vertically oriented;
- tethering the wind turbine 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 wind turbine longitudinal axis in the azimuthal direction and to the degree which maximizes wind energy conversion by said wind turbine to rotary output power.
1 more element
A 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 wind energy conversion device comprising a means for accepting a wind energy mechanical input and providing a converted power output;
- means mounting said wind energy conversion device 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 device being disposed athwart said vent, so that at least some wind in order to transit said vent must impact said wind energy conversion device;
- 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 there with 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.
3 more elements
Apparatus for supporting aloft a wind-operated means, comprising:
- a positive-lift, lighter-than-air, flexible, gas bag-type airfoil provided with a lined vent which extends completely therethrough;
- a wind-operated means comprising means for accepting a wind input and causing an effect of said wind input to be manifested by said wind-operated means;
- means mounting said wind-operated means on said airfoil effectively athwart said vent so that at least some wind in order to transit said vent must effectively encounter said wind-operated means, and experience said effect caused thereby;
- 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 there with 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.
3 more elements
A method for deploying a wind-operated means into the wind, comprising:
- suspending the wind-operated means in mid-air above a datum surface by buoying the wind-operated means above a datum surface with a lighter-than-air gas bag so that the wind-operated means is accessible along a generally vertical path;
- tethering the wind-operated means 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 said path of accessibility in the azimuthal direction and to the degree which maximizes per unit time operating effect of the wind on said wind-operated means.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.