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US 8,800,931 B2Granted
Planform configuration for stability of a powered kite and a system and method for use of same
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorDamon Vander Lind
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method of power generation, wind based flight, and take off and landing using a tethered kite with a raised tail mounted rearward of the main wing or wings. The tail may be fully rotatable and may be adapted to rotate more than 90 degrees from its nominal position during a traditional flight paradigm.
Claims21
A kite comprising:
- a main wing;
- a tail wing;
- and
- a tail boom, said tail boom attached to said main wing on a first end, said tail boom coupled to said tail wing on a second end,
- wherein said tail wing is mounted behind and above said main wing, and
- wherein said tail wing is adapted to rotate to control a pitch of said kite based on an angle between (i) a line through a center of mass of said kite and a center of lift of said tail wing, and (ii) a vertical axis through said center of mass of said kite when said main wing is in a vertical position.
3 more elements
A method comprising the steps of:
- causing a kite to lift off of the ground in a hover mode of flight, said kite comprising a main wing and a tail wing rearward and above said main wing, said kite oriented vertically in said hover mode of flight;
- and
- controlling a pitch of said kite during said hover mode of flight at least in part by rotating said tail wing, wherein said tail wing is adapted to rotate at least ninety degrees from vertical, and wherein said tail wing is adapted to control the pitch of said kite based on an angle between (i) a line through a center of mass of said kite and a center of lift of said tail wing, and (ii) a vertical axis through said center of mass of said kite when said main wing is in a vertical position.
A system comprising:
- a ground station;
- a tether, said tether attached to said ground station on a first end and to a kite on a second end;
- and
- a kite, said kite comprising:
- a main wing;
- a tail wing;
- and
- a tail boom, said tail boom attached to said main wing on a first end, said tail boom coupled to said tail wing on a second end,
- wherein said tail wing is mounted behind and above said main wing, and
- wherein said tail wing is adapted to rotate to control a pitch of said kite based on an angle between (i) a line through a center of mass of said kite and a center of lift of said tail wing, and (ii) a vertical axis through said center of mass of said kite when said main wing is in a vertical position.
7 more elements
A kite comprising:
- a center of mass;
- a main wing;
- a tail wing, wherein said tail wing comprises a fully rotatable wing adapted to rotate relative to said main wing;
- and
- a tail boom, said tail boom attached to said main wing on a first end, said tail boom coupled to said tail wing on a second end,
- wherein said tail wing is mounted behind and above said main wing, and
- wherein said tail wing is adapted to rotate above a point on a line that is angled 20 or 30 degrees off of a horizontal axis through said center of mass when said main wing is in a horizontal position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.